Quit Smoking - Health Benefits

The benefits of quitting are unlimited! We all expect our health to improve, but that is just the beginning of this wonderful journey. The positives listed below were collected from people who have recently quit. The return on our efforts to kick the habit far outweighs the work it takes to achieve this goal. The benefits truly are unlimited!nnQuitting is not easy. You may have short-term effects such as weight gain, irritability and anxiety. Some people try several times before succeeding. There are many ways to quit smoking. Some people stop "cold turkey." Others benefit from step-by-step manuals, counseling or medicines or products that help reduce nicotine addiction. Your health care provider can help you find the best way for you to quit.nnWomen who stop smoking before pregnancy or during the first 3 to 4 months of pregnancy reduce their risk of having a low birth-weight baby to that of women who never smoked.nnThe health benefits of quitting smoking are far greater than any risks from the small weight gain (usually less than 10 pounds) or any emotional or psychological problems that may follow quitting.nnQuitting smoking is the single best thing you can do to improve your health and quality of life. Non-smokers have a much lower risk of getting dozens of smoking-related diseases like lung cancer, heart disease, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD, including emphysema).nnYou will look and feel younger. Smokers are more likely to wrinkle at an earlier age and have deeper wrinkles.nnRegardless of your sport or activity, your performance, endurance and ability to play the game will improve after you quit smoking.nnQuitting smoking increases the chances of living a longer and healthier life. After about 15 years, an ex-smoker's relative risk of getting lung cancer is only slightly greater than that of someone who has never smoked. Similarly, their relative risk of a heart attack is reduced almost to the same risk level of someone who has never smoked. nnQuitting smoking is a challenge. Once you have quit, you will know you can succeed at difficult takes and take more control of your life. Quitting helps you believe in yourself.nnChildren whose parents smoke are more likely to get pneumonia and bronchitis in their first year of life, to suffer from more frequent and more severe asthma attacks and to become regular smokers themselves.nnYou'll feel proud of your abilityto overcome something so challenging. Many smokers remember the exact day they quit because it is a source of great pride.nnThink of the money you will save by not having to buy tobacco, lighters, ashtrays, matches and so on.nnAnother benefit of quitting smoking will also save the money, which you were burning to destroy your health. Nicotine will show its effects in the initial phases of quitting smoking. It would be almost impossible to handle this temptation of nicotine.nnYou save money, as smokers can spend several thousand dollars on buying cigarettes every year. Studies have shown that 4 out of the 5 top selling products at supermarkets are cigarettes.nn10 years after quitting: The risk for various cancers (lung, oral, throat, esophagus, etc.) decreases. Yes, it takes that long for cancer risk to reduce, but the risk of heart attack becomes the same as for someone who never smoked.