Smoking is dangerous to your health
Long term smoking is associated with significant health risks. The best medical advice is to quit smoking whenever you can. The nicotine in cigarettes is addictive and so it can be very hard for people to quit smoking. Additionally, it is understandable that it can be a difficult task to quit smoking because people smoke for many reasons.
Why is smoking dangerous to your health
Smoking is associated with:
Lung Cancer
Inhaling cigarette smoke introduces many chemicals to the body. The cells that line your lungs and throat are irritated by cigarette smoke. With this continued irritation, the cells become damaged. This damage results in the cells not renewing themselves (healing) properly. They start making mistakes when they replace themselves and these errors can result in the cells becoming cancerous.
Artery disease
The chemicals that enter your bloodstream affect the arteries and veins. In a way, the blood also becomes ”thicker”. This damage to the blood vessel walls and the change to the blood can cause strokes in the brain and heart attacks. It also greatly increases the risk of getting high blood pressure.
Dangers to unborn child
Smoking, or being around people who smoke, while pregnant can also be harmful to unborn babies. Cigarette smoke can cause the baby to be born too early and at a small weight. This can be harmful to the baby.
On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than people that don’t smoke. That is why, if you are smoking, it is important to stop. It is never too late.
How to quit smoking
There are many ways to quit smoking and it depends on what works for you, but what is most important is your strength and motivation to quit. Here are some tips which could help:
- Set a day when you want to quit
- Ask yourself why you want to quit? Also ask yourself why you have not quit already?
- Make a list of the reasons for quitting
- Decide how you are going to stop
- Tell people you are quitting and ask for their help and support.
- Start by reducing the number or cigarettes you smoke a day
- Talk to an ex-smoker
- Get rid of anything that reminds you of smoking
- Exercise and play sports
- Remind yourself of why you wanted to quit
- Avoid situations that will make you want to smoke, like alcohol and places where people smoke
We recommend smokers should try to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked each day with the ultimate goal of one day not smoking altogether. You can track your smoking habits using the goals section of this app.
Talk to your doctor or health care provider for support.
