| There are many benefits to stopping smoking. These | | | | Stop smoking benefit #5: Naturally, inhaling hot toxic |
| benefits are the reason why you should stop smoking. | | | | gasses into your lungs 20 times a day causes |
| They wont in themselves help you stop smoking but | | | | considerable damage. Most significantly, smoking is a |
| they will provide you with motivation to go on and learn | | | | major contributor in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary |
| how to stop smoking successfully. | | | | Disease or COPD. COPD includes such illnesses as |
| Stop smoking benefit #1: Your blood is partially | | | | bronchitis (the inflammation of the lung bronchioles |
| 'disabled' by cigarette smoke. Carbon monoxide, a | | | | (tubes)) and emphysema. Emphysema is when your |
| lethal gas found in every cigarette you smoke binds to | | | | lung tissues lose their elasticity and you cannot breath |
| the haemoglobin in your red blood cells. The carbon | | | | normally. Death from emphysema comes in the form |
| monoxide locks the red blood cell and stops it from | | | | of a slow and utterly debilitating suffocation over the |
| being able to carry oxygen around your body. Smoking | | | | course of a few years. It is irreversible and incurable. |
| knocks out about 15% of your blood's oxygen carrying | | | | Stop smoking benefit #6: Between 5 and 15 years |
| capacity. When you stop smoking, your body will repair | | | | after quitting smoking, your risk of a stroke will have |
| your blood and it will be back to normal within 2 days! | | | | returned to that of a non-smoker (depending upon |
| Stop smoking benefit #2: Cigarette smoke and the | | | | other influencing factors such as diet). |
| cocktail of 3,500 chemicals found in it, have damaged | | | | Stop smoking benefit #7: On average, smokers die |
| nerves throughout your body. Within 2 days your body | | | | between 8 and 10 years earlier than non-smokers. |
| will start to re-grow these damaged nerves. Your | | | | Stopping smoking even in middle age can reduce the |
| sense of taste and smell will sharpen. You will not | | | | risks of ill health significantly and there are always |
| need to salt your food as heavily as you used to. | | | | benefits in stopping smoking, no matter what your age. |
| Stop smoking benefit #3: Smokers are more likely to | | | | Stop smoking benefit #8: After years of smoking, you |
| suffer from high blood pressure. When you stop | | | | will have suffered from a chronic cough. Between 3 |
| smoking, your blood pressure will come down without | | | | and 12 months after stopping smoking, this cough |
| any other intervention just from stopping smoking. High | | | | should have disappeared. |
| blood pressure is known as the 'silent killer' that often | | | | Stop smoking benefit #9: Within 3 months of stopping |
| goes unnoticed in people of middle age. High blood | | | | smoking, your circulation should have improved |
| pressure makes your heart work harder and can | | | | significantly. If you used to suffer from 'pins and |
| result in an enlarged heart and heart disease. It is | | | | needles', they should be a thing of the past now. Your |
| advisable to ask you doctor for a blood pressure | | | | risk of heart attack will have reduced significantly. |
| check the next time you see them. | | | | Stop smoking benefit #10: Not only can you smell |
| Stop smoking benefit #4: 90% of all lung cancer | | | | better you do smell better too! Your general odour will |
| sufferers are smokers. The vast majority of smokers | | | | be much more pleasant to those around you. |
| stop smoking the minute they are diagnosed with lung | | | | There is a Japanese proverb that says "fall down |
| cancer, proving that quitting is possible. 10 years after | | | | seven times, get up eight". Stopping smoking is just like |
| quitting smoking, your risk of lung cancer will have | | | | that too. You have to keep trying to quit. My advice as |
| halved. | | | | ever is never stop trying to quit. |