How smoking can ruin your sex life

What does smoking do to your body?

Smoking, whilst common, causes the inhalation of several harmful ingredients in the tobacco that damage the body. When you burn a cigarette, it's estimated that you burn upwards of 7,000 different chemicals Trusted source National Cancer Institute (NCI) Government Source Go to source , 250 of which are deemed to be harmful.

There are 2 main chemicals in cigarettes that cause health problems.

• Carbon monoxide - a poisonous gas that takes the place of oxygen in your blood, forcing your heart and lungs to work much harder and preventing sufficient oxygen intake for the muscles and organs that need it.
• Tar - a sticky brown substance which damages the lungs by narrowing the small tubes that absorb the oxygen (bronchioles), and by damaging the small hair (cilia) that protect your lungs from dirt and infection.

These chemicals damage the blood vessels and the lungs, causing medical conditions such as high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis and emphysema. It has also been linked to impaired cognition and neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia.

“75,000 deaths a year are caused by smoking.”

Moreover, a lot of the chemicals in cigarettes are carcinogenic, meaning they can cause cancers such as lung cancer, oesophageal cancer, laryngeal cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer among many others.

Smoking has a high mortality rate. In fact, two thirds Trusted source BMC Medicine Peer-reviewed Journals Biomedical Research Publication Go to source of lifelong heavy smokers die because of their habit. In addition, in 2020, the NHS recorded almost 75,000 deaths Trusted source NHS Digital Government Source Health and Social Care Digital Services Go to source as a result of smoking and continues to put a significant strain on public health.

What does nicotine do to your body?

Nicotine is the drug in cigarettes. It is not as harmful as the toxic chemicals, but it does have significant effects on your brain. When inhaled, it takes 20 seconds Trusted source Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Healthcare Institution Mental Health Services Go to source for nicotine to be delivered to the brain and cause neurological effects.

“Nicotine has an effect on the brain 20 seconds after smoking.”

Firstly, when nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream, it goes to the adrenal glands. This triggers the gland to release adrenaline, the hormone responsible for “fight or flight”. This increases your heart rate, your blood pressure and your breathing rates.

Secondly, nicotine also evokes pleasurable feelings. More specifically, nicotine mimics several neurotransmitters such as dopamine involved in your brain pleasure response. This is why smoking makes you feel relaxed,

Finally, nicotine is addictive which causes you to experience withdrawal symptoms if you don’t smoke, such as irritability, cigarette cravings and anxiety. This happens due to the pleasurable response as well as your body becoming accustomed to having nicotine in your blood.

Why does smoking cause ED?

The primary cause of erectile dysfunction, a common type of sexual dysfunction, is restricted blood flow to the penis. This is usually as a result of heart disease, as the chemicals in cigarettes damage the blood vessels over time, similar to other lifestyle–related factors like obesity and alcohol. The damage allows for fatty substances to build up in the blood vessels, a process called atherosclerosis, which causes them to narrow and limit blood flow.

For good erectile function, you need sufficient blood flow. During sexual arousal, the blood vessels in your penis dilate to allow for more blood. This is so the soft tissues in your penis, the corpora cavernosa, can trap the blood to keep it erect.

Moreover, there is evidence that nicotine can also affect your blood flow. It has a vaso-constrictive effect, meaning it causes your blood vessels to constrict and tighten blood vessels. In ED, the blood vessels need to dilate to allow for more blood flow, the opposite to what nicotine does.

Can other forms of smoking cause ED?

Whilst the most popular, cigarettes are not the only way to ingest tobacco. You can smoke, chew or sniff tobacco which allows for its wide use. The World Health Organisation estimates that global tobacco use is as high as 80% Trusted source World Health Organization (WHO) Government Source International Public Health Information Go to source and there are many different forms of tobacco across the world.

As long as it contains tobacco, no matter how it is ingested, it can cause just as serious health effects as cigarette smoking.

Tobacco products such as hookah (shisha), smokeless tobacco, cigars and many others will have similar effects on your heart and your blood vessels, which can still result in erectile dysfunction.

E-cigarettes, commonly termed as vaping, have also been found to cause ED. Although it doesn’t contain tobacco, it still contains nicotine which can also affect your blood vessels.

Can I get ED from second-hand smoke?

Second-hand smoke, sometimes known as passive smoking or involuntary smoking, is an exposure to the chemicals via someone else smoking. This can be through both the burning of the cigarette itself as well as what is exhaled by the person smoking.

If you’re around cigarette smokers every once in a while, your risk is only slightly elevated, but in those who live or see a smoker often, there is a much higher risk of developing smoking-related conditions.

The risks of second-hand smoke in non-smokers are well-attested for other diseases. Research Trusted source National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Government Source Biomedical Research and Literature Go to source has found that the risk of lung cancer is increased by 20-30% and heart disease by 25-30%.

However, the link to ED is not so clear in non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. The few studies Trusted source National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Government Source Biomedical Research and Literature Go to source that have explored this link have found a slight increased risk, but further research is required.

How to quit smoking

Quitting smoking is much more difficult than other lifestyle changes, such as eating healthy and exercising, because it is a drug. Fortunately, there are several smoking cessation treatments available.

The most common and accessible type of treatment is nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). NRT contains a small dose of nicotine that helps reduce any withdrawal effects. It’s available in the form of patches, lozenges, gum, inhalators, tablets, nasal and oral sprays. It is readily available over-the-counter in the UK. Ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for more advice on NRT.

There are also prescription medicines available like Zyban (Bupropion). It’s a clinically-proven treatment that reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings by targeting dopamine production in the brain. It also doesn’t contain any nicotine, which may be beneficial if you struggle with ED.

You can order Zyban online at HealthExpress using our stop-smoking service.

The main takeaways

• Smoking affects your sexual performance.
• The toxic chemicals damage the blood vessels whilst the nicotine affects blood vessel dilation.
• Quitting smoking alone can improve your erections within a few months.