Each day 50 Australians needlessly die of smoking related diseases.
Quitting before the age of 30 reduces your risk of lung cancer by 90% compared to someone who continues to smoke throughout their life.
After 15 years of not smoking, your stroke risk has reduced to close to that of a person who has never smoked and within 2-5 years of quitting, your risk of getting a heart attack and stroke also drops significantly.
Help is available from your local GP, your pharmacist and the Quitline.
Don’t be part of the statistic, make a change today. 🚭
With over 19,000 Australians dying of smoking related diseases each year, making a change to stop smoking this year is a great goal.
Did you know that when you stop smoking a number of positive impacts happen to your body? Within 24 hours blood levels of Carbon Monoxide are dramatically reduced, meaning more oxygen can reach vital organs. With long term smoking cessation over 10 years, the risk of lung cancer is less than half that of person who continues to smoke.
It’s never too late to make a positive change to your body. Please pop by and see me in clinic for information and help.
Time to kick the habit? In today’s episode of Dr Nora, I take you through why smoking cigarettes is so addictive, what the impacts are on health and how to successfully stop.
NICOTINE
Each year over 19,000 Australians die of smoking related illnesses. Cigarettes contain over 4000 chemicals of which 43 are known to cause cancer. One of those chemicals is called nicotine which is the principle reason why smoking can be so addictive. Once inhaled nicotine travels into the blood and passes through to the brain activating the reward pathway releasing a happy hormone called dopamine. Each time a cigarette is smoked, the reward pathway is activated and so the body craves more.
HEALTH EFFECTS
Smoking also causes a number of illnesses, such as lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Not only does it affect the lungs but it also is a major risk factor for heart failure. It also contributes to premature ageing and erectile dysfunction in men.
The good news is, once you stop smoking, a number of positive changes happen in the body, such as the protective barriers to the lungs and airways called cilia recover, more oxygen can be carried around the body and the risk of lung cancer is reduced to less that half that of a smoker after 10 years of cessation.
HOW TO STOP
There are many ways to stop smoking, however, we know the most successful people have the aid of support networks. Nicotine replacement therapy is aimed at those addicted to nicotine and can take the shape of lozenges, spray, gum or patches. Oral medications can be given on the advice of a medical practitioner. In Australia, e-cigarettes or vaping is a prescription only medication that can be used if the above methods have failed. It is important to know that vaping is not approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration as the long term side effects are not known.
Alongside medication, cognitive strategies can be implemented. These are strategies that use the power of thought to overcome addiction. Examples of this include keeping a smoking diary and see what triggers you to smoke. When you decide to stop smoking you can avoid these triggers. Another example includes keeping a list of the benefits of not smoking somewhere visible.
Behavioural strategies are used to help with the triggers of smoking. These include delaying the idea of smoking, taking a deep breath and performing another activity.
If you are planning to stop, always choose a target date and throw out any smoking paraphernalia, let your friends know you’re stopping too so they can support you. There are also a number of resources to get help from alongside your medical practitioner.
Each day 50 Australians needlessly die of smoking related diseases.
This World No Tobacco Day, I’m asking you to consider your smoking habits because once you quit, the risk of smoking related diseases reduces in all age groups.
Quitting before the age of 30 reduces your risk of lung cancer by 90% compared to someone who continues to smoke throughout their life.
After 15 years of not smoking, your stroke risk has reduced to close to that of a person who has never smoked and within 2-5 years of quitting, your risk of getting a heart attack and stroke also drops significantly.
Help is available from your local GP, your pharmacist and the Quitline.
Don’t be part of the statistic, make a change today. 🚭
Whether it’s smoking, drinking too much alcohol or fizzy drinks or even sneaking in too many sweets. Why not try dedicating the rest of this month to breaking a bad habit and see what impact it has on your health.
By taking a pause, not only do you improve your health but it also makes you aware of your ability to self discipline, helping to reduce temptations that may get in the way of your goals.
I personally want to put a pause on having a late night cup of tea so that I can sleep better and feel more refreshed in the morning. What will you try?
