our body is trying to tell you something if you smoke. The instant you inhale your first cigarette, it begins to affect your body, causing short- and long-term destruction. Don’t think you’re smoking a “peace pipe.” You’re actually making war on your body. Take note below of what happens when you smoke. If you begin to experience some negative symptoms from your habit, get the message and quit. YOUR HEART. Smokers have an increased risk of heart attack. Your heart pounds an extra 15 to 25 beats per minute and your blood pressure rises 10 to 20 points. More importantly, tobacco damages blood vessels. YOUR LUNGS. Smoking decreases your breathing capacity, rots the air sacs and leaves a residue of cancer-causing chemicals. Also, the bronchial lining thickens, which can lead to lung cancer. YOUR REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM. Fertility is reduced. Pregnant women who smoke risk a miscarriage, and their babies may be born prematurely with low birth weight. YOUR BLOOD. Your red blood cells don’t carry as much oxygen as those of non-smokers because they’re carrying some poisonous carbon monoxide. Less oxygen makes breathing and physical activity difficult. YOUR SKIN. Smoking promotes premature wrinkling and leathery skin. YOUR MOUTH. Smokers’ teeth turn yellow and their breath smells. Smoking also promotes periodontal disease, which leads to receding gums, tooth loss and oral cancers. YOUR THROAT. Smoking thickens the lining of the throat, which can lead to throat cancer. YOUR FAMILY. Secondhand smoke can cause watery eyes, headaches and allergic reactions in nonsmokers. It can aggravate sinusitis, rhinitis, cystic fibrosis and chronic respiratory problems such as coughs. Secondhand smoke also has been linked to cancer. © Your HealthStyle, 1999.