Is just one cigarette really that bad for you? This and other burning questions smokers often ask, answered by Dr Michael Apple.

I smoke less than five a day. What’s the harm in that?

Almost a third of smokers have less than ten cigarettes a day and, like you, they don’t see the point of quitting. But most of the risk of heart disease comes within the first few cigarettes of the day. Next time you smoke, feel your pulse. It’ll start rising; that’s extra work for your heart, whose blood supply is reduced by nicotine. The chances of blood clots increases with each cigarette, while oxygen is replaced by carbon monoxide. Smoking just one cigarette a day trebles your risk of lung cancer and raises the chance of chronic lung disease.

What is it about diabetes and heart disease that makes smoking so dangerous?

In these conditions, blood flow is affected, increasing the risks of a stroke or heart attack.

Smoking can double or treble the risks of slow-healing ulcers and diseased limbs which may require amputation. Smokers with diabetes are twice as likely to die from heart-related causes than those who don’t smoke.

I often get indigestion. Is it because I smoke?

Yes. Smoking reduces the ability of the walls of the stomach to repair themselves, and so increases the chances of acid indigestion and duodenal ulcer. Food may become more enjoyable if you stop smoking. Not only will you taste it more, but it’s less likely to give you indigestion. Some people find their irritable bowel syndrome improves when they quit.

Do you want to stop smoking?  Let our Stop Smoking Support Service help you.