We have seen how almost everyone in our society is holding a cigarette every now and then. People of various ages from teenagers to senior citizens are seen at corners puffing a smoke or two. They seem to think that smoking is a harmless habit; that it is a way to pass time or kill boredom.

Smoking may seem harmless because you think you are not doing anything; you are simply standing or sitting there puffing smoke. Truth be told smoking is a silent killer. It's not a like a gunshot that can kill you in a split second; instead it takes years before you feel its harmful effects. It is a silent killer and here some of its notorious effects on your body.

1. The nicotine content of cigarettes causes you to drool or salivate more than the usual. Imagine yourself talking to someone with your saliva spraying every time you open your mouth. It may not be threatening but this is one sign that the nicotine content in your body is slowly increasing.

2. Cigarette smoking affects your digestive system. Ever wondered why you experience heartburn or diarrhea more than often? When you are a smoker you need not wonder why because nicotine increases stomach motility meaning that your digestive system is working faster than it normally does.

3. Smoking also causes all types of lung diseases there is no question about this. You will surely notice this when you start having coughs that don't seem to go away. You may also experience shortness of breath even when you are not doing anything. These might be symptoms of various lung diseases like emphysema or chronic bronchitis. When you smoke, remember that you are also killing your lungs. The worst effect of smoking on your lungs is lung cancer. Although this might not be the cause but it is considered as a contributor.

4. Smoking also affects your heart. You may not know but it causes the blood vessels to stiffen which then increases the risk of rupture. The carbon monoxide also accelerates the levels of cholesterol inside your body. This cholesterol is harmful fat that can clog up any blood vessel resulting to poor blood flow and possibly a heart attack.

5. It affects your hormones. If you think that smoking doesn't affect your hormones well unfortunately it does. It affects the delicate balance of your hormones as well as its production. In men, it reduces the number of sperms while in women it increases the risk of not being able to carry a child.

6. Your mouth or oral cavity is not spared from the effects of smoking. Since this is the primary area where you place your cigarette you might end up having bad breath, gum disease, yellow teeth and worse, oral cancer.

It may help you to look cool but it will surely cut your life in half. So don't wait for the effects to take its toll on your body; quitting smoking as early as possible can still help you live longer and healthier.