Cigarette smoking, whether on occasion or done regularly, is a harmful habit that can cause many diseases and reduce a person’s lifespan.
- Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, with particularly unfavorable effects on urological and reproductive organs.
- The team at Affiliated Urologists discuss the negative effects smoking has on urological health.
According to the American Lung Association, smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, claiming more than 393,000 lives each year. Fortunately, smoking rates have declined steadily over the last few decades, with 2012-2013 being a year that ended the smoking rate stall (20-21%) that lasted more than seven years.
Regardless, smoking is still a cause for concern today not just in terms of a person’s overall health, but for their urological health as well. In fact, various studies have found smoking increases a person’s risk of developing urologic cancers and may worsen the progression of those cancers.
In addition to having a higher risk of cancer and worsening cancer itself, smoking also increases the risk of complication from major surgery performed to mitigate urology-related cancers. Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit found that those who quit smoking a year before surgery improved their post-surgical outcomes “significantly.”
Another interesting study about and the effects smoking has on surgery found that smokers and patients exposed to secondhand smoke typically required more anesthesia and opioids during surgery than nonsmokers. The study analyzed the surgical procedures of 90 women undergoing a total abdominal hysterectomy. Researchers found 33% of patients who smoked needed more anesthesia during surgery than nonsmokers, and 23% needed more opioid pain medication for recovery than nonsmokers.
Cigarette smoking can also lead to erectile dysfunction. In order for men to achieve and maintain an erection, blood needs to properly circulate toward the genitals. Smoking inhibits this circulation, and men who smoke are twice are likely to be affected by ED than nonsmokers.
Fortunately, your health improves immediately after quitting smoking. Your blood pressure decreases, circulation improves, and you lower your risk of certain cancers, heart disease, and emphysema. Call us today to discuss your urological health and how it can improve when you quit smoking.
Affiliated Urologists is an award-winning practice recognized both locally and nationally that has provided service to patients in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and surrounding communities in the Valley, for over 40 years. The physicians emphasize top-of-the-line comprehensive urological care and strive to deliver the highest outcomes for patient satisfaction. To make an appointment, call 602-264-0608 or visit http://affiliatedurologists.com/contact/ for instructions on scheduling an appointment.
The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.
