Smoking gets a bad rap for causing cancer, heart conditions and many other diseases. But did you know, smoking also wreaks havoc on your digestive system.
Smoking decreases the production of saliva causing dryness of mouth that causes bad breath and increases susceptibility to cavities.
The nicotine in tobacco smoke relaxes the spinchter muscles between the food pipe and stomach leading to backflow of acidic content causing heart burn and chest pain.
Smoking reduces mucous production in the gut causing ulcers or sores in stomach and duodenum (initial part of small intestine).
It leads to inflammation of stomach lining or gastritis, causing pain, vomiting and loss of appetite.
Long-term smoking can cause cancer in mouth, oesophagus, stomach and colon along with pancreas and liver.
Smoking increases the risk of inflammatory bowel disease and worsens its symptoms of recurrent diarrhoea, abdominal pain and blood in stools.
Smoking increases the risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) causing abdominal pain, diarrhoea and incomplete evacuation of stools.