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When you’re a smoker, quitting smoking can be a daunting prospect. Many smokers worry about how they’ll cope with quitting, with some unsure of which tools to use to help them get started, but while giving up smoking can be difficult, it comes with many benefits. If you’re thinking of quitting smoking, you may be interested in looking at the benefits you can expect throughout your journey, and that’s where this guide comes in. We’ll cover everything you want to know about the benefits of quitting smoking and why you should give quitting smoking a go today.
When Do You First See The Benefits?
When breaking any bad habit, not seeing the benefits quickly enough can be demoralising and can often lead to people slipping back into the habits they’re trying to break. However, when it comes to smoking, while you may not be able to see the benefits immediately, your body will begin experiencing them after the first 20 minutes. This is because when you smoke, your heart rate increases, and it begins to return to normal at the end of each cigarette or roll-up.
When it comes to the benefits you can feel, you won’t have to wait long. After 48 hours, there will no longer be any carbon monoxide in your body, which could lead to an improved sense of smell and taste. You will also find that you are able to breathe much more easily after three days of leaving tobacco products behind.
What Products Should You Use?
Traditionally, nicotine patches were all that you could use to help alleviate the symptoms of cravings while you quit smoking, but for many people, this didn’t help with physical habits. Many smokers still need something to simulate the action of smoking during the process of quitting, and this is where vaping comes in. Vaping has become a popular tool to help smokers quit cigarettes and roll-ups for good. With a variety of vaping devices and multiple flavours of e-juice to suit every person, it comes as no surprise that vaping has become the most popular method of quitting.
Additionally, you can control the nicotine content and how often you use the device you choose. As you make progress on your quitting journey, you will be able to lower the nicotine steadily until you no longer need it. Once you reach this point, you may still need to vape for the physical habit, but it will be much easier to break this than if you were tackling it all at once.
Reasons why you should be quitting smoking
Losing Weight
Some people gain weight when they quit smoking, but others actually lose weight, and this is thought to be a result of a larger lifestyle change as quitting smoking typically goes hand in hand with changing your diet or exercising. As you begin to breathe more deeply after the first three days of quitting smoking, you’ll also find that you have more energy to dedicate to other interests, including spending more time outdoors, hitting the gym, or simply playing with your family. All of these activities will increase how much you are moving, which will lead to an increase in losing weight.
Lower Cancer Risk
When you smoke, you are at an increased risk of cancer, and many people assume this doesn’t change when you quit smoking. However, your risk of cancer lowers as your body begins to heal itself from the damage done during the time you were a smoker. Although you will still have a higher risk than someone who has never smoked, over time, your risk will lower significantly.
Reduced Risk Of Disease
As well as cancer, when you smoke you are also a risk for a range of other diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and lung disease. When you quit, your lungs and heart will begin the slow process of repairing themselves, which will reduce your risk of contracting heart or lung disease. Additionally, the damage to the cells in your brain, which puts you at risk of stroke as well as other conditions, will heal, and this also improves your cognitive functions leading to improved performance in your daily life and at work.
Improved Lung Capacity
Healthy lungs are vital if you want to lead an active lifestyle even as you reach old age. As smoking reduces your lung capacity, when you quit, you will notice quickly how much better you can breathe. The healing process is a slow one, but after nine months without smoking, your lung capacity will have improved by at least 10%, which will make it easier to exercise and take part in physical activities.
Better Oral Health
It’s no secret that smoking damages your mouth and can leave you with bad breath. So, when you quit smoking, the first thing you will notice is how fresh your breath is throughout the day. Your dentist should also be able to keep you updated on the health of your mouth, and as the damage heals, they won’t need to see you as often.
Additionally, many smokers notice bleeding in their gums when they first quit; this is typically due to how smoking restricts the blood vessels, which means you may not notice if you have the signs of gum disease until after you stop smoking. In this case, your dentist will be able to explain how you can treat the problem before it becomes irreversible.
Improved Senses
You may not notice it when you’re smoking, but using cigarettes and roll-ups leads to less acute senses, specifically your sense of smell and taste. When you stop smoking, your senses will begin to recover, and you will notice how certain foods once seemed bland and tasteless are more delicious than you remember. You may have a love for candles, but as a smoker, you most likely needed stronger scents to be able to enjoy them. Once you quit smoking, you may notice that your current candles are almost overpowering, but at least this gives you the chance to shop for some more and experience a whole new world of different candles.
Higher Energy Levels
When you stop smoking, your circulation improves, which is why as the toxins leave your body, you may find yourself feeling like you’ve had a shot of espresso when all you’ve done is wake up in the morning. This increase in your circulation will make performing physical activities easier, which means when you try going for a walk, hitting the gym, or playing a little football with your children in the back garden, it won’t be as difficult.
Increased Immunity
As well as higher energy levels when your circulation improves, you’ll also find you don’t get sick as often. Improved circulation also benefits your immune system, which is why you will be able to fend off colds and the flu better than you did as a smoker. You will no longer have to fear every cough or sneeze that comes from your work colleagues during the colder winter months as your body will have a better defence.
Better Sex Life
Another benefit of your improved circulation is that you can enjoy an increase in your sensitivity, which will provide you with a better sex life. As well as more pleasurable intimacy with your significant other, this will also benefit men who have been struggling with erectile dysfunction. Smoking is one of the leading external causes of this condition, and when you give up smoking, you may find that the problem resolves itself. Of course, smoking is not the only cause, and if you are finding this is a recurring issue in the bedroom, speak to your doctor as soon as possible as they will be able to advise treatments and lifestyle changes that can help.
