Smoke Signals

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My husband and I have been together for almost 20 years, and he has smoked that entire time. He has, unsuccessfully, tried to quit 3-4 times in the last two years. He even tried GreenSmoke the last time. As of the New Year, he is trying again. I sincerely hope he succeeds, as he's 41 years old, doesn't exercise, and craves cheeseburgers. My own personal health project :)

Anyway, I try (probably unsuccessfully) NOT to nag him about quitting smoking, but I worry about him. I don't want to outlive him. I love him dearly, and smoking is so dangerous to a person's health. And, the longer you smoke, the worse those risks can become, especially when it comes to the biggies...cancer and heart disease.

Did you know? For every cigarette you smoke, you increase your risk of lung cancer by 50-100%.

My sister used to smoke, and studied as a respiratory therapist. I remember how impacted she was when she actually saw a smoker's lung. It took her a long time, but she finally quit. For good.

The BAD News

We all know that smoking can make you look older, causes you to smell bad, and stains your teeth and fingers. I learned that in middle school. We also know that smoking is preventable, both a physical AND psychological addiction, and causes almost half a million deaths per year in the U.S. alone. Ouch. What we may not know is that smoking can also:

• increase the time it takes your body to heal/recover after injury
• lower oxygen in the blood, raise blood pressure, and increase heart rate
• reduce bone density in your body(osteoporosis)
• affect your sense of smell and sense of taste, significantly
• cause significant, negative changes in your reproductive system

men: lower sperm count, reduce sperm mobility, lower fertility risk, may cause impotence, sperm deformity, and changes in hormone levels

women: reduce fertility, risk of early menopause, raise risk of cervical cancer, and may cause menstrual irregularities

• affect your pregnancy, unborn child, and birth, if you're pregnant
• irritate stomach, intestines, trachea, and larynx
• (cigarette smoke) have as many as 7,000 different chemicals
• cause stroke, aneurysms, cataracts, asthma, infections, emphysema, among other diseases
• lower immunity and deplete your body of valuable nutrients, especially Vitamin C

More evidence that smoking can damage your health...
(not really, but laughter is great medicine)

The GOOD News

HEATLH BENEFITS after you quit smoking (from Wikipedia)...

• after 20 minutes, blood pressure and heart rate decrease
• after 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood decrease to normal
• after 48 hours, nerve endings and sense of smell and taste both start recovering
• after 3 months, circulation and lung function improve
• after 9 months, there are decreases in cough and shortness of breath
• after 1 year, the risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half
• after 5 years, the risk of stroke falls to the same as a non-smoker, and the risks of many cancers (mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix) decrease significantly
• after 10 years, the risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half, and the risks of larynx and pancreas cancers decrease
• after 15 years, the risk of coronary heart disease drops to the level of a non-smoker 

NOTE: Because smoking is an addiction, withdrawal symptoms may occur for up from day 1 up to several weeks after you stop smoking. Headaches, insomnia, restlessness, weight gain, agitation, dizziness, depression, anxiety, perspiration, lack of focus/concentration, and fatigue are all common symptoms.

Warmly, and with hope,

Selected Resources: cancer.gov, betterheatlh, smoking-cessation, ucanquit2.org