Cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco are known hazards to your health. It is an issue that is addressed in the Ear, Nose, and Throat office for many reasons.
Third, smokeless tobacco is not harmless. It causes oral cancer and throat cancer which are treated in the ENT office, as well as esophageal cancer and stomach cancer. Surgeries to remove oral and throat cancer can be quite extensive and disfiguring. They can require you to need a permanent tracheostomy, or a tube in your windpipe, so that you can breathe. You can lose all or part of your jaw. You can lose all or part of your tongue. If you must have radiation, you will lose your teeth. You can lose your vocal cords and be unable to speak. You can get lymphedema, or severe swelling, in your face or jaw, which does not respond to traditional treatments; this is both unsightly as well as uncomfortable.