What are the benefits of quitting smoking?
The good news is that once you stop smoking, your life expectancy quickly improves. Smokers under the age of 35 who take the decision to quit will then have a near-normal life expectancy, while there are immediate health and social benefits for people of any age who quit smoking.
The dangers of smoking have been well documented for many years. In the UK, it is estimated that every year around 22% of all male deaths, and 16% of all female deaths, are due to smoking. That is well over 100,000 deaths per year, all directly attributable to smoking.
How can stopping smoking improve your health?
- Smoking is responsible for nearly all cases of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD includes diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which are associated with shortness of breath and the inability to do things you want to do.
- Smoking is the cause of 90% of primary lung cancers, while the risk of many other cancers (mouth, bladder, kidneys, pancreas, stomach, liver, colon, and cervix) is also increased by smoking.
- If you smoke, you are two to three times more likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker, and much more likely to die from heart disease. Smokers are also more likely to have strokes, blood clots, and angina.
Can smoking affect your sex life?
Smoking increases the risk of erectile dysfunction by about 50% for men aged between 30 and 50 years old. If you smoke, you’re also more likely to experience a shortness of breath. In a recent study, it was estimated that women who smoke were only 72% as fertile as non-smokers.
Smoking and your appearance
- Your skin. Quitting allows more oxygen and blood to the skin, and the yellow tint to your hands will also disappear
- Your breath. Your breath will no longer smell of cigarettes, and neither will your hair and clothes
- Improve the taste of food. Smoking may suppress your appetite, but it also kills your taste buds.
Treatments to help you quit smoking
There is no doubt that before you attempt to stop smoking, you have got to want to do it – this is the single most important part of quitting. Once you have taken that decision, treatments are available that can help you succeed and make the journey easier. Effective treatments such as Champix are available via prescription. Non-prescription medicines are also available from our online pharmacy
Prescription