quit smoking

 

stop smoking and your whole body will say thank you

 

this article is in 2 parts. this is part 2

1   2
  • You’ll decrease your risk of heart disease and heart attack.
    The fact that smoking can hurt the heart and the blood vessels still surprises many people, Gay says, even though these effects have been known for years. Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly what’s going on, and how the chemicals in cigarette smoke interact with the blood, heart and circulatory system. But study after study shows that smokers have far more heart attacks, high blood pressure readings and other cardiovascular problems than non-smokers. The risk of most of these life-threatening diseases, though, goes down after people stop smoking. “People who stop smoking have a decreased risk of heart attack, myocardial infarction or coronary heart disease than people who continue to smoke,” Gay says.
     
  • You’ll be less likely to have a stroke.
    Two times less likely, in fact. Strokes are either caused by a blood clot that gets stuck in the blood vessels of the brain, cutting off blood supply, or by the bursting of a weakened blood vessel in the brain. Either way, part of the brain dies immediately, and so can the person who is having the stroke. Most stroke survivors live out their lives paralyzed or severely weakened. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. (after heart disease and cancer) and the top cause of disability, but since you can cut your risk in half by kicking the habit, Gay says, why not do it?
     
  • If you’re a man, you’ll be less likely to experience erectile dysfunction.
    This is one effect that most men don’t know about, but if they did, they’d probably get more serious about quitting, Gay says — only half-joking. “Men who smoke have a 50 percent increased risk of developing erectile dysfunction than men who don’t smoke, even after you eliminate all the other medical problems that cause erectile dysfunction,” he explains. The easiest way for a man to reduce his chances of problems in the bedroom is to throw away his cigarettes.
     
  • If you’re a woman, you’ll be less likely to have fertility problems, or give birth to a premature or low birth weight baby.
    Do you want to get pregnant and have a healthy baby? Stop smoking now, before you even start trying to conceive, Gay advises. “Women who smoke have an increased risk of problems with fertility, increased risk of pre-term deliveries, increased risk of having a low birth weight baby, and an increased risk of infant death,” he explains. These hazards related to smoking and pregnancy may also give your baby a higher chance of birth defects, and lifelong health and learning problems.
    		•
  • Quitting will help your personal appearance, by reducing bad breath, yellowed teeth and fingernails, premature skin aging and early hair loss.
    Not only does smoking hurt your inner organs, it can also harm your outer appearance, Gay warns. The chemicals in tobacco can stain your teeth and hands, and alter the conditions in your mouth to cause bad breath. They can also accelerate the hair loss, wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity that come with older age anyway. It’s like putting your body on fast-forward, Gay notes — you’ll look and feel older than you are. And that fits right in with the fact that you’ll also probably die sooner than you would have if you didn’t smoke. If you quit now, you can probably halt many of the effects smoking has on your appearance, as well as your health. And you’ll probably smell better, too.
     
  • If you quit, you’ll spare your spouse or partner the dangers of second-hand smoke.
    Smoking at home means that anyone who lives with you gets exposed to the witches’ brew of chemicals in tobacco smoke, and breathes them in every day. And while the precise risk is not fully understood, there’s compelling evidence that this can affect their health in the long term. “There is proof that second-hand smoke is very damaging to people,” Gay says. “Non-smoking spouses of people who smoke have an increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease as compared with couples in which neither partner smokes.”
     
  • If you quit, you’ll keep your kids from getting sick from second-hand smoke.
    Adults who live with smokers have it hard enough, but what about children? No matter how much you try to stay away from your kids when you smoke, you’re probably putting them at increased risk of several health conditions, Gay says. “Children who live in a household with a smoker have a two- to four-times-greater risk of asthma as children who live in a non-smoking household,” he explains. “If you stop smoking, your children have less risk of developing this and other medical problems,” from coughs and flu to ear infections and crib death.

    • The bottom line for any of these top reasons to quit smoking, Gay notes, is that quitting is worth the effort it takes. And he knows that quitting is hard – he has seen many patients struggle with it even when they’re facing devastating lung diseases caused by smoking.

     “We physicians clearly understand how difficult it is to stop smoking. That’s why we’re here to help you quit,” he says, adding that smokers should be sure to ask their doctors for help in identifying medications or programs that can help them kick the habit. Many employers will pay all or part of the cost of smoking cessation programs, and several states and nonprofit health groups offer help.

    “Very clearly, quitting smoking will improve your health, the health of the individuals that you love, and the health of the people around you,” Gay says. “This is clearly the time to stop smoking. It’s good for you, it’s good for your family, and it’s good for your life.”

    A University of Michigan Health Minute update.

    Quit Smoking Now.

    10 Reasons To Quit Smoking  Brain Function  Light And Low Tar Cigarettes  National Quitline Network  Princeton University     Tell Someone You Love  Blood Pressure And Smoking  Smoking In Restaurants  Winter Olympics are smoke free  Women   Increased drug use by smokers  Tips On Quitting  Women-Improved Lung Function

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