Ok, so maybe you started smoking thinking it looked cool and that it might affect your sex life to look cool, or be grown up or rebellious or whatever.

You are of course totally correct in assuming that smoking affects your sex life. In fact, several recent studies have looked at exactly this question in regard to male impotence and found that there is a link between smoking and difficulties having an erection. Now tell me how cool is that? That is surely far too grown up, that is as grown up as your aged grandfather!

Smoking has been linked to coronary artery blockage, but now we know that arteries in the penis are damaged by smoking, too. In a study of men with penile artery blockage average age 35, the smokers were significantly more blocked than non-smokers. And the more they smoked, the more their arteries were blocked. Since erections are mainly caused by blood flowing into the penis through arteries, unclogged arteries are very important in enhancing one’s sex life.

Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it tightens blood vessels and restricts blood flow. In the long term, it has even been shown to cause permanent damage to arteries. Since a man’s erection depends on blood flow, researchers assumed smoking would affect erections. Studies have confirmed this time and again. In one study published in 1986 in Addiction Behavior, it was shown that just two cigarettes could cause softer erections in male smokers. Results are corroborated by a definitive study published in June 2001 that looked at all studies done on impotent men over the last two decades. The research showed that 40 percent of men affected by impotence were smokers, as opposed to 28 percent of the general male population. Interesting eh?

So what does all this discussion about impotence mean for women? During sexual arousal, the labia, clitoris, and vagina also swell up with blood, similar to a man’s penis, enhancing sensation and arousal. If nicotine can restrict blood flow and cause erectile dysfunction in men, it can be assumed that blood flow is restricted in women as well, and may have a negative effect on sensation.

In the British Medical Associations report “Smoking and Reproductive Life”, the report states that Women who smoke take longer to conceive. Among smokers, the chances of conceiving fall by 10 40 per cent per cycle. The greater the quantity of cigarettes smoked, the longer a woman is likely to take to achieve pregnancy.

Cigarette smoking can also affect male fertility smoking reduces the quality of semen. Men who smoke have a lower sperm count than non-smokers, and their semen contains a higher proportion of malformed sperm. By-products of nicotine present in semen of smokers have been found to reduce the mobility of sperm.

Of course, quitting smoking would also eliminate stained teeth, unhealthy skin, rapid accumulation of wrinkles on the face, and clothing, hair, and breath that stink of smoke. That might improve one’s sex life. Decreasing your risk of cancer and heart disease which also do tend to have negative effects on one’s sex life can also be sexy in the long run.

Smokers may have enjoyed a sexy image in the past, but research tells us that they are not “doing it” as often as non-smokers. Studies show that men between 25 and 40 years who smoked one or more packs per day had sex less often than non-smoking men of the same age. Another study suggested that carbon monoxide in the blood caused by smoking inhibits the production of testosterone a hormone that creates sex drive.

Lastly, smoking affects fertility. Smokers’ sperm come in many sizes and shapes – many of them not normal. Some have two tails or two heads, others have giant or tiny heads, and some have split tails. The more a man smokes, the worse the damage. Nicotine essentially poisons the sperm and its ability to fertilize an egg.

Smoking isn’t good for your lungs or heart as is very well documented, and it certainly isn’t good for your sex life. It is no longer cool. Are you sleeping with an inactive ashtray? Is your libido being smoked away?

There is a steady need in today’s society to have everything we want straight away; this includes people wanting an easy way to quit smoking. The old method of going cold turkey and relying on will power just seems to be too hard when there are so many other ways to quit. The fact is that it is hard to quit smoking no matter which method you choose to use.

There are many reasons to quit smoking, some are obvious and some are not so obvious. Apart from the health benefits for you and your friends and family who may be breathing in your second hand. The list of nasty diseases believed to be caused by smoking has been grown over the last few years to include abdominal aortic aneurysm, acute myeloid leukemia, cervical cancer, kidney cancer, cataract, pneumonia, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, throat cancer and many more, just to name a few.

There are also the financial benefits that you will notice when you quit smoking. Just get a calculator out and work out how much it has cost you over the last year to slowly poison yourself. You will be surprised at how much money you could have saved. Money that could have been spent on something else you might still be enjoying today instead of having nothing to show for it apart from a nasty cough.

Getting the support you may need to quit smoking has become much easier over the last few years because of the increased awareness of a health conscious society. Governments are also supporting this by banning smoking in more and more areas. There are also more and more quit smoking products available to buy including nicotine patches and gum. These nicotine replacement products are designed to give your body the fix it needs without you having to put a cigarette in your mouth, this is the hardest part to give up for some people.

Many people smoke when they are bored or simply for something to do so finding a new hobby or something to keep you occupied can help. Whatever you decide to do, just ensure you find something enjoyable to do to fill in the gaps at the times you would have previously lit up a cigarette. Hanging around with non smokers is also a good idea as there will be no temptation. Once you quit smoking for a few days you will begin to notice how much other smokers smell, you may also notice foods start to have more taste to them. Remember there is no easy way to quit smoking but it makes great sense, both health wise and financially.

Many Americans feel that Marijuana is helping fund the war on terror, but making a war on drugs and keeping Marijuana illegal has not stopped millions of Americans from smoking pot everyday. So what is the answer?

First, why is Marijuana illegal? In the 1930′s William Randolph Hearst, who had significant financial interests in the timber industry testified to congress on the evils of marijuana, saying things like it make people insane and commit acts of cannibalism? at this time very few even knew what it was and to stop people from going insane Congress decided to make it illegal.

The truth is many paper manufacturers were thinking of changing from using trees to make paper to using hemp because it was cheaper and easier to grow and better for the environment, and Hearst stood to loose millions so he used his influence and testimony to help get marijuana banned in the USA.

So now that we know why it was made illegal, we can realize that not only would making it legal in the United States stop terrorist from smuggling it into the USA, but would give us another option to cutting down of millions of trees every year for paper products that can be made better from hemp.

Hemp has thousands of uses that we are unable to exploit because of its illegal status.

During WWII hemp was used for the rigging on parachutes as well as rope and material for uniforms.

Nowadays Marijuana can be used to relieve pain and some of the effect of cancer treatments and old age.

It has been proven to slow down the spreading of Alzheimer’s, relieve the pressure behind the eyes from glaucoma. It also helps relieve migraine headaches and the side effect of cancer treatment.

But until the United States realizes how much money can be made from legalizing it, it will remain illegal.

This is much like the situation with online casinos in the USA. America was sending billions of dollars out of the country and the government needed to do something to keep the money here, so they banned and just like online casinos and online gambling I believe one day the government will learn to take advantage of these things instead of just banning them.

Eventually the USA will realize that the best way to stop the flow of money out of the country is not to ban marijuana or online casinos, but to enter the market and compete.

If the USA did what Amsterdam has done the government would make not only billions in Taxes from the sales of Marijuana, but the economy would boom from all the tourism that it would bring in from all over the world.

The truth of the matter is that legalization is inevitable. The attitude of people has changed so drastically over the last 30 years, that eventually when the younger generations start to take over marijuana will eventually become legal because they understand the truth, and that is banning something only makes the market for it stronger.

The harmful health effects of smoking has been

documented for many years. It has been known that

smoking is responsible for a number of ailments like

bronchitis, high blood pressure, pneumonia, lung

cancer, emphysema, and may actually shorten one’s

lifespan for up to 10 years. Smokers also increase

the risk of osteoporosis, a health condition that

weakens the bones, making them prone to breakage and

other injuries. Recent studies show that smoking is

probably one of the reasons why many couples are

faced with fertility problems.

A number of studies show that smoking is also a

factor that affects sexual health. Excessive

cigarette use has been linked to difficulties in

getting and maintaining an erection. Many toxins

present in cigarettes, especially carbon monoxide,

can damage the circulatory system. The toxins from

cigarettes hinder the flow of blood to and in the

penis. Blood circulation is necessary for attaining

and maintaining an erection. Male smokers in their

30s or 40s may increase the risk of having erectile

dysfunction ED by almost 50 percent. Smoking

damages the blood vessels and, specifically, the

nicotine content of cigarettes narrows the arteries

that carries blood to the penis. Reduced blood flow

and pressure in in the penis may lead to erection

difficulties.

In addition, high blood pressure, an ailment that can

be developed through smoking, may lead to low

testosterone levels in men. Testosterone is a primary

male hormone that plays a crucial role in male sexual

arousal. Low testosterone levels lead to decreased

arousal and sexual performance. Toxins found in

cigarettes may harm the testes. Smoking may affect

the semen and the sperm, reducing their mobility and

quality. Men who smoke tend to have lower sperm

counts and malformed sperms than their non-smoking

counterparts.

Female infertility may also be damaged because of

smoking. Medical studies suggest that many substance

found in cigarettes may harm the ovaries. Studies

show that women who smoke or have smoked in the past

may encounter difficulties getting pregnant. The

chances of conceiving may be decreased by up to 40

percent each menstrual cycle. The longer a woman

smokes, the more difficult it would be for her to get

pregnant. The effects of smoking on sexual health

have been taken for granted all these because the

effects have been focused on the cardiovascular and

circulatory system.

Other health problems that can be encountered through

smoking may include the following

bad breath
stained teeth and gums
smelly clothes
difficulty keeping up with friends with

sports activities
high blood pressure increased risk of

developing cataracts
acid taste in the mouth
ulcer
paler skin and more wrinkles

Understanding the adverse effects of smoking on

overall health may become a motivation for many to

quit smoking. However, quitting smoking may be easier

said than done. But because of modern technology,

there are now various products and medications that

are out in the market that are designed to help

individuals quit smoking. These products may help a

smoker cut the habit by making them more comfortable

and complacent to adjust to life without cigarettes.

Many quit smoking products are available over the

counter, it is best to seek the approval of health

professionals to clarify side effects and drug

interactions that may be developed while under

medication. With the right tools and attitude,

quitting smoking can be easier than others think.

When you have finally come to see that your smoking habit has caused damage to your health, and wallet, and general well being, and you have decided that you would like to quit it is good to know that there are a lot of ways to quit smoking.

Quitting smoking depends on many things. It can be fast, or slow, but one thing for sure is that quitting rely on your determination, as well as the help of others. Whatever method you try, you should be mentally prepared for the difficult period that follows your last cigarette. This difficult period is caused when the nicotine your body is addicted to is withdrawn from your body. Withdrawals occur when your body reacts to the lack of nicotine that it has become reliant on.

The sudden impulse to give up smoking is known under the name of “cold turkey” and it is the result of a personal choice. Among the gradual ways to quit smoking may be enumerated the nicotine replacement therapy, the individual or group therapy, some modern and non-medical methods such as acupuncture, kabala practices and others but also physical exercises.

It is incorrect to say that you are addicted to smoking because in fact you are addicted to nicotine and to the idea of a routine. The moment you try to provide the required quantity of nicotine to which your body was used while you were a smoker all you have to do in rest is to keep your hands busy and to work on your psyche. This way you’ll certainly quit this vice.

Acupuncture, hypnosis, laser therapy are some modern methods that come in the help of those who want to quit smoking. Due to the fact that they are rather modern tools their efficiency for a one hundred percent success has not been completely demonstrated.

The first step towards a successful decision to give up smoking is to find a strong motivation. This must be sought in your own person, inside you. Nobody can convince you that you should quit your vice if you are not really determined that you actually want to do this. And also it depends on you which of the ways to quit smoking best suits you, if you think that you are able to do it on your own or to ask for assistance. If you want to choose the latter variant you have several alternatives.

For best results font give up. If one way doesn’t work for you, try another. Everyone is different, and so are the methods of smoking. What works well with one person wont necessarily work well with another.

Smoking is considered as a very unhealthy vice that brings with it a wide range of side effects. While smokers will be quick to say that smoking helps them feel more relaxed or alert. Smokers often contend that smoking is a very effective antidepressant. Still, it is undeniable that tobacco use is closely associated with lung cancer and a variety of other debilitating respiratory problems.

Another potential effect that smoking has on the overall health of the body has also been recently suggested, with some data indicating that smoking might have detrimental effects to the success of dental surgery. According to the findings of a study recently published in the Journal of Periodontology, smokers were more likely to have unfavorable results related to dental surgery than non-smokers. The study followed the dental records of two groups of people, smokers and non-smokers, and studied the overall success of various dental procedures done to them. While smoking has always been known to have the ability to damage the gums, it was unexpected when the researchers realized that the surgical procedures done to the smoking group were in overall worse condition as opposed to the other group. This was particularly true when it came to procedures that involved the gums, which were found to be in more rapid recession after surgery if patients were smokers.

It has been known for many years that healing after a surgical procedure is impaired by smoking, but what was unknown prior to this study was that smoking also had one more detrimental effect. Long-term smoking was capable of undoing any surgical repairs done to the gums, rendering anything done during the procedure unable to stay intact for a long-term period. Theoretically, the more a person smokes, the more damage is incurred and the shorter the period that the repairs will remain. The researchers found, based on analysis of their data, that the best results were achieved if smoking was stopped for a period before and after the surgery. This was speculated to be the time needed by the gums to fully recover from any damage done by exposure to the components of tobacco.

The Journal also found that it is not just cigarette smokers that have this problem. Cigar and pipe smokers are also likely to experience rapid decay of gum repairs because of their habit. While the damage done has been confirmed, there is still no concrete data on whether or not cigarette smokers had it worse off than pipe or cigar smokers. For the time being, some believe it would be safe to warn smokers of the potential dangers as if all three posed the same risks.

Second-hand smoke was also found to have a damaging effect on surgical procedures. Studies are still being made to determine the extend of damage wrought by second-hand smoke on dental works. Tests conducted on rats showed that second-hand smoke was capable of undoing any repairs done via surgery to the gums, but it is still unknown just how much exposure was needed to do damage, or if the damage was lesser or greater than for actual smokers.

With so many dangers associated with smoking, especially the correlation between smoking and the development of lung cancer, it is amazing to see how many people continue to voluntarily take part in this activity! Why is it that these mostly mature, reasonably intelligent men and women of every nationality allow such a small object to have so much control over their lives? Youd think it would be easy to just say NO to this tiny little death machine, but in reality it just isnt so.

Why? Because smoking is a habit and habits are hard to break. Interestingly even efforts to raise the price of a pack of cigarettes have failed to slow the demand. And even though they arent cheap, cigarettes are very easy to buy, which makes it even harder to break this habit.

Smoking is the number one contributor to lung cancer. Besides causing lung cancer, cigarette smoking can cause other health-related problems including emphysema, bronchitis, and heart disease. Combine cigarette smoking with excess weight, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle, and a person who smokes literally becomes a ticking time bomb.

Here are some interesting bits of information about smoking and lung cancer.

Any amount of smoking can ultimately cause lung cancer, but how long you have been smoking, how deeply you inhale, and how many cigarettes you smoke on a regular basis all impact the development of lung cancer. It goes without saying that people who smoke a pack or more a day and who have smoked most of their lives are significantly increasing the likelihood that lung cancer will develop.

Quitting smoking may not stop lung cancer from developing, but doing so still is highly advisable. You immediately lower your risk of developing lung cancer the moment you stop but only when you stop for good. The body will go into repair mode within a day or two after you stop. Its not possible to determine whether the damage that has been done internally can be corrected, but stopping is worth the gamble.

Women are just as much at risk of developing lung cancer from smoking as men are, assuming equivalent smoking patterns and history. When it comes to lung cancer, men generally get most of the attention. There are more cases of men with smoking-related lung cancer than there are women, but dont let this statistic fool you. Women are in danger too. In fact, more women die each year from smoking-related lung cancer than from breast cancer.

Passive smoking can also cause lung cancer, even in people who do not smoke. Passive smoking is the same as inhaling second-hand smoke. If you smoke, be considerate to others who dont. Dont smoke in enclosed spaces such as homes or cars. This is especially important around small children who dont even realize the dangers theyre being exposed to.

If a pregnant woman smokes, her unborn baby smokes too!

And finally smoking is the cause of 90 of the cases of lung cancer. That alone should keep you from starting!

It is common knowledge that smoking is hazardous to ones health. Additionally, many people know that exposure to asbestos is very dangerous and can lead to the development of the disease mesothelioma. What many people do not know, however, is that when smoking and asbestos exposure are combined, both of the harmful elements work together to create a much higher risk for the development of mesothelioma, or other types of cancers.

Cigarettes have many harmful chemicals that break down the lungs and can be leading causes in cancer. Asbestos exposure also exposes the lung to harmful chemicals that weaken your bodys defenses against cancers and other lung problems. Studies have found that cigarette smokers have a four to eleven times greater chance of getting lung cancer than non-smokers. If a person is a heavy smoker, than the number goes up to twenty-seven times as likely. Adding a heavy smoker to asbestos exposure sends the probabilities for lung cancer skyrocketing. In fact, heavy smokers with a history of asbestos exposure have a 50 to 90 times greater chance of having lung cancer. Needless to say, heavy smoking and large amounts of asbestos exposure will almost certainly lead to lung cancer.

Smoking causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. People who smoke and have been exposed to asbestos have higher occurrences of COPD than people who have not been exposed to asbestos. Some of the terrible effects of COPD are the inflammation and eventual destruction of small airways in the lung tissue. Once these tissues have been destroys, some people can be completely debilitated.

Studies have shown that people who quit smoking, but still had asbestos exposure are less likely to have lung cancer than those people who continue to smoke. Some say that COPD can be reversed the longer time is spent without smoking. Additionally, people who are able to quit smoking often feel healthier over time and significantly increase their life expectancy. Even though any amount of smoking or asbestos exposure can lead to lung cancer, the sooner one quits, the better off he or she will be.

Asbestos exposure is very harmful for anyone. However if you know that you have been exposed to asbestos, and continue to smoke, you are playing with fate. The sooner someone stops smoking, the sooner his or her lungs can begin to heal. Mesothelioma and other cancers are very serious diseases that often end in death. In order to stay alive for loved ones, smokers should quit immediately.

With more and more people living for longer periods, anti-aging is becoming big business. This article looks into what causes premature aging and gives advice on how to keep looking younger for longer.

The latest research shows that around seventy-five percent of skin aging is caused by an over exposure to the sun. This is a huge figure and one that has to be taken seriously for anyone who is looking at ways in delaying the aging process.

In my opinion this is actually common sense as when anything becomes burnt it tends to shrivel up and become all wrinkly. This is what can happen to peoples skin, it may not happen straight away but after maybe thirty years of this over exposure to the sun, wrinkles are likely to appear.

For people who enjoy spending time sunbathing as it makes them feel good and they like looking tanned, I would advise a strong sun cream. This should be used regularly as per the instructions and if you start to feel your body burning up this is the time when you should be looking for some shade or to cover up.

It is also important to ensure we get enough sleep. Research suggests that people who only average around six hours sleep per night will age in looks far quicker than people who average eight hours.

Again this is very logical as if you have a period of a couple of weeks when you do not get enough sleep, bags can appear under your eyes. If you have a really good nights sleep you tend to wake up not only feeling fresh and awake but also looking fresh and healthy. My advice here for people who have developed these bags under their eyes would be to use a good eye cream or to gently massage their eyes every day.

Smoking can certainly speed up the aging process. To quit smoking is not easy however but it is a must for people on a quest to delay the aging process. There are of course many other reasons to stop smoking, therefore be brave and look at ways to quit smoking today.

I have often heard people refer to somebody with a comment such as, he looks as if he has had a hard life. This is often referred to somebody who looks far older than they actually are. They look like they have not been looked after or that they have not had enough love in their lives.

What I think has happened is that they have had a stressful life. What we therefore need to do is to attempt to live as much of a stress-free life as possible. This of course is not that easy. What we need to do is to think in a more positive and pro-active way. We need to start to like ourselves and be happy with who we are and what we have. Thinking in this way will certainly in my opinion help you in your quest of anti-aging.

Monch Bravante is a writer and advertising practitioner with special interest in public health issues. is a reputable online drug store. From sexual health to a woman’s health, sleeping aids to weight loss pills, our online pharmacy offers convenient customer access to various health medicines, including an array of health product and medicare prescription drug.

While there is no argument about the detrimental effects of smoking to the respiratory and cardiovascular system, it remains to be a most common habit which many people find very difficult to break. The danger and hazards that smoking poses to our health are being taught in schools, discussed in the media, and even condemned in churches. Cigarette smoking leads to a lot of troubles in the end for smokers rather than the satisfaction and pleasure that they are supposed to derive from it.
According to Ernest Dichter, author of The Psychology of Everyday Living, smoking is as much a psychological pleasure as it is a physiological satisfaction. Smokers reason out that they get a sense of satisfaction from a cigarette which they can’t get from anything else. He believes that the nature of this psychological pleasure can be traced to the universal desire for self-expression. None of us ever completely outgrows his childhood. We are constantly hunting for the carefree enjoyment we knew as children. As we grew older, we had to subordinate our pleasures to work and to the necessity for unceasing effort. Smoking, for many of us, then, became a substitute for our early habit of following the whims of the moment; it becomes a legitimate excuse for interrupting work and snatching a moment of pleasure.
The author offered a great deal of analyses and views in his report as supported by studies he had conducted on several hundred respondents and commented that the psychological pleasures derived proved much more powerful than religious, moral, and legal persuasions.
In the United States of America, cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature deaths. The risk of developing several chronic disorders is higher for those who smoke cigarettes as compared to non-smokers. These include fatty buildups in arteries, several types of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease lung problems. Atherosclerosis buildup of fatty substances in the arteries is a chief contributor to the high number of deaths from smoking. Many studies detail the evidence that cigarette smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack.
The statistics are staggering. And in spite of efforts to disseminate this information to the media for people to have a full grasp of the magnitude and dangers of smoking, smokers seemed to be unnerved and the habit of smoking continue to spread rapidly particularly in African countries where the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use among developing countries is noted by the UN.
No amount of warning, preachings, or repressive measures can seem to destroy the power of cigarette-smoking. What is sad is the fact that powerful individuals and institutions like the manufacturers and the advertising industry even lend support in the promotion of this deadly product.
In desperation, we ask ourselves What will stop people from smoking cigarettes? Having considered all the psychological explanation, and the unique pleasure and satisfaction smokers derived from this much contested product, I believe that it all boils down to self-discipline and knowing whats best for your health, for others, and for the environment. What more education do we need as human beings?
Finally, if smoking is considered to be the leading preventable cause of diseases and deaths in the US, then, it is at least encouraging to know that it is PREVENTABLE