Cigar Health - Even a Good Cigar is Bad for your Health

In this day and age it seems as though we all know that smoking is bad for our health, this includes the burning and inhalation of any form or tobacco product such as a cigar, cigarette or loose pipe tobacco. While for the most part it seems as though the main target of anti smoking campaigns is the regular cigarette smoker, for those who only occasionally smoke a pipe or cigar health problems are still a major concern.

What is Casual Smoking?

Many cigarette smokers tend to do so on a very regular basis, some people may smoke 20 or more cigarettes in a day and as the addiction grows more intense they may smoke even more.

For those who choose instead to smoke a cigar or a pipe the term casual generally refers to only smoking perhaps one per day or less, often in a social situation or as a way to relieve the stress of a bad day. Nevertheless according to medical experts even the casual smoking of any form of tobacco product is considered habit forming and can lead to serious medical problems.

Nicotine, the active ingredient in all tobacco products, is inhaled into the lungs; even the cigar smoker who claims he does not inhale actually does inhale a certain amount of smoke. Once it enters the lungs a large percentage of it stays there while the rest goes into your bloodstream and from there directly to your brain.

This process occurs in about 10 seconds and then spreads out to the rest of your body in 20 seconds. This happens whether you are a serious or casual smoker and provides your brain with the stimulation that it is dependent upon.

The Effects of Nicotine

Nicotine is a very unusual chemical in that it can act as both a stimulant and a tranquilizer, the effects experienced depend greatly on how much is consumed and the circumstances under which it is consumed. These varying effects explain why some smokers claim that a cigarette picks them up and gives them an energy boost while others say smoking relieves their stress and anxiety.

Studies show that the nicotine stimulates the body's adrenal glands and causes the release of epinephrine into the bloodstream. This is similar to the body going into the fight or flight mode and accounts for the sudden burst of energy some smokers experience. At the same time the release of epinephrine also narrows arteries, increases the heat rate and the flow of blood from your heart. Even if all you do is smoke the occasional cigar health risks such as high blood pressure are a serious concern.

Tar and the Rest of the Bad News

Now that we have seen how nicotine can increase the risk of heart disease which in itself is bad news, there are far worse chemicals in tobacco smoke. One of the most prominent chemicals that you inhale every time you smoke is tar. This tar is a very sticky chemical that adheres to the lining of your lungs and builds up as a thick layer in the bottom of your lungs. Tar has long been known to be a leading cause of lung cancer and other diseases that cause respiratory distress. Once a person stops smoking it can take 10 years or longer for their lungs to clear the tar buildup out of their lungs.

Carbon monoxide is also very much a part of tobacco smoke; everyone knows that carbon monoxide is listed as the silent killer. If your house is sealed tight for the winter and your furnace leaks carbon monoxide into your house it will slowly kill you while you are asleep. It does this by reducing the amount of oxygen your red blood cells are able to carry throughout your body, without the oxygen your brain begins to stop functioning and finally your body shuts down completely. With this in mind why would you want to purposely inhale large quantities of a poisonous gas?

Besides these three main chemicals it is thought that tobacco smoke contains another 4,000 different chemicals of which at least 200 are known to be highly toxic to the human body. While those who think they are the only ones affected when they smoke a cigar health problems are just as much an issue for the person who does not smoke, but ends up inhaling second hand smoke. Not only do they end up breathing the smoke that is exhaled by the smoker, but they also inhale the smoke that comes from the burning end of the cigar.

Final Conclusion

Whether you are an active or casual smoker the risks to your health are significant. According to a recent survey completed in the USA smoking is the direct cause of over 500,000 people each year. Those who choose to smoke have a much higher risk of many different cancers, predominately lung cancer, but also cervical and breast cancer. Other respiratory diseases like emphysema and asthma are far more epidemic in smokers as are the incidences of heart diseases and heart attacks. For women on birth control pills the risk of stroke is very high.

For women smokers it can be more difficult to conceive and for those who are pregnant and continue to smoke there is the risk of premature delivery and low birth weight babies. Smoking while pregnant is thought to be the cause of up to 10% of infant deaths and 14% of those born suffering low birth weight.

Research has concluded that the more you smoke, the higher your risk of being affected by diseases such as cancer, emphysema and heart problems. However, there is no doubt that even for the person who smoke the occasional cigar health issues like these are prevalent. Smoking any tobacco labeled as "low tar" or "light" has not been shown to reduce your risks as most smokers tend to smoke more to get the nicotine and other chemicals your body craves. The only way to stay healthy or to return your body to a healthy state is to either quit smoking or best of all never start in the first place.