On the third Thursday in November, millions of Americans celebrate The Great American Smokeout. Its purpose is to encourage smokers to put down their tobacco products and pick up healthier habits. By doing so, they are significantly increasing their urologic health. Here’s how smoking and urologic health are related:

Bladder Cancer – When you smoke, the chemicals in the tobacco spread all over your body including your bladder. The chemicals will collect in your urine and affect your bladder’s sensitive lining.

Erectile Dysfunction – Roughly 30 million American men suffer from erectile dysfunction. ED is caused by poor blood flow to the penis. Smoking can directly damage your blood vessels which impacts blood flow.

Infertility – Did you know that the chemicals found in cigarettes can damage the genetic makeup in both eggs and sperm? This makes it harder for smokers to conceive than non-smokers.

Kidney Cancer – After smoke enters your lungs, it travels into the bloodstream where it is dropped off at the kidneys for it to filter. The kidneys filter harmful chemicals, and it’s no surprise that thousands of kidney cancer cases are linked to smoking.

Kidney Stones – These stones are not only painful to pass but can be prevented! Several ways to avoid the formation of kidney stones is drinking enough water, quitting smoking, and eating a healthy diet.

Overactive Bladder – Because of the buildup of chemicals in urine, your bladder tries to flush them out by frequent urination. An overactive bladder and incontinence are two conditions caused by smoking and can disrupt your daily activities.

How the Urology Specialists Can Help

We highly encourage you to put down your cigarettes and pick up healthier habits such as exercising regularly, creating healthy dinner dishes, getting enough sleep, and more. If your smoking habit has created any of the conditions listed above, our urology specialists can help. Schedule an appointment today to start on your road to recovery.