Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and causes many diseases. Smoking can also cause many types of urologic cancers and can greatly impact your urologic health. Let’s take a look at how smoking can lead to these urologic conditions and diseases.
Bladder cancer will be diagnosed in about 83,000 people in the United States in 2024. Smoking is the greatest risk factor for bladder cancer, causing about half of all cases. Smoking causes harmful chemicals and drugs to collect in the urine. These chemicals affect the lining of the bladder and raise your bladder cancer risk. Smokers are at least three times as likely to get bladder cancer as non-smokers.
Kidney cancer will be diagnosed in about 82,000 people in the United States this year. When a person smokes, the smoke is drawn into the lungs. It then makes its way into the bloodstream, where it is filtered into the kidneys. The harmful chemicals sit in the kidneys. This raises the risk of kidney cancer.
Erectile dysfunction is caused by poor blood flow to the penis. Smoking can harm blood vessels, which can impact the blood flow. This can lead to not being able to get or keep an erection firm enough for sex.
Kidney stones send more than half a million people to emergency rooms in the United States each year. About one in ten people will have a kidney stone at some time in their lives. Smoking has been shown to greatly raise the risk of kidney stones.
Interstitial cystitis (IC) or Painful Bladder Syndrome is a chronic bladder problem. It causes recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder and the surrounding pelvic region. Smoking bothers the bladder and can make symptoms worse.
Incontinence (leaking urine) and Overactive Bladder (OAB) affects millions of Americans. Researchers estimate that about half of all women have urinary incontinence. OAB may impact more than 33 million men and women. Smoking bothers the bladder and can cause frequent urination. It can also cause coughing spasms that can lead to urine leakage.
Infertility has been linked to smoking in many ways. Smoking can harm the genetic make-up in eggs and sperm. It can reduce fertility, making it hard to conceive. Smoking may also affect hormone production in a negative way.
If you smoke, ask your urologist or other health care provider about ways to quit. Your health will benefit in many ways, including better urologic health.