• Smokers are more
likely to be absent from work than nonsmokers, and their illnesses last
longer.
• Smokers tend to incur more medical costs, to see
physicians more often in the outpatient setting, and to be admitted to the
hospital more often and for longer periods than nonsmokers.
• Smokers have a lower survival rate after surgery compared to that of
nonsmokers because of damage to the body’s host defenses, delayed wound
healing, and reduced immune response. Smokers are at greater risk for
complications following surgery, including wound infections, postoperative
pneumonia, and other respiratory complications.
•
Periodontitis is a serious gum disease that can result in the loss of
teeth and bone loss. Smoking is causally related to periodontitis. This
may be because smoking affects the body’s ability to fight infection and
repair tissue.
• Peptic ulcers, which are located in the digestive
tract (stomach and duodenum), usually occur in people with an infection
caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium. Among persons with this
infection, smokers are more likely to develop peptic ulcers than
nonsmokers. In severe cases, peptic ulcers can lead to death.
• Although only a small number of studies have looked at the
relationship between smoking and erectile dysfunction, their findings
suggest that smoking may be associated with an increased risk for this
condition. More studies are needed, however, before researchers can
conclude that smoking is causally related to erectile
dysfunction.
Related Topics:
Tobacco, Smoking and Your
Health
Source: United States Surgeon
General's Office |
