Saturday, October 2, 2010

Health Benefits of Not Smoking

If you are an addict and having trouble quitting smoking, considering the immense health benefits of not smoking can make your resolve stronger. A deadly addiction in the disguise of a great aphrodisiac, smoking causes extensive damage to your body. The nicotine and carbon monoxide that you intake with the cigarette smoke affects your respiratory tract the most. It coats your lung with soot and damages your lung tissue exposing you to the risk of cancer. Smoking is alone responsible for millions of deaths every year.

If you can make a resolution and stand by it, the health benefits of not smoking begin from the moment you throw away your last cigarette. As the levels of harmful chemicals go down in your circulation, your body would gradually begin to heal itself. However, quitting smoking is often accompanied by strong withdrawal symptoms. An addict may gain weight from fluid retention; experience sore and dry throat and tongue; and feel restless, short tempered, edgy, tired, or even excessively hungry. But these are just temporary symptoms, which are part of the body's process of getting rid of the nicotine.

The health benefits of not smoking are many and can be experienced over a period of time. Smoking causes the arteries of your heart to get hardened and narrowed, which increases the risk of formation of blood clots and leads to high blood pressure and several other coronary heart diseases. When you quit smoking, as the nicotine level starts falling, in a few minutes your pulse rate and blood pressure will come down to normal level. And within 24 hours the risk of a heart attack will get reduced by half. In the next few months your blood circulation will improve greatly leading to increased oxygen saturation and revitalization of damaged tissues. You can experience a significant change in yourself as your energy levels return to normal and your sinus congestion, coughing fits, and fatigue reduce considerably.

As smoking affects more or less all organs of your body, the health benefits of not smoking also include healing of your entire body. With a detoxed body, increased energy levels, and restored lung function, your fitness levels will improve greatly. The bouts of common cold and tonsillitis will also reduce. Quitting smoking also has a positive psychological impact. Your mood swings will reduce and you will experience an overall sense of well-being.

Benefits of not smoking also include restoration of fertility and prolonged childbearing age. By quitting smoking a pregnant mother can expect a healthy child. While chances of having bronchitis, emphysema, pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases decrease, the biggest health benefit of not smoking is that you can protect yourself from cancer.


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