Benefits After Quitting Smoking

Benefits After Quitting Smoking

Among the many health risks that toll life, smoking is considered as the most preventable cause of mortality. Globally, smoking has been one of the principal factors that lead to diverse type of diseases, such as cancer, coronary heart disease, lung disease, and many others. The number of smokers worldwide grows everyday, both in developed and developing countries. According to Karl Fagerstrom's Epidemiology of Smoking, from a 1995 estimate, the rate of smoking-related mortality will grow from 3 million to 10 million annually by 2030.

In response to the risks that smoking causes to the increasing number of smokers', many health organizations worldwide conduct different programs that are hoped to minimize and prevent people from smoking. This includes the provision of enough information on the effects of smoking to one's health, as well as information on how to quit from the smoking habit.

Many research and studies indicate that most of the adverse effects of smoking to our health are reversible. This is especially true to those who quit from smoking early in life. Compared to those who do not, the rate at which the health risks can become reversible is higher for the early quitters of smoking. With a smoker's participation, smoking cessation treatment is found to be cost effective. Sometimes, assistance from a professional counseling is also a part of cessation treatment. Although quitting early from smoking can present better benefits to one's health, quitting in middle age can still lessen smoking's healthcare risks.

The following sections of this paper will focus its discussion on the benefits after quitting from smoking. To present more detailed information of such benefits to one's health, comparisons between long-term and short-term smokers will also be discussed.

Health Benefits of Smoking Cessation

Quitting from smoking is very important. As countless of information have been disseminated by many health groups worldwide, by now every smoker should already know the negative effects of smoking to their health. This includes the different diseases that by far have been the causes of premature deaths globally. In the United States, for instance, one third of deaths from cancer are accounted to cigarette smoking (National Cancer Institute, 2000).

Knowing the harmful consequences of smoking is not enough for a smoker to be encouraged to stop smoking. They may already know what smoking habit tolls from them, and yet continue with that habit because they are unaware that the negative effects can be reversible should they quit smoking. In view of this, therefore, it is equally important that smokers should also know the benefits of smoking cessation. Following is a discussion of the several health areas that earn positive effects from smoking cessation.

Respiratory System

The first and most affected part of the body when a person smokes is his respiratory system. According to Robert Shubinski MD (1999), "Lung capacity declines with age more rapidly in smokers than in non-smokers." Smoking declines the functioning of our respiratory system that can lead to lung cancer risks and other type of pulmonary diseases. Quitting from smoking can save our respiratory system. In just a few months of smoking cessation, the functioning of the respiratory system can be improved by 5%. Constant abstinence reduces the risks of acquiring cancer.

Cardiovascular System

The risks of diseases to cardiovascular system associated with smoking decreases within one year of smoking cessation. Most particular to this is the coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. According to studies, the risks to these health problems become similar to that of non-smokers within 5 to 15 years of smoking cessation (Fagerstrom, 2002).

Gastrointestinal System

Compared to non-smokers, studies indicate that smokers have twice risks of acquiring gastrointestinal diseases such as gastric ulcers and pancreatic cancer. Comparing the prognosis to such diseases between smokers and non-smokers, it was found that smokers who stopped from smoking were have less gastrointestinal risks. In terms of mortality rate, there is a reduction in number among former smokers.

Reproduction and Growth

Smoking cessation lessens the risks in reproduction and growth problems. Especially in pregnancy, smoking can cause health and physical deficiencies to fetus. Moreover, it can lead to miscarriage and inability to reproduce.

Other Benefits

From the National Cancer Institute's FAQ online, the following are the other benefits of smoking cessation.

The health benefits of smoking cessation (quitting) are immediate and substantial. Almost immediately, a person's circulation begins to improve and the carbon monoxide (chemical carcinogen found in cigarettes) level in the blood begins to decline. A person's pulse rate and blood pressure, which are abnormally high while smoking, begin to return to normal. Within a few days of quitting, a person's sense of taste and smell return, and breathing becomes increasingly easier."

Short-term and Long-term Benefits

There are many benefits a smoker can get from quitting smoking. Such can be categorized as short-term benefits and long-term benefits. Short-term benefits are the immediate positive reaction of the body when not exposed to smoking. Such benefits though are temporary and may lose again once a smoker lights another cigarette. Long-term benefit, on the other hand, is the return of one's body into a healthy condition. Such type of benefit can be gradually achieved within a length of time that a former smoker can hold on to a discipline of not smoking. When smoking has been totally avoided, the association of most of the long-term benefits against smoking can become permanent.

Short-term Benefits

Decline in the level of carbon monoxide in the body, thus, improving the circulation of the body (National Cancer Institute, 2000).

For smokers who have heart diseases, smoking cessation can lessen vasoconstriction (Texas Medical Association, 2001).

Smoking cessation can bring back the normal pulse rate and blood pressure of a person. Smoking causes these to have abnormal rate and pressure. (National Cancer Institute, 2000).

Smoking cessation can allow the lungs to be cleansed by itself (The Cancer Coucil, 2003).

Long-term Benefits

American Lung Association provided the following list of long-term benefits of smoking cessation.

At 5 years:

from 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.