quit-smoking

How to Quit Smoking: Smoking Cessation

Smoking is unhealthy! Period. The sooner you quit smoking, the sooner you’ll notice changes to your body and health.

  • Smoking tobacco is a source of more than 60 harmful substances that could lead to the development of lung cancer.
  • If you’re smoking 25 cigarettes per day, you’re twice as likely develop lung cancer in comparison to smokers who are not.
  • One cigarette is a source of over 4800 chemicals, including 69 that are known to cause cancers such as mouth cancer and Esophageal cancer, among others.
  • Smoking can increase the risk of lung ailments such as emphysema, pneumonia and chronic lung diseases like bronchitis

  • In addition to smoking cigarettes, the consumption of other forms of tobacco may also cause harm on the lungs of a person. The kinds comprise:
    1. Pipe tobacco
    2. Cigars
    3. Chewing tobacco

    Less Airflow within the lungs

Smoking even just two or three cigarettes causes irritation and inflammation to the lungs. It reduces the amount of blood vessels as well as air spaces within the lung. In turn, this means lower levels of oxygen reaching critical areas of the body.

Mucus formation increases

The cells that make mucus in your lungs increase in size after you have smoked. Therefore, the quantity of mucus you breathe increases. However, if you smoke cigarettes, your lungs aren’t sufficient to eliminate the mucus that is accumulated. So, the mucus stays in the airways, and clogs them, and makes you continuously coughs.

Other infections

The mucus in the extra area is susceptible to infections, and smoking may hinder the body’s natural defense mechanisms to protect your body from infection.

A smaller number of cilia

Cilia cleanses the lung. However, when you smoke cigarettes, then your cilia’s movement slows immediately. One cigarette could cause a slowdown in the movement of cilia for a long time.

Additionally, smoking can reduce the number of cilia that are present in the lungs, which means there are fewer cells to clean your lungs.

Quitting smoking can improve your lung health

If you stop smoking the habit, the risk of developing cancer diminishes in the course of five years.

This is a Peto Fletcher graph, which tells us about the lung age.

It says that till 25 years of age lung functions are growing, after which the gradual decline in lung volumes occur. In a smoker the lung volumes will fall more rapidly as compared to a never smoker’s lung volumes. And if one quits smoking, then the decline in lung function slows down and the graph then goes parallel to that of never smokers.

How Do I Quit Smoking?

Smoking cigarettes is not just a physical addiction, but also a psychological one. If you’re looking to stop smoking, here’s how you can do to live in a smoke-free lifestyle.

  • Set a time when you’d like to end your journey and record it on the calendar. You should give yourself at minimum a month to prepare and make adjustments.
  • Reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke for at least two weeks prior to when you are ready to give up.
  • Let your family and friends know about your intention to quit. Request their help and support.
  • Create a list of items that you think might be useful to keep you busy when you are craving something later.
  • Get rid of all your lighters, cigarettes, matches, and ashtrays. Beware of smokers or asking them to not smoke around the area around you.
  • Speak to your doctor, they can assist you in staying on track. Your doctor may prescribe medication to treat cravings. Which includes nicotine lozenzes, gums, or patches. Drugs like varenicline, bupropion are available. A combination therapy is maximally efficacious. E.g., varenicline with two nicotine replacement products.

Table for Nicotine gums

Stopping smoking not only improves your physical health but also is proven to boost your mental health and wellbeing. Quitting can improve mood, and help relieve stress, anxiety and depression.

E Cigarettes/ Vaping

Cigarettes do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful elements in tobacco smoke.

The liquid and vapor contain some potentially harmful chemicals also found in cigarette smoke, but at a much lower level. The smoker tends to consume e cigarette for a much longer time than he would take the regular cigarette, thus causing equal or more damage.

Get rid of every cigarette, vape, match, lighter, ashtray and any other tobacco product in your home, office and car.

Talking to your Doctor

Your doctor or other healthcare provider are key resources for quitting smoking. Your doctor can help you discover what medication will work best for you and they will help you craft your quit plan. They are there to help you in any way achieve a smokefree life.

Quitting smoking is the best thing you will ever do for your health. Here’s expert-backed tips on how to quit smoking habit for good.

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