QUIT SMOKING.

 

Smoking  

The act of inhaling and exhaling the fumes of burning tobacco in cigars, cigarettes or pipes is called cigarette smoking. Originally it was started by Native Americans and was practiced in rituals and for medicinal purposes. But slowly it spread to other parts of the World and by the end of 19th century the use was widespread all over the earth. There are various methods of smoking. They are cigarette, cigar,  pipe, hookah or sheesha. 
Today the habit is so rampant that many Governments have come down heavily on tobacco manufacturers and sellers in the form of heavy taxation for tobacco and tobacco products.

Effects of Smoking

Tobacco smoke contains a substance called nicotine, a poisonous alkoid. It also has substances such as carbon monoxide, acrolien, ammonia, prussic acid, aldehydes and tar. Tobacco contains about 4000 chemicals which when heated produce a lot of substances that cause irreparable damages to the health.

 

Natural Stop Smoking AidCigarette smoking is very dangerous to everyone's health because it harms almost all organs in the body which causes many diseases and reduced health of smokers in general. According to the Surgeon General, smoking cigarettes is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States resulting in about 400,000 deaths each year. If you smoke, it means you are giving yourself a slow poison treatment. Cigarette smoking does not only affect the smoker's health but also affects the nearby standing individual like your kids as their organs are in the developing stage. Most of the diseases caused due to smoking are so severe that there are no treatments available for these diseases. Now is the time to think of ways you can effectively quit smoking immediately.Here are some effects of cigarette smoking to your health:

 

Cancer

• Most forms of cancer are particularly lung cancer, kidney cancer, cancer of the larynx, head and neck cancer, breast cancer, bladder, pancreas, esophagus, and stomach cancer.
• Cancer is the second leading cause of death and was among the first diseases casually linked to smoking.
• Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths in women and almost 80% of lung cancer deaths in men. The risk of dying from lung cancer is more than 23 times higher among men who smoke cigarettes, and about 13 times higher among women who smoke cigarettes compared with non smokers.
• Rates of cancers related to cigarette smoking vary widely among members of racial/ethnic groups, but are generally highest in African-American men.

 

Cardiovascular disease

• Cardiovascular disease involves the heart and blood vessels (arteries, veins).
• Smoking causes coronary heart disease which is the leading cause of death in the United States.
• It approximately doubles a person’s risk for stroke.
• Cigarette smoking causes reduced circulation by narrowing the blood vessels (arteries). Smokers are more than 10 times as likely as nonsmokers to develop peripheral vascular disease.
• Cigarette smoking causes abdominal aortic aneurysm.

 

Respiratory disease and other effects

• Cigarette smoking is associated with a 10 times increase in the risk of dying from chronic obstructive lung disease.
• Cigarette smoking has many adverse reproductive and early childhood effects including an increased risk for infertility, preterm delivery, stillbirth, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome.
• Postmenopausal women who smoke have lower bone density than women who never smoked.

 

THE BENEFITS OF QUITTING You will notice many benefits of quitting right away:

• Your breath, clothes, and hair will smell better
• Your sense of smell will return and food will taste better
• Your fingers and fingernails will slowly appear less yellow
• Your stained teeth will slowly become whiter

Your home, work, and social life will also improve immediately:

• Your children will be less likely to start smoking themselves
• It will be easier and cheaper to find an apartment
• You will miss fewer work days, or you may have an easier time getting a job
• The constant search for a place to smoke when you're out will be over
• Friends will be more willing to be in your car or home
• You will have more money available

Some health benefits begin almost immediately too, but every week, month, and year without tobacco use only improves your health.

• Within 20 minutes of quitting - your blood pressure and pulse rate drop to normal and the temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.
• Within 8 hours of quitting - your blood carbon monoxide levels drop and your blood oxygen levels increase, both to normal levels.
• Within 24 hours of quitting - your risk of a sudden heart attack decreases.
• Within 48 hours of quitting - nerve endings begin to regenerate and your senses of smell and taste begin to return to normal.
• Within 2 weeks to 3 months of quitting - your circulation improves and walking becomes easier; your lung function increases by up to 30%.
• Within 1 to 9 months of quitting - your overall energy typically increases and symptoms like coughing, nasal congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath improve. You will have fewer illnesses, colds, and asthma attacks. You will gradually no longer be short of breath with everyday activities.
• Within 1 year of quitting - your risk of coronary heart disease is half that of someone still using tobacco.
• Within 5 years of quitting - your lung cancer death rate decreases by nearly 50% compared to one pack per day smokers; your risk of cancer of the mouth is half that of a tobacco user.
• Within 10 years of quitting - your lung cancer death rate becomes similar to that of someone who never smoked; precancerous cells are replaced with normal cells; your risk of stroke is lowered, possibly to that of a nonsmoker; your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas all go down.

Like any addiction, quitting tobacco is difficult, especially if you are acting alone. There are a lot of ways to quit smoking and many resources to help you.

• Family members, friends, and coworkers may be supportive or encouraging.
• Talk to your doctor about nicotine replacement therapy and smoking cessation medications.
• If you join smoking cessation programs, you have a much better chance of success. Such programs are offered by hospitals, health departments, community centers, and work sites.