Health benefits of quitting smoking | benefits of quitting tobacco

 

 The human body is an amazing machine. It is a machine that makes out the difference within matter of hours. When you quit smoking, the body realize that the smoking timetable has been changed and it starts altering the body on it’s own from the inside. Within 12 hours of quitting smoking or having your last cigarette the withdrawal symptoms begin. The lungs and the heart have their own mechanisms and they start cleaning the body from the inside removing the adverse damage caused by years of smoking! The heart rate and pulse rate which in smokers is very high start coming down to normal. Wow, the human body has its own clock which works! The lung clears the air sacs clogged due to the dust particles of cigarette and tobacco and voila! you are breathing easy now. Your Wheezing and cough seem to have disappeared.

Improved skin, eyesight and sense of smell:

Well if the inner parts of the body are improving the external part that is exposed to sunlight, rain and cold be left behind? No! The human body is like a self taught physician. As the internal body organs start recuperating and rejuvenating, the outer body parts like the hair, skin, teeth, eyes, and nose seem to improve too! Your sense of taste and smell improves considerably. Studies have revealed that after quitting smoking the eyesight of smokers improves by 15 – 20 %. The skin benefits of smoking too are wonderful. Skin feels tight and fresh and the wrinkles that are caused by smoking seem to disappear. With the bad taste of tobacco gone, the sense of taste improves and people tend to relish on foods which they once thought was bland!

Improved eating and digestion abilities:

Health improves a lot after quitting smoking or tobacco. The digestive system of the body seems to improve a lot after quitting smoke. People smoking cigarettes or addicted to tobacco seem to feel less hungry than others and this is due to the fact that the digestive system is not right and hence this leads to gastro-intestinal problems and acidity in smokers. When we quit smoking or tobacco, the body digestive system improves and so does the eating habits. People find themselves having larger servings of food and also put on weight which is actually an indication of improved digestion. Smokers may be enlightened on the fact that when smoking is quit, it is but natural to have larger servings and have frequent intake of fluids and have a craving for chocolate or ice cream.

Reduced threat of cancer:

Though cigarette may not be the only cause for cancer, it is surely one of the causes. Smoking or tobacco causes cancer of the lungs and throat cancer. Quitting smoking naturally reduces chances of cancer and also helps in living a healthy and prolonged life. It may also be noted if people having cancer quit smoking they have higher chances of preventing its growth and in some cases also cured cancer!

Diabetes, blood circulation, stroke reduced:

Smoking is the cause for diabetes in most cases and also prevents blood coagulation which results in hemorrhage . Improper blood circulation causes stroke in the human body which is caused due to the lack of oxygen and blood to the brain cells. Quitting smoking helps prevent diabetes due to smoking and the blood circulation in the body. The brain cells get sufficient oxygen and blood and this reduces risk of stroke.

Financially beneficial and helps in image makeover:

It is somehow a general notion among people in the society that smokers are not good people and are addicted to other cheap stuffs which gentlemen do not conduct. However it is a wrong notion. Smokers have to always remain in that zone of doubtful retrospection by the society which tends to damage the personality of an individual. All smokers may have faced this embarrassment. You enjoy a leisurely smoke and enter the lift and you see people staring at you with shrew eyes and screwing up their nose as if a skunk just entered the lift! C’mon that is not smokers are but yes, smokers breath stinks! Quitting smoking improves the smell of breath and hopefully people will not be staring at you like an E.T! And remember smokers usually get a huge hole in their pockets due to the cost of cigarettes! Cigarettes are costly and it makes no sense spending so much money to die! The cost of cigarettes smoked in roughly five years or so can get a beautiful coffin and I suggest invest the money on the coffin rather than cigarette!

Read More

Smoking and the Risk of Lung Cancer

Smoking is a Direct Cause of Lung Cancer

Few people these days are unaware that smoking is a direct cause of lung, or pulmonary, cancer. In particular, cigarette smoking is associated with a specific form of pulmonary cancer called small cell carcinoma. Scientific studies conducted in the 1950's clearly proved the association between pulmonary cancer and smoking. About 90% of pulmonary cancers can be directly attributed to smoking. The length of time smoked, in years, together with the number of cigarettes smoked are influential in deciding a smoker's risk of eventually developing this deadly condition. Perhaps as many as one in eight smokers will eventually develop this cancer.

Other Causes of Lung Cancer

Non-smokers also develop pulmonary cancer, although the risks are less when compared with their smoking brethren. Often the causes involved in the development of lung cancer in non-smokers remain unknown. Second-hand smoke has been implicated as a cause in some cancers. Environmental hazards may also be important such as the build-up of radioactive radon gas in homes and asbestos. And finally, some individuals may have an inherited tendency to develop this cancer. Scientists have recently identified a gene that acts in concert with smoking to increase lung cancer risk. This same gene also renders the possessor more addicted to nicotine and so less likely to quit.

Lung Cancer is Hard to Cure

The longer you smoke the more you are at risk of developing the deadly disease that is lung cancer. The cure rate for lung cancer is depressingly low. Only 5% of those diagnosed can expect to be long-term survivors. The cancer not only affects the lung and 'seeds' from the original tumour become lodged in other locations such as the brain, bones and liver. Long-term survivors are those patients which are diagnosed early. If the tumour has not spread, then a cure is possible. Unfortunately most patients don't realise they have cancer until it is too late.

And Still they Smoke

As many as a third of lung cancer sufferers continue to smoke following their diagnosis. This statistic illustrates very well the addictive nature of nicotine. Many smokers with lung cancer become fatalistic. They argue that it is too late to stop as the damage is already done. However, studies have shown that cancer sufferers who manage to quit respond better to treatment than those patients who don't.

Few families today remain untouched by the blight that is smoking. I lost my father and both grandfathers to lung cancer. They were all heavy smokers and continued to smoke following their diagnosis. To my shame, and great regret, I also took up the habit whilst young. My greatest and hardest achievement in life occurred 21 years ago when I quit for good. Even today I occasionally crave for a smoke. Few realise, when they first take up the habit, how incredibly addictive nicotine is. The realisation only sets in when they try to quit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7309629

Read More

How to Stop Smoking - Tips to Succeed

A lot of people want to know how to quit smoking. Advices and techniques can be found everywhere, but it is important to know that quitting is a matter of will. On the other hand, there are thousands of people who quit every day, and you can be one of them.

Maybe you are wondering how others can quit. The answer to the question is very simple, but the theory is simpler than practice. The statistics say that 95% from the people who try to quit would continue to smoke until the end of the first year. So it's clear that you should have a very strong motivation and desire to quit.

If you want to grow the will and the motivation to succeed, you will have to learn the implications of quitting. Try to use the "cold turkey method" that means instant stop. The first milestone would be the first day. If you are able to stay without smoking for a whole day, you are on the good path. Three days is another important milestone, as the nicotine would start to be eliminated from the body. After two weeks, you won't think about a cigarette every moment of the day, but the satisfaction of quitting would start to disappear.

This is a crucial moment, as many people smoke "one cigarette" after this period, just to see how it is. The little monster called nicotine spreads in the body, and there you are, a smoker again. You will have to remember that there is no such thing as "one cigarette". You will have to educate your brain to think "non-smoking", as the body would be easily used with the new situation this way. The best way is to shift the focus from smoking to some other activity. First of all, restrict the visiting of smoking places and hide all the stuff related to smoking. Than, find the activity that will substitute smoking, e.g. start 3-month fitness program with the goal to loose some weight or achieve some personal record. Once your brain is switched, you will find it a lot easier to live without cigarettes.

There are also a lot of supportive tips and tricks that can make easier your way to the non-smoker status. Do not forget to drink a lot of water, have something to keep your mouth and hands busy as well as help yourself with some medication or nicotine chewing gum.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7331045

Read More

I Smoke and Drink Too Much - So What Should I Give Up First?

Some things in life really do seem to go together like a horse and carriage, and for lots of people, this applies to cigarettes and alcohol. And whereas smoking can never be described as a smart idea, moderate drinking can actually be good for you. But what if it all gets out of hand?

The harsh reality is that, far too easily, these two drugs can activate a feeding frenzy, leading to a dangerously high consumption of both. And by the time the abuser gets around to feeling uncomfortable with his or her actions, a cycle of behaviour has developed which can be hard to break.

So, is the tail wagging the dog? Which should be confronted first - cutting down on the booze or quitting smoking? This is a very good question, especially since the surest way to fail miserably at both tasks is to try and do too much at once!

Perhaps the most sensible starting point is to take an objective look at your drinking pattern. Work out with brutal honesty how many units of alcohol you consume on a typical night out, and how much that equates to over a week, or even a month.

A unit is 10ml of pure alcohol, and typically equals a single pub measure of spirits, a small glass of wine or one third of a pint of premium lager. The safe daily maximum is four units a day for men and three for women.

If your drinking habit is broadly consistent with these guidelines, then I'd recommend you congratulate yourself, leave well alone, and concentrate entirely on giving up smoking. Just keep in mind that every kind of alcoholic drink is heavily loaded with calories, while stopping smoking makes you vulnerable to weight gain - so be careful not to celebrate quitting too often!

But if your alcohol consumption leaves these sensible guidelines trailing in the dust, then it's probably best to delay tackling your smoking habit until your drinking is firmly under control.

If your consumption's been regularly dipping into double figures, then think seriously about whether you could have developed a chemical dependency. And if you have the slightest doubt, take the first opportunity to go and see your doctor, because sudden alcohol withdrawal can be fatal in some circumstances.

Otherwise, try gradually cutting down by skipping the odd round or exchanging your usual drink for a smaller equivalent and making it last longer. And why not use this wonderful opportunity to break the link between smoking and alcohol, by never lighting up while you're out on the town?

Apart from socializing, the chances are you drink mainly to relax - so you need to find other, more positive ways of doing that. Breathing exercises, meditation techniques and self-hypnosis can all help you relax far more efficiently.

They'll also help you overcome insomnia much more effectively. Because while it's true that an excess of alcohol in your body will knock you out quite nicely, the pattern of sleep that follows is frequently very poor.

So, try and establish a new routine whereby, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, you take more out of alcohol than alcohol takes out of you! This can easily be achieved, just by following a few simple rules:

• Watch your units - Remember, the sensible limit is 28 per week for men and 21 for women.
• Take a night off - A dry night or two each week won't hurt (unless you have a problem!).
• Don't rely on booze to unwind - There are much better ways to relax, so learn one!

Taking back control over your drinking won't just improve your health, it will also boost your confidence and self-esteem. And that should help focus your mind on just how absolutely terrific you're going to feel once you've successfully quit smoking!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7341775

Read More

7 Ugly Truths That Light Smokers Must Know

Many people falsely consider occasional smoking to be risk free but the truth is occasional or light smoking ( 1-3 cigarettes a day) too is very much harmful. Research scientists all over the world have found out that light smoking too can prove to be a reason for many of the harmful conditions at later stages in life. Here are the 7 truths that you should know if you think that light smoking is not harmful:

1. Risk of heart diseases 

It has been found out that the light and occasional smokers were 80% the patients in the study that had heart problems due to damages of smoking. This raises a serious question as occasional smoking too can lead to the clotting or arteries and heart failure.

2. Blood pressure problems 

The harmful toxins from the tobacco leaf cause serious damage to the nerves and help build the cholesterol which can lead to less blood to the heart and further less oxygen in the blood. This leads to a lot of blood pressure problems.

3. Reduced Lifespan 

Occasional smoking can reduce your life span by 1 to 5 years compared to non smokers depending on the frequency and amount of cigarettes that you smoke.

4. Disturbed Blood Circulation 

Light and occasional smoking can affect the blood circulation very much in the body. Reduced amount of oxygen due to smoking can cause many of the metabolism activities to do their work slowly or abruptly. This also leads to the organs getting weakened over prolonged time.

5. Chances of Lung Cancer 

Lung cancer can develop at a very early stage in smokers, which means it does not matter if you are a light smoker, regular smoker or a person exposed to second hand smoke. It is better to keep your self away from those tobacco sticks to avoid lung cancer.

6. Impotence 

Light smoking can also induce impotence in some proportion or the other. There is no perfect relation but it has been proved that smoking affects the sperm production and can lead to total impotence.

7. Skin effects 

Light and occasional smoking may not induce skin cancer, but it surely affects the tissues of mouth, throat, lips and upper body parts including face and hands. This can lead to the loosening and wrinkling of skin too.

Thus even light and social smoking can have serious ill effects on our body and one should always try to avoid smoking even occasionally. Smoking can be addictive as tobacco is known to possess many harmful and addictive toxins. This are the consequences of a smoker if they don't quit smoking.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7345555

Read More