It’s the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, causing about 20% of all deaths in the country. And although current cigarette use has declined from about 21% to about 15.5%, smoking is still too common. While many articles focus on issues like lung cancer when discussing smoking, it’s important to realize that smoking can have far-reaching consequences – including effects in the realm of male organ health.

The ways in which smoking can potentially affect male organ health are numerous:

• Size. It’s absolutely no secret that many – perhaps most – men are very concerned about their manhood size. Society’s idea of an appealing man includes the requirement that he be larger than average in the manhood department, despite the fact that skill is far more important than size when it comes to performance and satisfaction. Yet some studies have indicated that smoking can in time actually cause the member to shrink. This is due to an effect that smoking has on elastin, which aids the member in stretching when it becomes hard.

• Sperm. Men who are interested in becoming fathers want to be sure that their sperm is protected, which is another reason to give up smoking. A 2016 study looked at sperm functional tests in a group of 20 men who smoked and in a group of 20 men who did not smoke. Among the group of men who smoked, there was a significant reduction in the sperm quality in three key areas which could negatively impact a man’s ability to conceive a child.

• Sensitivity. The reason why intimate contact feels so good is because the nerves in the member are so wonderfully sensitive. If something happens to impact that sensitivity, then coupling doesn’t feel as good as it could. Smoking is thought to have an impact on sensation, as well. It’s a bit complicated, but basically the body reacts to toxins in smoke by sending out white blood cells. An overabundance of these cells can block the accessibility of the nerve endings in the member, dampening the sensations that are desired.

• Smooth muscle. Those who are familiar with the anatomy of the member know that the so-called smooth muscle in the member plays a big role. Basically, when the smooth muscle fiber relaxes, there’s an increase in blood pressure and blood flow, which fills up the soft tissue in the member so that it can become rigid. But too much smoking can cause damage to the smooth muscle, so that it doesn’t relax properly – and that can have an impact on a man’s reproductive health. One study indicates that men who smoke are more likely to have “looser” tumescence, for example.

• Reproductive function in general. Men who smoke have a greater chance of reproductive dysfunction in general. There are several reasons for this, one of them being that the chemicals released from smoking can damage the linings of blood vessels, making them less capable of performing their important task of increasing blood flow for tumescence to take place. Smoking-related damage to the heart also affects the body’s ability to pump blood at the desired rate, and a decrease in stamina also plays a role in decreasing reproductive function.

Men who smoke are encouraged to take steps to break the habit, which can be very difficult. Working with a doctor or other professional may be required. It can be challenging, but it is well worth the effort.

Stopping smoking can be a boon to male organ health, as can daily use of a first class male organ health creme (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin). The best cremes contain both L-arginine and L-carnitine. L-arginine helps boost nitric oxide production, thereby better enabling manhood blood vessels to expand. Sensitivity can be better maintained with L-carnitine, which has neuroprotective properties to benefit the member.

Visit http://www.menshealthfirst.com for additional information on most common male organ health issues, tips on improving sensitivity and what to do to maintain a healthy member. John Dugan is a professional writer who specializes in men’s health issues and is an ongoing contributing writer to numerous websites.