Quit Smoking: Why and How?
World No Tobacco day is observed around the world on the 31st of May. It is a day meant to draw attention to the harmful effects of tobacco and encourage people to refrain from using it in all forms. If you smoke, this day is an opportunity to think what your habit is doing to your life. If you have tried to quit smoking in the past, it is an opportunity to try yet again. There is compelling evidence to prove that several years of your life get blown up with cigarette smoke and the risk of debilitating diseases looms over the years that remain. But there is hope because evidence also shows that it is certainly possible to quit smoking and quitting reverses a lot of the damage.
Reasons for Quitting Smoking
1. Health Reasons
Heart Disease and Stroke: Smoking is a bigger risk factor for heart disease than high cholesterol, high blood pressure or obesity. Worse still, no amount of exercise or good diet can offset the harmful effect of smoking on your heart. Smoking even 1 to 4 cigarettes a day increases your risk of coronary artery disease. A smoker is 2 to 3 times more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than a non-smoker. Smoking increases your heart disease and stroke risk by:
- Directly damaging the inner lining of blood vessels
- Increasing the tendency for blood to form clots
- Increasing heart rate and blood pressure
- Decreasing the blood supply to heart
The damage to the tubes and tissue of lungs also leads to a lung disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It increases the frequency and severity of asthma attacks in people prone to asthma. Flu, colds, pneumonia occur much more commonly in people who smoke.
3. Other Cancers: the carcinogen (cancer causing substances) in smoke not only affect your lung but can also lead to cancers of the voice box (larynx), mouth, throat, esophagus, intestines, bladder, kidney, and pancreas.
4. Impotence: Smoking narrows and damages blood vessels throughout the body including those supplying the penis leading to erection problems in men.
5. Gum disease: Smoking puts you at a much higher risk of infections of the gums that can lead to tooth loss.
6. Premature ageing of skin: Cigarette smoke damages collagen and elastin, the proteins that keep skin smooth and supple. The result is wrinkles that make you look much older than your years.
7. Alzheimer's disease: People who smoke are at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease at an early age. Elderly who smoke have a faster rate of mental decline compared to their peers who do not smoke.
8. Health Risks to Your Family: Passive smoking to an extent carries all the hazards of smoking. In addition, children of parents who smoke have a higher rate of sore throats, coughs, colds, and ear infections. Babies of mothers who smoke are at an increased risk of a sudden infant death syndrome (SID). Evidence also suggests that tobacco smoke makes babies more prone to colic.
9. Blindness: Smokers are at an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration, a severe and progressive eye disease that leads to loss of vision.
10. Rheumatoid Arthritis: If you have a genetic tendency to develop rheumatoid arthritis, smoking will further increase your risk manifold.
11. Snoring: Studies show that people who smoke tend to snore much more than those who do not, which could be associated with a poorer quality of sleep. Even people exposed to second hand smoke snore more than those who are not.
12. Acid Reflux: Smoking puts you at risk of developing gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), which manifests as heartburn.
13. Breast Cancer: Studies also indicate that women who smoke maybe at an increased risk of breast cancer. Women who start smoking before 20 years of age or those who smoke more than 20 cigarettes in a day are at a greater risk.
14. The Other Reasons that Matter
Better health is undoubtedly an overwhelming benefit of quitting smoking. But there are yet more ways in which quitting smoking will change your life for the better. Take a look.
Once you Quit Smoking
- You will not be a bad example for your children and younger siblings.
- You will save substantial amount of money.
- You will feel more energetic every day.
- Your performance and endurance at all sports and activities will improve.
- You will save your skin from premature ageing.
- You will be able to appreciate good smell and taste better.
- Your teeth and nails will not look yellow and unattractive.
- You will not get disgusted looks from people because of your bad breath.
- You will not have to deal with disapproval and nagging from family and friends.
- You will have a more positive self-image and more confidence in your will-power.