Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Stop Smoking

Smoking attracts you because cigarettes contain nicotine, a substance that is highly addictive. But, being addicted to cigarettes is not a valid excuse not to quit smoking. Being a big health threat is enough reason why you should stop smoking. Although it takes hard work and strong will power to end this habit, you still have to try and continue your effort to release yourself from smoking.

Actually, there are numerous advantages why you should stop smoking. Among those benefits are follows:

1.    When you quit smoking, you will definitely live longer and healthier. It is because every time you smoke, you take about 5 to 20 minutes of your life. Your chance of getting serious diseases is also reduced when you stop smoking. Besides, even the people around you – your family and friends will also become healthier when you stop smoking because there will be no more cigarette fumes that will damage their lungs.

2.    When you stop smoking, you can avoid major health complications such as the following:

•    Lung Cancer

Statistics show that almost every case of lung cancer in the world is caused by cigarette smoking. One main reason why smokers are more likely to develop and die from lung cancer is because nicotine suppresses mechanisms in the immune system that would normally prevent the growth of cancerous tumors. Knowing these health hazards, you should realize why you should stop smoking and live a good lifestyle.

•    Stroke and heart disease

Based on the study, high blood pressure is the number one risk factor for having a stroke while cigarette smoking is the number four. Heart disease is the number two risk factor and may be due to smoking because smoking also leads to reduced blood flow in the arteries and eventually can lead to heart attack.

•    Emphysema

This disease causes your lungs to be damaged to the point that they are no longer elastic. It becomes difficult to exhale and this symptom is accompanied by wheezing and shortness of breath. Besides lung cancer, it is really one of the top reasons why you should stop smoking.

•    Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune diseases

Heavy smokers have an increased risk for the development of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Lupus is a chronic disease that causes pain and inflammation while rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic and sometimes disabling disease characterized by painful, swollen joints. These two are considered auto-immune diseases.

•    Higher risk of infertility

If you are a woman who smokes regularly, you may have an increased risk of infertility. You also have greater chance of miscarriage and premature delivery. To avoid these negative effects, you should quit smoking and start a new healthy lifestyle.

3.    Saving is another good reason why you should stop smoking. The money that you can save from not buying cigars can be used on other important expenses. Not to mention that you can spare yourself from expensive medical bills if you stop smoking since you are less likely to get sick.

The bottom line is that health concerns are the main reasons why you should stop smoking. If you value your life and you love your family, then now is the time to quit smoking.

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Posted by - August 11, 2011 at 6:27 am

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Stop Smoking Tips

Anyone who’s struggling to kick the habit can benefit from a few helpful stop smoking tips. Even though you are probably well aware  of the long list of adverse health effects, the negative impact on the environment and the shortage in your wallet that smoking creates, it is still so hard to quit.

Understand, there is never a better time to quit than right now! No, you won’t feel more empowered when you finish off this last pack and you won’t find it any easier if you wait until the beginning of the week, next month or the new year. It’s also important to note that just because you read helpful stop smoking tips does not mean you will be successful. You may fail today and that’s okay, you will try again tomorrow. You can start over as many times as it takes for you to get through those horrible and extremely challenging first 48 hours.

•    Set Your Mind Straight – There are two things that you need for any stop smoking tips to work, will and mindset. You need to have the desire to quit and thoroughly educate yourself on all the reasons why you should quit. It is estimated that more than 15 million people try to quit everyday and only 3 percent are successful. Your goal is to be part of that statistic.

•   Smoking Aids – If you don’t feel as though you can quit on your own, there are plenty of products available over the counter such as nicotine lozenges, pills, gum, nasal sprays, patches and inhalers.

•    Get Active – There’s a reason why so many previous smokers take up running, hiking, cycling, etc. Yes, the physical activity may be difficult at first but soon you will find yourself addicted to the exercise rather than cigarettes which is always a positive thing!

•   Lifestyle Changes – One of the key stop smoking tips is to make appropriate lifestyle changes which can be quite hard. You need to avoid situations where you would typically light up such as going to the bar. You won’t have to stay way from doing these things permanently but at least long enough until the temptation is no longer there.

•   Chew on Something – Gum can be very helpful when you’re quitting smoking. Other people find chewing on or holding a straw can be effective, especially if you are used to smoking while driving. Stock up on plenty of low calorie snacks like celery, cucumbers, carrots, etc., so you don’t have to feel guilty about excessive grazing all day long.

•    Hobby – Even if you start exercising, you still may want to take up another hobby. The busier you can keep your brain and hands, the less you will think about how badly you want that cigarette. If this means that you have to build 10 doghouses to keep busy or repaint your bedroom 5 times, so be it!

Not all stop smoking tips will work for every person. Only you can decide what works for you to help you realize your goals to be healthier.

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Posted by - July 29, 2011 at 5:13 am

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Stop Smoking Timeline – Your Guide to Stop Smoking

You may find it difficult to stop smoking when you do not know the benefits this could bring to your health. Usually, your will-power is overcome by the desire to smoke and feel the extraordinary sensation nicotine brings to you. However, recognizing the stop smoking timeline will help you understand the positive side of it.
Below is the stop smoking timeline that will guide you why it is important to quit smoking and the benefits this could bring to your health and to your life as a whole. With this timeline to guide you, you can efficiently visualize your goals and thus make the decision to stop smoking easier to do.

Within 20 minutes

Your pulse rate and blood pressure drops to normal and the body temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.

Within 8 hours

The remaining nicotine in your bloodstream will decline to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels. The oxygen level in your blood increases to normal while the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

After 1 day

On the first day of your stop smoking timeline, you may feel a little strange. Sometimes, you may feel as if you are about to be sick and you may find it difficult to concentrate. These symptoms are quite normal and are clear indication that your blood circulation, blood pressure, and your skin temperature are already normalized.

After 1 to 9 months

You can observe that any smoking related sinus congestion, shortness of breath or fatigue have decreased. The function of your lungs increases by up to 30% and are able to re-grow cilia thereby increasing their ability to keep your lungs clean, handle mucus, and reduce infections. In addition to this, your body’s overall energy has increased.

After 1 year

ased on your stop smoking timeline, your risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke turns down by 50% compare when you are still smoking.

After 5 years

The lung cancer death rate if you are an average former smoker (one pack a day) decreases by almost 50% as well as the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus. The risk of having stroke is reduced from 5 to 15 years compare when you are still smoking.

After 10 years

Based on the stop smoking timeline, your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is only between 30 and 50 percent compared when you are still smoking. This is based on the study conducted on year 2005. Again, your risk of pancreatic cancer, bladder, kidney, and cervix diseases have declined to that of a never-smoker person.

After 15 years

Based on your stop smoking timeline, your risk of coronary heart disease is now almost the same of a person who has never smoked.

After 20 years

According to the study conducted on year 2008,  the excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has dramatically reduced and almost the same of a person who has never smoked.

The biggest advantage of using stop smoking timeline is having the ability to track how far you have come in the quitting process. This timeline makes progress seem much more evident than it would if you are going blindly into the battle against cigarette addiction. When you feel something different happens in your body, it is easier to understand and realize that all these are part of the process.

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Posted by - August 15, 2011 at 9:34 am

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