Quit Smoking: The Urology Edition
If you decided to quit smoking for 2024 because of the known general health benefits, the good news is that your urological system will also thank you! There are dozens of known cancer-forming chemicals in cigarettes that affect your bladder, kidney and prostate, including lethal molecules like arsenic. But did you know that the hardening and narrowing of your arteries that also comes from smoking leads to erectile dysfunction? And even if you use vaping pens, you are also at risk for these disease states:
Bladder Cancer: smoking is the number 1 cause of bladder cancer, increasing your risk by up to 7 times that of non-smokers. This goes for nicotine as well as marijuana cigarettes. Bladder cancers can be very stubborn and resistant to treatment, with a high recurrence rate. Some cancers require complex surgery involving removal of the entire bladder. Once advanced, most are lethal in a short period of time.
Kidney Cancer: smoking doubles your risk of developing kidney cancer, and the risk may remain even years after quitting. This is the most lethal of all urological cancers, and progression to advanced, incurable disease happens very rapidly.
Kidney failure: by activating the Nitros Oxide system and causing cellular damage, smoking is associated with destruction of the normal components of the kidney that function to cleanse the body of toxins. If you develop kidney failure, the build-up of toxins in the blood can necessitate hemo-dialysis to survive, or a kidney transplant in the long term.
Kidney Stones: smoking decreases the urine flow of the kidney, leading to formation of urinary stone. These can be extremely painful to pass, and lead to repeated trips to the emergency room; the pain is described by many as similar in severity to labor. Stone surgery, if needed, can be costly and inconvenient.
Infertility and Erectile Dysfunction (ED): similar to how smoking causes coronary heart disease and heart attacks, it also leads to narrowing of the vessels that supply the penis. The decreased blood flow results in ED. This can serve as an early warning sign of heart disease that eventually leads to heart attacks, since the blood vessels supplying the penis are much smaller than the vessels of the heart and are affected earlier. The ED itself can damage self-confidence, and affect personal relationships.
Smoking is also a leading cause of damage to sperm, resulting in a low number and quality of your little swimmers. One of the most common culprits in male infertility is a history of smoking.
Urinary Incontinence/ OverActive Bladder:
By irritating the lining of the bladder, smoking leads to complaints of poor storage of urine. These include the inability to delay the flow of urine, as well as actual involuntary loss of urine. Patient may even develop painful bladder syndromes that are difficult and costly to treat.
Bladder Cancer: smoking is the number 1 cause of bladder cancer, increasing your risk by up to 7 times that of non-smokers. This goes for nicotine as well as marijuana cigarettes. Bladder cancers can be very stubborn and resistant to treatment, with a high recurrence rate. Some cancers require complex surgery involving removal of the entire bladder. Once advanced, most are lethal in a short period of time.
Kidney Cancer: smoking doubles your risk of developing kidney cancer, and the risk may remain even years after quitting. This is the most lethal of all urological cancers, and progression to advanced, incurable disease happens very rapidly.
Kidney failure: by activating the Nitros Oxide system and causing cellular damage, smoking is associated with destruction of the normal components of the kidney that function to cleanse the body of toxins. If you develop kidney failure, the build-up of toxins in the blood can necessitate hemo-dialysis to survive, or a kidney transplant in the long term.
Kidney Stones: smoking decreases the urine flow of the kidney, leading to formation of urinary stone. These can be extremely painful to pass, and lead to repeated trips to the emergency room; the pain is described by many as similar in severity to labor. Stone surgery, if needed, can be costly and inconvenient.
Infertility and Erectile Dysfunction (ED): similar to how smoking causes coronary heart disease and heart attacks, it also leads to narrowing of the vessels that supply the penis. The decreased blood flow results in ED. This can serve as an early warning sign of heart disease that eventually leads to heart attacks, since the blood vessels supplying the penis are much smaller than the vessels of the heart and are affected earlier. The ED itself can damage self-confidence, and affect personal relationships.
Smoking is also a leading cause of damage to sperm, resulting in a low number and quality of your little swimmers. One of the most common culprits in male infertility is a history of smoking.
Urinary Incontinence/ OverActive Bladder:
By irritating the lining of the bladder, smoking leads to complaints of poor storage of urine. These include the inability to delay the flow of urine, as well as actual involuntary loss of urine. Patient may even develop painful bladder syndromes that are difficult and costly to treat.
Symptoms/ signs to look out for, if you are a smoker:
Blood in the urine
Change in urinary control and flow
Pain in the bladder area
Kidney pain
Difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection
Difficulty in conceiving a pregnancy
Protein in the urine (on lab test or urine dipstick)
Call to action:
-Make a plan to quit. Some people pick a cold-turkey method, whilst some gradually decrease their addiction thru several small steps.
-Talk to your doctor openly about your problem and concerns
-Seek help/ support team: this is a tough addiction to break
Benefits:
Aside from decreasing the risk of all of the above urological complications, quitting smoking now will afford you the following benefits:
Blood in the urine
Change in urinary control and flow
Pain in the bladder area
Kidney pain
Difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection
Difficulty in conceiving a pregnancy
Protein in the urine (on lab test or urine dipstick)
Call to action:
-Make a plan to quit. Some people pick a cold-turkey method, whilst some gradually decrease their addiction thru several small steps.
-Talk to your doctor openly about your problem and concerns
-Seek help/ support team: this is a tough addiction to break
Benefits:
Aside from decreasing the risk of all of the above urological complications, quitting smoking now will afford you the following benefits:
- Better quality of life
- Longer life
- Easier breathing
- More energy