Lifestyle Stop smoking
Stop smoking: what works?
If you’ve made a resolution to quit smoking this year there’s lots of help and support available at your local pharmacy
Many smokers find January is a great time to give quitting their habit a try. So if you’ve decided to give quitting a go, here’s some information you may find helpful. First, why quit? There are several reasons, most importantly that giving up
smoking comes with many health benefits. Stopping smoking can improve your quality of life as well
as reduce your chances of developing a smoking-related illness such as heart disease or a respiratory problem such as lung cancer. You don’t even have to wait a long time to see some of the
benefits. After just 20 minutes of having your last cigarette your pulse rate will start returning to normal, then after eight hours your oxygen levels will be getting back to normal with the carbon monoxide levels in your blood having reduced by half. Forty-eight hours later your body will have flushed out all
carbon monoxide, your lungs will be starting to clear out mucus and your sense of taste and smell will have improved. Three days later your breathing will feel easier, thanks to the
fact that your bronchial tubes will have started to relax. You should start feeling you have more energy at this point too. Further improvements to your health include:
• Better circulation (after 2 - 12 weeks) • Improved lung function (after 3 - 9 months) • 50 per cent lower risk of heart attack (after 12 months) • 50 per cent lower risk of terminal lung cancer (after 10 years)
• Same heart attack risk as that of someone who’s never smoked (after 15 years)
As well as reducing your risk of having several serious conditions, giving up smoking can make life more enjoyable because you’ll feel less stressed, you’ll enjoy a better sex life and improved fertility, your skin will look younger, your breath will smell fresher and your teeth will look whiter. And as if that wasn’t enough, you can also feel good about the fact that you’ll be protecting your loved ones from health problems caused by breathing in your smoke.
Willpower boosters Giving up smoking is rarely easy. But the good news is there are lots of simple things you can do to boost your chances of success, including the following:
• Change your social routine for a while to avoid situations that make you more vulnerable to giving in – for instance, try spending more time with non-smokers so that you’re not tempted.
• Give your hands something else to do other than hold a cigarette – try a new hobby to distract you.
• Take regular exercise as it will help keep your weight down, boost your mood and improve your chances of having a good night's sleep.
• If you feel yourself reaching for a cigarette when you feel under pressure, try to take a break from whatever’s stressing you out – walk away or get outside into the fresh air.
16 All About health
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