Why Should I Quit Smoking?
If you smoke, quitting is the most important step you can take to protect your lungs and overall health. It is NEVER too late to quit or experience the benefits related to quitting. When you quit smoking, you will:
- Prolong your life.
- Decrease your risk of disease (including lung cancer, throat cancer, emphysema, heart disease, high blood pressure, ulcers and other conditions).
- Reduce your risk of respiratory and anesthesia complications after an operation.
- Decrease the chance that your children will become sick (respiratory infections are more common among children exposed to secondhand smoke).
- Feel healthier; after quitting, you won’t cough as much, have as many sore throats and will have increased energy.
- Improve your sense of taste and smell.
- Improve your looks (smoking can cause face wrinkles, stained teeth, and dull skin).
- Save money.
Smoking-Related Diseases
When you stop smoking, you will lower your risk for diseases. Visit the listing below to learn more about how quitting smoking will lower risk for certain diseases:
- Lung cancer
- Heart disease, heart attacks and stroke
- Cancer of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, lips and tongue
- Cancer of the pancreas, kidney, bladder, stomach, colon and liver
- Peripheral vascular disease (poor circulation)
- Asthma in children
- Low birth weight babies, sudden infant death syndrome
- Early menopause
- Osteoporosis
- Cataracts, macular degeneration
- Peptic ulcer disease (stomach ulcers)
- Uterine and cervical cancer
- Premature wrinkles
- Decreased sense of smell
- Infertility, impotence
What's the Next Step?
You need to decide to give yourself the most precious gift a smoker can give to him or herself — a gift of life, health and self-esteem — by becoming a nonsmoker. Treatment costs less than a pack of cigarettes a day, and varies based on the personalized plan developed for each individual and his or her ability to pay. Contact your doctor today for more information.