After You Quit Smoking… The Benefits

Do you know that after you quit smoking everything about your health, the health of those around you, the health of your child and your pet begin to improve immediately ? And did you know that there is not one known benefit derived from continuing to smoke?

Better health is the most significant benefit that a smoker can hope to get from quitting.
Within 20 minutes of quitting :

·         pulse rate drops back to normal

·         blood pressure decreases

8 hours later :

·         oxygen levels in bloodstream increase to normal

·         levels of carbon monoxide in bloodstream return to normal

After 24 hours :

·         chances of a heart attack start to markedly decrease

In 48 hours :

·         All nicotine will have left the body and sense of smell and taste are returning

Within 72 hours energy levels have increased and the bronchial system starts to function normally.
Within a year the risk of heart attack has dropped by half.
In 5 years after quitting cigarettes the risk of having a stroke is the same as that of a non-smoker.
And after 10 years of staying quit, the risk of lung cancer is the same as that of a non-smoker.
After you quit smoking, the health of those around you at home and at work is greatly improved and risks of there getting diseases related to the effects of second-hand smoke are drastically reduced.

The freedom from cigarettes and cigarette smoke is yet another benefit of not smoking. The smell of smoke in your house, clothes, hair, hands and breath will be a thing of the past. And the budget that was always set aside for cigarettes can now be a saving to go into something more useful and substantial.

These are all some of the great benefits that you can know and experience only after you quit smoking. It is worth every effort, so put your mind to it…quit.

Help Quit Smoking

Kicking the smoking habit is not at all easy, in fact it is said to be easier to kick the cocaine or heroin habit. So help quit smoking is something the smoker wishing to stop may need in his efforts to quit. This is because nicotine, the active drug found in tobacco is highly addictive and the smoker becomes physically and emotionally dependent on it through repeated and persistent use of cigarettes.

1. It all begins with your making a positive decision that you want to stop smoking. Set a date and keep to it.

2. Enlist the support of your family, friends, co-workers and your doctor. Basically let them know of your intentions just to keep them aware especially because you may become cranky and irritable in the initial days of quitting.
3. Enroll in a smoking cessation program. Hospitals, health clinics, community centers and even some employers offer this facility. Support groups such as Nicotine Anonymous have been known to give very valuable help to many. Go along and get help quit smoking.
4. Get advice from the doctor on Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). In case he finds that you need to stop cravings and the withdrawal effects of stopping he may recommend the use of NRT gum, patches or sprays. In case the withdrawals are more severe and because of such conditions as depression he may put you on prescription medicine such as Bupropion or Chantix.
5. Some people have used methods such as hypnosis and acupuncture and it has worked successfully for them. These might be worth investigating.
6. It helps a lot to stay away from smokers, smoke-filled rooms such as bars and events where smoking is all around you. Even in your house, remove things like ash-trays, lighters, matches etc permanently.
7. Stay focused and determined, remember the more days you put in, the easier it is going to be to stay stopped.

Take heart, many have quit successfully.

Find help quit smoking, no matter how old you are stopping it can help you live longer and be healthier. Ex- smokers enjoy a higher quality of life with fewer diseases, and this, you too can enjoy.

Quit Smoking Support – 5 Steps To Quit

If you have decided to stop smoking, congratulations! You have made a good decision. One of the things you will find useful and available is to get quit smoking support. It definitely increases your chances of stopping.

The smoker is increasingly discriminated against and so put under immense pressure to quit. But more than that, health risks, smoking diseases and resultant deaths to the smoker and those around him are adding to this pressure to quit.

Many smokers want to kick the habit and have found that cessation of smoking is not easy. Not only did it take time to get hooked, but nicotine, the active drug in tobacco is very addictive and the user has become dependent on it physically and psychologically. But take heart, many have tried quitting and succeeded, so can you.

Here are some steps to take in getting quit smoking support:

1. Be of maximum help to yourself by being very clear that you want to quit and the exact date on which you have set to stop. WRITE down your reasons, pro and con, why you choose to stop and keep these repeatedly fresh in your mind. You know best what is best for you and this will carry you through. Be determined.

2. Get the support of family, friends and workmates. It is important that these people who are closest to you are aware of your plan. Let then know.

3. Consult with your doctor in case you could use some stop smoking aid like Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) as found in gum, patches or even medications. These may be necessary to deal with cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

4. Many other qualified professionals also offer quit smoking program and it is OK to use them. Psychologists or counsellors can offer sound advice or even therapy if needed.

5. Join a support group of other smokers trying to quit or ex-smokers who are trying to stay stopped. For example Nicotine Anonymous and several other which are available even on-line.

Finally it is also OK to use any of the above in combination as you seek your

quit smoking support.

AND have no doubt, you will succeed.

Stop Smoking Now

Did you know that your health does not get any better if you keep smoking? That your health actually does get better by stopping? Did you know that smoking is out of style?

Stop smoking now!

Smokers have a higher and increased risk of lung cancer, lung diseases, heart attacks and other heart diseases, hypertension, stroke, oral cancer of the bladder, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer, complications in pregnancy and child birth the list is long.

Smoking is the largest preventable cause of death in America and yet this is a trend that is completely reversible if you would stop smoking now. Making the decision to stop is not easy, it is even harder to carry through with it, but it can be done and many smokers are today successfully ex-smokers and live healthy smoke-free lives.

Stop ‘Cold Turkey’.
Once you have make the crucial decision, you may find that stopping ‘cold turkey’ is best for you. It takes a lot of willpower and strength but most probably this is the best method as opposed to tapering off. The benefits are immediate and the cravings and withdrawal symptoms get less severe with every day that passes smoke-free.

Nicotine is the addictive drug in cigarettes that is the cause of all the trouble mainly because the smoker becomes physically, emotionally and psychologically dependent upon it. The good news is that after 24 hours of not smoking the body is rid of nicotine and only another puff can set off that awful cycle in motion again.
If any craving occurs it only lasts about 5minutes at most and as long as you don’t act on it you get to a point where even the craving disappears for good.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
If going cold turkey is a little difficult, you can still stop smoking now. See your health provider on the possibility of using some Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT).They help by weaning you off gradually by reducing the strength of the patch and hopefully after about 12 weeks you get off the therapy completely. These have been found useful to alleviate the withdrawal effects and cravings sometime experienced. He will prescribe some gum or patches or spray or even some prescription medication.

Other Methods.
Explore other methods too that have been used and succeeded for many. There is acupuncture and hypnosis smoking methods which are well-worth trying.

Remember that it is the results you are after, so stop smoking now and stay stopped. You will find you have so much to enjoy in terms of better health, and a better, longer life.

Benefits Of Quitting Smoking For Teenagers

Teen smoking is very serious and the trend in statistics and the increased teenage smoking and tobacco use is alarming. Yet, this trend is reversible, and the benefits of quitting smoking for teenagers are immense.

Most of this group start the habit because they consider it to be cool, tough and independent, not knowing that they could easily find themselves smoking as adults, and struggling for a long time to quit and be free of this deadly habit. Cessation of smoking can be very difficult, sometimes one quits only to find themselves start again.

Quitting smoking benefits for teenagers and other smokers are many, here are some  of the effects of cigarettes that begin to be reversed on stopping :

Health–   

It is an established fact that smoking is bad for your health. The first advantage of stopping is that health starts to be regained. Within 20 minutes of dropping the habit, heightened heart rate and blood pressure drops. After 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop back to normal. And your health keeps getting better from there as long as you stay stopped.

Intellectual development–

Nicotine has been found to cause the teenage brain to develop abnormally.

Concentration–

Smoking teens find it hard to concentrate and be focused, especially when several things are happening at the same time. So school work becomes difficult. Chances of better concentration and reduction in failure rates become better.

Improvements in behavioral disorders–

Aggressiveness, getting caught in fights and even stealing to keep up the habit is more prevalent in teen smokers than in their non-smoking peers. Quitting the habit also reduces drastically the chances of developing addiction to other substances like alcohol and harder drugs.

The list of benefits of quitting smoking for teenagers is long. The best advise still is, avoid the long struggle to stop, don’t start at all!

Stop Smoking Plan Is Necessary

Most smokers today at one time or other have had that deep desire to kick the habit. Admittedly there is no easy way to do so because of the nature of this addiction. What however might be found helpful is to have a stop smoking plan.

Here are some suggested steps :

1.  Make determined commitment to quit.

Write down your personal reasons for wanting to quit and be honest with yourself. Keep referring to this list often as you go along in order to stay reminded  and focused always.

2. Choose a quit day.

This is the day you will stop smoking. Before this day, remove everything to do with the habit from your house, car and office.

3. Get social support.

Tell family, friends and colleagues at work about your plan and get their support and understanding. Even your doctor needs to know in case you need to refer to him to deal with any withdrawal symptoms or weight gain.

4. Develop alternative behaviour in

place of smoking
For example if you used to smoke to relax , now try exercise or a massage or yoga. You will be surprised how many things you can do that are even more pleasurable than puffing your health away. Personalise your stop smoking plan  so that it works for you.

5. Be conversant with the use of stop smoking aids in case you may need them. Some people have even been known to buy e cigarettes online rather than use regular tobacco cigarettes. The doctor will give you good advise.

6. Stay away from functions and events and places where smoking is an activity, at least until you are strong enough to resist the temptation and stop feeling like you are missing out on something.

7. Be mentally prepared and know you will find obstacles and challenges to your plan. Stay resolved even if you unfortunately have a ‘ slip ‘. Many smokers have succeeded in stopping and are today happy ex- smokers.

8. Persevere.
A positive  and confident outlook will go a long way in building your self-esteem especially with each passing day that is smoke-free.

Having a stop smoking plan is definitely an important method of finding guidelines with which to work towards your goal. And it will work for you as it has done for many other quitters. Put your mind to it.

second hand smoking

Smoking is bad for you. It is a cause of fatal
disease and premature death and yet, it is preventable. Moreover for
every smoker, several other people are prone to smoke-related diseases
through second hand smoking. Give smoking up today and save lives,
beginning with your own.

The nicotine in tobacco is highly
addictive. Besides that many other poisonous and toxic chemicals are
contained in cigarettes. And as a result the list of diseases is long:
– heart disease
– smoking lung cancer
– high blood pressure
– chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
– stroke
– osteoporosis
– impotence
– cervical cancer
– diabetes
– infertility
– snoring
– gum diseases
– etc etc.

So why give smoking up?

For  your own health. You will begin to experience reversals in your overall
condition of health right away as the body begins to rid itself of
nicotine and all the other poisons. Longevity is an added advantage. As
long as you keep smoking you cut off an average 12 -15 years from your
normal lifespan.

You
also safeguard the health of others. Children’s health is at risk
through passive smoking. They are as prone to bronchitis, pneumonia and
just as prone to cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such
as bronchitis as the adult. The adult non-smoker increases his chances
of lung cancer and heart disease by as much as 25% by being exposed to
second-hand smoke.

There are many reasons to give smoking up. Good health for you and others is a good reason. Consider that now.