From a very young age, probably when I was still in the womb, my father instilled in me the adverse effects on cigarette smoking on the body. When I was in elementary school, I recall buying a box of candy cigarettes at the local 7-11 store, and when my dad found out, he took them from me and threw them away. When I was of age, yet still living at home, if I had been out with friends at a local bar or party, my dad would make me put my clothes in the attic or hang them outside when I got home so that the smoky smell in them would dissipate. He was vehemently opposed to cigarettes, most notably because he had a dad who smoked and suffered the repercussions, as well as a father-in-law who smoked. Also, being a physician specializing in diseases of the chest presumably had a lot to do with it.
Day in and day out, he would see patient after patient presenting with a host of problems all related to their habitual love affair with cigarettes. One day, when I was around eight years old, I noticed a huge bucket in our garage with a tightly-sealed lid on it. When I asked my dad what was in it, he cautioned me, “Do you really want to know?” Always the curious and inquisitive soul, I could not resist seeing what exciting surprises rested within the container.
After putting on a rubber surgical glove, he slowly pried open the lid, put his hand inside the container and pulled up for me to see what looked like, well, I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that it was gross. And wet. And slimy. When he told me it was the heart, lungs, and trachea of a deceased individual who had died of pulmonary disease, the result of years of smoking, I began to gag, but then realized, “Cool! I now have something incredible to bring to show and tell tomorrow!” (And I did bring it in! After I pontificated about the harmful effects of cigarette smoking on one’s lungs by virtue of actually showing my fellow classmates “a dead guy’s gross lungs,” I am confident that many of those kids grew up without a desire to smoke.)
It’s no surprise. Smoking wreaks havoc on the lungs. However, it can do a serious number on the bones, too, and the effects can be even greater if someone begins smoking at a young age.
According to the experts at www.webmd.com, the years between childhood and age 30 are the key years for building bone mass. If an adolescent begins the habit of smoking, he or she will not develop maximum bone mass. The skeleton of a teen who smokes will be smaller and have less bone mass compared to a non-smoking teen.
Smoking will continue to affect the overall health of the bones even into one’s 40s and 50s. That is the time of life when women begin to lose estrogen, which is vital to the bones. When someone smokes, bone loss is more rapid.
What does cigarette smoke do exactly to one’s bones? Well, the nicotine and toxins in cigarettes affect the health of bones on many levels. The smoke creates an abundance of free radicals, the molecules that take over the body’s natural defenses. This sets up a domino effect throughout the body which soon affects the cells, the organs, and the hormones that play a pivotal role in bone health.
When someone smokes, the toxins from the cigarettes disturb the balance of the hormones that bones need to stay strong and healthy. In the menopausal years, it is like a train wreck. Smoking just adds to the bone loss that is already taking place.
Smoking also creates an increase in the levels of the hormone cortisol, which leads to the breakdown of bone. Studies have also shown that smoking inhibits the hormone called calcitonin, which is what helps to build the bones.
Further, the nicotine in cigarettes kills the osteoblasts, which are the bone-making cells. Blood vessels become damaged and blood supply of oxygen is diminished. Research has proven that those who smoke sustain repeated fractures. When a smoker fractures a bone, they do not heal very well because of poor blood supply.
When blood vessels are damaged from smoking, the nerves in the toes and feet are affected, and this can lead to more falls and fractures. In short, if you smoke, you double your chances of breaking a bone. The more you smoke, the longer it takes for the bone to heal.
If this still doesn’t convince you, I am sure I can find that old bucket of gross stuff somewhere in my dad’s garage! I’d hate to think about what it looks like now!
(Information for this article was found at http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/living-with-osteoporosis-7/smoking-cigarettes).