Stop Smoking - Why Quit Smoking?
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Lets face it smokers find smoking enjoyable, up to a point. That is why many do it. If there were no gain, the habit would rapidly die out. But a lot of meaning is stuffed into that innocent phrase As the short term gains of smoking cigarettes is real, its damage is every bit as real - and it’s potentially much more serious and long lasting.
Some common reasons have be observed to cause someone to smoke. Stress, peer pressure and other psychological factors are present for virtually everyone. Many rather use a toxic chemical instead of a healthier means of dealing with them. But the long term results can be dreadful.
Official estimates that 87% of lung cancer cases reported can be traced to long-term, heavy smoking. The chances of stroke are 2-4 times higher for smokers than non-smokers. The chances of contracting coronary heart disease are similar. Equally as dreadful are the statistics for COPDs (chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases), such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis or asthma. About 80-90% of COPD cases are among those who smoke.
The specific scientific facts took a few generations to establish. And now there are thousands of case studies that correlate smoking with ill health effects. Although the exact causes and links between smoking and stroke or cancer are still not fully known, the correlation is overwhelming.
The relationship, for example, between the increased build up of fatty deposits on the arteries as a result of smoking is well established. The effects on the lungs as tar builds up in the alveoli are plain to see. The hacking, reduced energy and other effects require no scientific study to know.
Several dozen carcinogenic compounds have been identified in cigarette smoke. They range from such familiar terms as tar and benzene to nitrosamines. Carbon monoxide is present in cigarette smoke, where it binds with hemoglobin to deprive the blood stream of needed oxygen.
To stop smoking isn’t easy. On average, only 6% succeed in stopping smoking permanently the first time they try. But it’s possible to be in that group, and to increase that number by joining it.
As with any long term health decision, it requires willpower. But that mental commitment can be aided by counseling as well as a wide range of products available today. Nicotine gum, patches and inhalers can help. Several non-nicotine alternatives are on the market, too. Anti-depressants like Zyban are an option. A newer prescription drug called Chantix has shown promise.
Dealing with the consequences of stopping smoking are trying. Weight gain is possible. Cravings are almost inevitable, for a while. But the long term benefits of quitting are real, immediate and enormous.
After a few years, The chances of contracting stroke and heart disease revert back to what they are for non-smokers. The skin returns back to its normal state. There is an overall increase in one’s engergy level and the body and mind are are in a state that is able to cope with life’s daily challenges.
Quit smoking now and lead a smoke free life. If not, the alternative is grim.
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