Science tells us that people who smoke are at greater risk of suffering from ailments such as heart disease and lung cancer. To learn more about why you should stop smoking, we’ve compiled a list of some of the major issues associated with smoking cigarettes, pipe tobacco, and vaping:

1. Cognitive decline and dementia

Conducive research has been conducted, and it is evident that smoking will raise your chances of suffering from dementia. Not all people who smoke get dementia; however, you should stop smoking to ensure that you are not exposed to some of these risks.

2. Autoimmune diseases like lupus

For the people who smoke cigarettes, there is the risk of suffering from ailments such as lupus. If you stop smoking, your chances of suffering from lupus will go down. For those who don’t know what lupus is, this is an ailment that usually causes inflammation, tissue damage, and pain in the entire body. For some individuals who have lupus, the symptoms will be mild at first, but they will become severe with time.

3. SIDs or colic in babies born to mothers who smoke

Pregnant women are at a higher risk of suffering from SIDs (sudden infant death syndrome). Some studies have been conducted, and it was noted that most of the infants would die because they were sleeping on their stomach. Most of these cases were noted among people who share beds with their infants, particularly for mothers who are smokers. For mothers who were not smokers when they were pregnant, the risk of SIDs is low. Always ensure that as the baby sleeps, they will lie on their back, and there should be no bedcovers in a similar room to the one with a parent who is not a smoker.

4. Rheumatoid arthritis

Some people smoke, and they are genetically vulnerable. Individuals with genes associated with rheumatoid arthritis are likely to suffer from the ailment, especially smokers. The smoker will most likely get the disease as compared to nonsmokers who don’t have the same genetic profile. Some research has also been conducted regarding people’s smoking habits with the gene that can cause them to be susceptible to arthritis. Their blood has also been screened several times to determine the reason why they are susceptible to suffering from arthritis. The studies were compared to the ones conducted using people who don’t smoke as a case study.

5. Snoring or sleep apnea

If you live with a person who smokes, there is a high likelihood that you are at the risk of suffering from sleep apnea. For smokers, there is a high likelihood that you will suffer from habitual snoring; you will be snoring at least four times a week. If you don’t smoke, but you’re exposed to cigarette smoke, you are at the risk of snoring in your sleep.

6. Acid reflux

There is a high chance that you will suffer from acid reflux for people who have been smoking for at least two decades. The condition can also affect people who don’t smoke.

If you are a smoker, you should reconsider your decision and stop smoking since you are exposed to many health risks, and some of them have been stated above. When you quit smoking, you will lead a long and healthy life, and you will not have to worry about suffering from major ailments.