In both The Netherlands as Belgium Nearly twenty thousand people die every year from the effects of smoking. This makes cigarettes by far the most important cause of death in both countries. So much for the bad news.
The good news? Quitting smoking leads to an endless array of health benefits. That in itself is of course nothing new, but with the new year in sight – and possibly with it a lot of good intentions – this may be the right time to delve deeper into this.
National Geographic therefore asked a number of experts what exactly happens to your body if you decide to give up tobacco for good – from the first smoke-free hours to many cigarette-free decades later.
Better heart rate and breathing
‘The first change occurs a few hours after the last cigarette: a reduction in heart rate,’ says pulmonologist Humberto Choi. ‘Also normalize the first few days up to three times higher (toxic!) carbon monoxide levels in the blood.’
The following weeks significantly improves lung function. Coughing decreases, breathing becomes easier and fitness improves. “Quitters are now actually starting to feel better,” says Choi. ‘The icing on the cake was a better sense of smell and taste in the months that followed – which many smokers did not even realize they had lost.’
Lower risk of heart attack or stroke
As the months turn into years, the quitter is rewarded with a dramatic reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as heart attack or stroke.
“The risk of this drops enormously, especially during the first two years,” says a cardiologist Marie Robertson from the American Heart Association. But the subsequent smoke-free years also continue to bear fruit. Once you reach the magical milestone of ten years, the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease increases dropped by 63 percent compared to fellow human beings who are still smoking.
The ultimate dot on the horizon for your heart and blood vessels? Robertson: ‘After twenty to thirty years, the risk of such diseases returns to the level of someone who has never touched a cigarette.’
Risk of cancer is much smaller
Also after ten years of quitting, the risk of cancer decreases significantly. ‘The risk of dying from lung cancer is then halved compared to smokers,’ says Farhad Islami from the American Cancer Society. According to Islami, other cancers related to smoking, such as head, neck or esophageal cancer, are also diagnosed within ten years. clean a lot more unlikely.
In recently published research Islami shows that twenty to thirty years after your last cigarette, the risk of dying from cancer reduces by ninety percent. And who stops before the age of 35that chance is again completely equal to that of a person who has never smoked.
“Ideally, you should ban cigarettes at a younger age,” says Islami. ‘But the health benefits are also significant for older people who quit – and are therefore absolutely worth it.’
Why is addiction so persistent?
Why is smoking so addictive in the first place? ‘The culprit is nicotine. After heroin and crack, the most addictive substance we know,” says addiction expert Rev. Yammine. ‘And that addiction has an effect on both a physical and behavioral level.’
So stopping is difficult, but absolutely possible. And never give up. Because a nicotine addiction is so persistent, it requires Quitting smoking permanently often takes several attempts. And the formula for success is different for every smoker.
While stopping abruptly is the key for some, others are forced to use medical aids. “Anyway, for those who need multiple tries, hang in there! See every attempt as a lesson in what can be done better next time,” Robertson concludes.
2023-12-29 14:31:15
#quitting #smoking #important #health #benefits
