Ladies, do you still have a smoking habit? If so, maybe you need to reconsider your choice. As stated on every cigarette pack, smoking is an act that is dangerous to health. It can trigger lung problems, cancer, heart attacks, impotence, blood diseases, emphysema, stroke, and pregnancy disorders.
Quitting the smoking habit is not an easy thing. However, here are some health benefits you can get if you stop smoking and replace it with other positive things.
You will immediately feel the benefits.
There is no safe limit for smoking. When you smoke, the chemical content in cigarettes will immediately reach the lungs with every puff, and the blood will distribute the poison to all organs in the body.
Here are some of the benefits that you will immediately notice when you decide to quit smoking:
- Food will taste better
- The sense of smell will return to normal
- Your breath, clothes, and hair will smell better
- Teeth and nails will stop yellowing
- Breathing will be more regular when on the move
- Quitting smoking also helps stop appearance damage, such as skin wrinkling, cavities, and gum damage.
Long term benefits
Smokers who stop smoking before age 40 can reduce their risk of premature death from smoking by up to 90%. You can control your health by stopping and avoiding smoking. Over time the body will heal itself and keep you from the risk of several diseases, including at least 13 types of cancer.
Here are a few of the benefits of quitting smoking on the body in the long term:
- Quitting smoking will reduce the risk of developing cancer, such as stomach, pancreatic, liver, cervical, and colon cancer, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of blood cancer.
- Quitting smoking also reduces the risk of diabetes, improves blood vessel performance, and is good for heart and lung health.
- When you stop smoking, you also protect those closest to you from the dangers of secondhand smoke and set an example of a healthy lifestyle without smoking.
Changes in the body over time
To be more precise about the health benefits of quitting smoking, here are the changes that occur in the body from time to time after we decide to quit smoking:
- 20 minutes after quitting smoking: heart rate and blood pressure will drop.
- A few days after quitting smoking: Carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal.
- 2 weeks - 3 months after quitting smoking: oxygen circulation in the body improves, and lung performance gradually improves.
- 1 - 12 months after quitting smoking: coughing and shortness of breath will decrease. The function of the tiny hairs in the lungs returns to normal so they can handle mucus, clean the lungs and reduce the risk of infection.
- 1 - 2 years after quitting smoking: the risk of heart attack drops significantly.
- 5 - 10 years after quitting smoking: the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, and vocal cords is halved. The risk of stroke is also reduced.
- 10 years after quitting smoking: the risk of lung cancer is halved compared to active smokers. The risk of bladder, esophageal, and kidney cancer is also reduced.
- 15 years after quitting smoking: the risk of coronary heart disease falls to near normal (non-smoker risk).
When the body is repairing itself, you may feel worse than improving. However, remember that repairing the body damaged by years of smoking also requires a lot of time. Stop smoking slowly and replace it with other positive activities. By quitting smoking, we love our bodies and protect our loved ones.
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Sources:
Redaksi Sehat Negeriku. (2018). Peringatan Kesehatan Bergambar di Kemasan Rokok Diperbaharui. Kementerian Kesehatan. [online]. https://sehatnegeriku.kemkes.go.id/baca/rilis-media/20180531/1826040/peringatan-kesehatan-bergambar-kemasan-rokok-diperbaharui/
Medical and Editorial Content Team. (2020). Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking Over Time. American Cancer Society. [online]. https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/benefits-of-quitting-smoking-over-time.html#written_by