Health Magazine

All smokers are fully aware of the devastating effects that smoking has on the body. I was a smoker for 15 years, and this list is not designed to scare all the smokers out there, although it just might.

1. The smokers cough. If you have smoked for any length of time you will have the smokers cough. You may think this is an inconvenience if your a smoker, and most smokers try to hide it. This cough is actually your body trying to get rid of the poisonous fumes you are inhaling on a daily basis. It is the sound of your lungs expelling all the chemicals in tobacco smoke. This is a good thing for your body all though you may not think so.

2. Stained teeth. After smoking for so long I was well aware of my yellow stained teeth. I got into the habit of smiling with my mouth closed, a lot of smokers do this. Sure, you can go and get your teeth whitened these days, but sooner or later the stains will be back if you continue to smoke.

3. Yellow fingers. This is basically the same problem as stained teeth. I used to rotate my finger when smoking so one would not get stained too much. If you smoke roll ups this problem will be even worse. No amount of scrubbing will get rid of it, the only solution is to stop using the same finger.

4. Shortness of breath. I always played a lot of sport even though I smoked. As the years went by I found I always started coughing after any kind of physical exercise. Your lung capacity is reduced by smoking. I found that I could not hold my breath for very long. One of the worst experiences I had was during a physical test for work. You know the kind I mean, when you have to blow into a meter to test lung capacity, and you just know that your attempt will be well below average. You then get a read out that tells you that you have the lungs of a 50 year old, and your only 35. Read the rest of this entry »