Why quit smoking – good reasons for living a healthier life

 

If you quit smoking, your appearance will improve as you reduce the signs of premature aging. These are mainly caused by the toxins in tobacco smoke. Most scientists and physicians also suspect that the skin becomes wrinkled quicker due to prolonged smoking, as it attacks the collagen. Teeth also suffer from cigarettes, as they discolor and become yellow. This happens over time due to nicotine, which is also associated with gum disease. In some cases, we even “owe” the drop of our teeth to tobacco. So when we get out of it, we can look forward to a healthier life, a better smile and a fresher breath. Cigarettes also affect your sensations of taste and smell, which tobacco chemicals block. So here is a list of very good reasons that might help you say good bye to cigarettes.

Why quit smoking?

If you quit smoking, you will refresh your natural skin color as your skin cells improve their general condition because they consume more oxygen and nutrients. It also improves the condition of the eyes, as chain smokers often have a red and tired look due to the fact that they are constantly exposed to smoke. People who are dry-eyed, for example, also feel better when they stop smoking. The rejection of cigarettes also leads to more body energy. Within a few weeks after leaving the bad habit, lung capacity will increase by up to 10%. When you stop smoking the levels of oxygen in the blood increase and the body will not get tired as quickly as before.

A study also showed that non-smokers are three times more attractive partners than smokers. Fertility and chances for a healthy baby are improved. What better reason to quit smoking? There is much evidence that inhaling tobacco smoke is toxic and carcinogenic. Burnt cigarettes contain lead, cyanide and ammonia as well as many other ingredients that can seriously damage our health and cause cancer. Reducing the number of cigarettes is beneficial for both smokers and the surrounding people. So here are some of the key arguments why you should quit smoking.

Improved taste

The smell and the bitter taste of a cigarette can override the taste of food. Smokers have less and less sensitive taste buds in their mouths than people who do not smoke. What would our life be if we could not fully enjoy the infinite variety and flavor of the food?

Better smelling clothes and hair

Cigarette smoke has a strong smell that causes our clothes and hair to stink long after a cigarette has gone out. Luckily, most public places, as well as bars and clubs, are nowadays non-smoking areas. So there is another plus for saying good bye to cigarettes.

Healthier family and friends

Secondhand smoke causes illness and premature death to children and adults who do not smoke. In particular, passive smoking can cause lung cancer, heart disease and respiratory infections to infants and children, as well as exacerbating existing asthma symptoms.

Healthier pets

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) lists tobacco smoke as a harmful pet poison based on many research studies. For example, one such study found that cats who live with smokers develop twice as many malignant lymphomas. Another study at Colorado State University showed a higher incidence of nasal tumors and sinus cancer in dogs living in a house with smokers.

More money for the budget

If smokers multiply the amount they spend each day on cigarettes by 365 (number of days per year), the sum can be quite surprising. Every year, that’s a lot of money that you could spend on other things like bills, hobbies, vacations, tuition, etc. And the health benefits of quitting smoking mean they will save money on health care in the future.

Stronger bones

Some research has shown a direct correlation between tobacco consumption and decreased bone density. Most studies on the effects of smoking also suggest that smoking increases the risk of fracture.

Better sleep

Every night, the body of a smoker gets rid of nicotine, which leads to insomnia. Smokers usually spend less time in deep sleep and more time half asleep than non-smokers.

Stop smoking for whiter teeth

The tar in cigarettes makes teeth yellow or brownish. If you stop smoking, the discoloration may no longer occur. Since our smile is a sign of the general condition, a healthy lifestyle without the inhalation of cigarette smoke contributes enormously to our good appearance.

Reduce risk of heart attack and stroke

Smokers die twice as often from heart attacks and have more strokes than non-smokers. One year after a person quits smoking, the risk of coronary heart disease is 50% less compared to that of a persistent smoker. Five to 15 years after quitting, the risk of stroke is reduced to that of a non-smoker.

Reduced risk of lung and other cancers

Smoking increases a person’s risk for many types of cancer, not just lung cancer. Ten years after quitting smoking, however, the lung cancer mortality rate is about half that of a persistent smoker. The poor prospects of oral, pharyngeal, bladder, cervix and pancreatic cancer also decrease after abandoning smoking.

Less wrinkles

As mentioned above, smoking can accelerate the aging process of a person’s skin, resulting in more wrinkles. Cigarettes affect the circulation of blood and damage the collagen and elastin, which give the skin firmness and elasticity.

Limited freedom

When a person wants to light a cigarette in a public area, he has to do that to a particular area, away from the events and from other people. Many federal states and cities have also banned smoking in public areas.

Better chances for dating and pregnancy

When your clothing and hair smell like cigarette smoke you make a very bad impression on the first date. Yellow teeth and fingers as well as the annoying cough, often caused by smoking, could make the chances for a second date disappear just as quickly. Smoking affects fertility and male potency. According to research, women are 40 percent less likely to get pregnant when they smoke. In addition, men who smoke cigarettes have a lower sperm count and more abnormal sperm than those who do not have toxins from the tobacco in their blood.

If you do not quit smoking the risk for potentially serious complications increases. Research shows that women who smoke during pregnancy are three times more likely to have a baby with a low birth weight. The more cigarettes are smoked during pregnancy, the greater the risk of neonatal perinatal mortality.

Better physical condition

Smoking adds carbon monoxide to the blood, which reduces the ability to carry oxygen. This means that the cells, the heart and the lungs of the body have lower oxygen supply. A reduction in the oxygen content makes it difficult to participate in sports or climbing stairs. This is why it is advisable not to inhale cigarette smoke before or after exercise.

Reduce coughing and wheezing

Many people who smoke suffer from excessive coughing and wheezing. One to nine months after quitting, these symptoms decrease and thus the respiratory distress is significantly lower. The cilia of the lungs, which are tiny hair-like structures, start to function properly again. These organs help with mucus, cleanse the lungs and reduce the risk of infection.

To be an example

Children often mimic what their parents and siblings do. Studies have shown that children of smokers are much more likely to become smokers themselves. However, when both parents quit smoking, the chances that their children smoke regularly fall by about 40 percent.

Healthy and long life

Based on the difference in life expectancy between smokers and non-smokers, each cigarette has a lifespan of 11 minutes. This is the time a person could spend in their golden years with family and friends. However, it is important for you to make the decision to quit smoking. Many people have mixed feelings about this. It is normal for you to find it difficult to quit smoking and continue to use tobacco.