Smoking is one of the worst things you can do when recovering from illness or injury. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients that reach cells, increasing risk of infection and the likelihood that healing will take longer than it should. Three main compounds in cigarettes are responsible for damaging cells: nicotine, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide.
Nicotine causes blood vessels to contract. This leads to something doctors called “tissue ischemia”. The body normally increases blood flow to areas of the body that need to rebuild and regenerate, but nicotine gets in the way of this happening properly. Nicotine also causes platelets, which are responsible for clotting, to become more “sticky”. This increases the chance of small blood clots forming. Small blood clots get stuck in the vessels around the injury and block blood flow; this further undermines the recovery of damaged cells.
Carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen that is available for blood cells to transport throughout the body.
Hydrogen cyanide works at the cellular level and prevents normal oxygen transport and oxidative metabolism from occurring.
Together, nicotine, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide significantly undermine the body’s ability to heal itself.
Targeting Teen Smoking Behaviors
Many individuals begin smoking in their teens, so targeting smoking behavior in this age group is particularly important.
A review of 23 research studies from around the world has revealed that family intervention can greatly reduce the risk of an adolescent smoking. According to the study, success rates of up to 32% were noted when family members proactively engaged with teens. One of the researchers, Professor Philip Baker, states
“We found the most effective interventions are those which encourage parents to think they can make a difference in their adolescent’s tobacco-related behaviour, strengthen their nurturing skills, encourage the setting of limits, and provide strategies for meaningful discussion with their adolescents about substances. This approach helps strengthen their children’s ability to push back peer pressure.”
Smoking behaviors adopted in adolescence cause long term health problems and are particularly problematic for anyone recovering from illness or injury. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about quitting today.
Family-based programmes for preventing smoking by children and adolescents. Thomas RE, Baker PRA, Thomas BC, Lorenzetti DL.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015,
