Smoking and your immune system
Smoking, and breathing in secondhand smoke, are terrible for your entire body, not just your immune system.
Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. And, of these, at least 43 are known carcinogens (ones directly linked with increasing the risk of cancer).
Your body sees all of these chemicals as foreign bodies and every time you smoke it tries to attack them - making your body tired and worn out. Smoking also releases hormones which trick your body into feeling relaxed and this then masks the feeling of fatigue.
Read on for natural ways to boost your immune system
Where next?
- Top tips on stopping smoking
By Vicky Woollaston
