We Want You To Live For a Very Long Time
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| Thu, 11-16-2006 - 10:19am |
About 45 million Americans smoke, but an estimated 70 percent of those people have said they want to quit. Spending one day successfully without cigarettes means you have a real shot at making not smoking your new habit. What can you gain by quitting now?
- In 20 minutes your heart rate will drop.
- In 12 hours the carbon monoxide in your blood will decrease.
- In two weeks to three months your circulation will improve and your lung function will increase.
- In one to nine months the cilia (tiny "hairs") in your lungs will return to normal, increase their ability to clean out your lungs and handle mucus, thereby reducing the risk of infection.
- In one year your risk of heart disease will be cut in half.
- In five years your risk of stroke will diminish.
- In ten years your risk of dying from lung cancer will fall 50 percent. Your risk of developing other cancers — mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, pancreas — will also decrease.
Quitting smoking isn't easy — you will need help! These Everyday Health articles can fill in more details about why you should quit and offer great tips to help you be done with cigarettes for good.
Smoking: An Enemy of Longevity
Smoking can lead to a number of health problems, including heart disease and lung cancer. By quitting, you can reduce your risk of developing these conditions — and the longer you stay smoke free, the slower your body ages. Read more.
Keeping Your Heart Healthy: Stop Smoking
Entire books have been written about how eating better and getting enough exercise can help your heart. Did you know that giving up cigarettes is one of the most powerful things you can do to improve your cardiac health? Read more.
Menopause and Lifestyle Changes: Smoking
Smoking has been linked to early menopause and wrinkles. If you want to keep feeling and looking young, give up smoking now. Read more.
Quit for Your Kids
If you can't do it for yourself, then consider quitting smoking to help your children. Research shows that secondhand smoke is a serious risk factor for respiratory and other illnesses, including heart disease, in children. Isn't their health worth it? Learn how secondhand smoke can affect your kids.
Easing Nicotine Withdrawal
Giving up smoking can improve your overall heart health as well as your lung function, but getting through cravings can be hard. Try these tips to relieve withdrawal symptoms
Soldier on Through a Smoking Slip-Up
Just one year after you stop smoking, your risk of heart disease could drop by more than half. Within several years you should have the same risk as someone who has never smoked. So don't give up if you slip while trying to quit — use these strategies to get back on the wagon.
Reviewed by Holly G. Atkinson, M.D.
Last updated: November 2006


