Clearing the smoke: Understanding the health hazards of smoking

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Created on:

02 Jan 2024

Last Updated on:

01 Sep 2024

Break Free: How Smoking Damages Your Health and Drains Your Wallet.

Smoking is injurious to health. This is not just a cautionary declaration, it is actually the truest statement of all time! There are way too many disadvantages and risks of smoking, which do not go away unless you quit the habit. Smoking has many other cons. From having to pay extra for your health insurance from Zurich Kotak General Insurance to exposing your family members to the risk of passive smoking, your cigarette does more harm than good.

Health hazards of smoking cigarettes

Smoking causes irreversible damage to your body and mind. This is why some health insurance companies don't even offer their plans to smokers. Here are some of the most harmful disadvantages of smoking:

Damage to overall health

A cigarette has over 600 ingredients in it. When they all burn together, over 7000 harmful gases and chemicals are released which causes widespread damage to your body. There are a whole lot of organs that get damaged due to this and you see a fall in your health.

Risk of cancer

One of the most severe dangers of tobacco is that it increases the risk of several types of cancer such as lung cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer, brain cancer and bone cancer, all of which can be fatal.

Reduced fertility

Smoking greatly impacts your sexual and reproductive health. From a lower sex drive to a fall in the reproductive hormones, you face various problems and are unable to conceive or sustain a healthy pregnancy. It affects both males and females equally.

Mental health issues

One of the often-overlooked smoking health hazards is its impact on mental health. Smoking raises your anxiety and stress levels, which trigger some mental health conditions. Several studies have also concluded that chain smokers develop depression over some time, and some even show suicidal tendencies.

Respiratory health issues

When you speak about tobacco and health, you can't ignore the respiratory problems. Smoking directly hampers your respiratory organs such as your lungs and your windpipe. This is one of the worst effects of smoking that causes breathing problems, asthma and even lung cancer.

Vision loss

Smokers are often seen wearing eyeglasses and this is because long-term smoking hurts your vision. Smoking leads to damage of the optic nerve which reduces the quality of your vision. You also develop serious eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration, all of which can even lead to blindness.

These are just a handful of the problems you can face when you smoke. If you are a smoker, try to get a good health insurance, so that if needed, you can seek proper treatment.

The bottom line

If you have been a smoker, consider quitting smoking without any further delay. You have to do it if you want to lead a happy and healthy life. Apart from exposing your body to thousands of harmful chemicals every day, give it some love and care by inhaling fresh air, and you will see a huge difference in your physical and mental wellness.

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Team Zurich Kotak GIC

The content of this blog has been created and carefully reviewed by the esteemed team at Zurich Kotak General Insurance, with the sole purpose of providing valuable guidance and sharing insights on the importance of general insurance. Our objective is to assist users in making informed decisions when purchasing or renewing insurance policies for their cars, bikes, and health. Our expertly curated information aims to empower our readers with the knowledge they need to protect their valuable assets and financial interests.

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