Blood Vessels

Over time, the harmful chemicals found in all tobacco products damage your body’s blood vessels. The blood vessels supply your body with oxygen and other needed nutrients, but tobacco use can cause them to become narrow and hard. They are unable to bend and stretch. They also can become clogged with a buildup of fat. This condition is known as atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

Hardening of the arteries can occur any where in the body , including the brain. Scientists believe that carbon monoxide and nicotine are two of the chemicals taken in by tobacco smokers that are responsible for this type of damage to the arteries.

One example of reduced function caused by tobacco use (among other things) is claudication. Claudication occurs when not enough blood is flowing to a muscle. The artery that supplies blood to the muscle gets narrow, so the muscle gets less blood. When a person is resting this is not a problem, but when a person exercises, they may experience pain in the calf or thigh. Symptoms of claudication can be reduced if a person stops smoking.