Smoking is bad for you. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Decades of research, anecdotal evidence, and lab work, all show that smoking is bad for you. We understand that quitting isn’t easy and that it takes a toll. We also understand that there is a certain amount of pleasure you might get from smoking. But, it stands to reason that quitting is the best thing you can do for yourself.
Fewer and fewer New Zealanders are smokers as time goes on. This unpopularity mostly stems from people becoming more educated on just how bad smoking is. However, there should also be more talk about just how beneficial quitting can be. If you approach quitting cigarettes as a way to gain something good, instead of losing something fun, then you will definitely find it easier to do so. Read on to find out what are the core benefits you gain from quitting smoking.
Healthier respiratory system
The organs that are most used for smoking are also those that suffer the greatest deal of damage. No matter what state your lungs were in before you started smoking, they will definitely become stronger after you stop. You will have a much larger lung capacity if you quit. Furthermore, you will have less bronchial sensitivity.
You will notice, quite quickly, that you will have far less issue climbing up and downstairs. After several weeks you will get less winded when doing most physical activities, even if you didn’t improve your diet or start working out more. Finding a way to quit smoking will improve your life greatly.
Your nose and throat will also get better. You will notice fewer and fewer throat infections and your tonsils will become healthier. Quitting smoking means you will greatly decrease the risk of developing throat and lung cancer. Furthermore, any cold or respiratory infection you get will be far milder once you stop smoking. It will go away sooner, and its symptoms will be much weaker.
Improved cardiovascular system
Nicotine leads to vasoconstriction, the narrowing of your veins. This obviously hinders your cardiovascular system (as well as most other functions in your body). Nicotine is also a toxin that spreads through your body. You basically end up with veins that are much worse at their job, veins that have issues efficiently delivering nutrients and oxygen around your body, and which have greater difficulty removing toxins.
Better circulation means skin that is cleaner, more elastic, and a nicer, rosier completion. Your risk of getting a heart attack will also be significantly lowered, as will any other type of heart disease.
Greater peace of mind
The many issues that are tied to smoking are becoming clearer with each passing day. The effects it has on our minds and bodies are evident. And awareness is growing. More and more people are quitting smoking completely, and coffee shops and bars are getting less and less smoker-friendly. Furthermore, vape stores are opening up, and more and more people are replacing cigarettes with healthier, less damaging alternatives.
One of these mental benefits is that people often use cigarettes as a crutch. They don’t know what to do with their hands, they are anxious, and it’s difficult to stay alone with their thoughts. Instead of avoiding stressful situations and thoughts with smoking, quitting will force you to deal with them. It will also force you to find another source of stress relief, quickly.
Better smell and taste
One of the benefits quitting smoking offers that few people talk about is the improvement in your senses of smell and taste. Namely, your taste buds and nose nerve receptors will regenerate once you quit. This is a very quick process, taking somewhere between 24 to 72 hours. Namely, the constant ash and smoke, along with the chemicals within, deadens your sense of taste and smell.
Stronger immune system
Quitting smoking helps your immune system in two ways. It gives your body something of a break, as well as helping your cilia regrow and regenerate.
Namely, when you smoke, you destroy and damage the cilia, tiny structures in your lungs that serve as filters. They help with removing toxins and pollutants when you breathe in. Smoking overworks them, it attacks them directly and severely. In this manner, you lose one of your core lines of defense against germs and bacteria. The cilia assist you in dealing with colds, and other respiratory issues.
Secondly, your immune system will also become stronger in general. When smoking, your body constantly processes and regulates the poison found in cigarettes. It’s a never-ending battle of you inhaling smoke, tar, ash, nicotine, and your body fighting all of this, trying to stay healthy. Quitting smoking is basically removing an enemy your immune system fights on a daily business.
However, we should point out that the actual process of quitting smoking will tax your body to a greater or lesser degree. More seasoned smokers will have more difficulty overcoming withdrawal. Fever-like symptoms are common, and the emotional stress will also fatigue you. Furthermore, some people report a cough that lingers for some time, even several months after quitting. This is basically the cilia getting rid of the toxins that have been building up for years within your lungs.
Conclusion
The most important part of quitting smoking is changing your mindset. If you start thinking about a way you’re going to gain something in your life, as something that will improve it, then you will definitely have an easier go at it. Quitting smoking isn’t just losing a source of pleasure in your life – it’s also you gaining more. You will get sick less often, you will feel more energy and joy for life. No cigarettes mean less stress on your mind, and on your body. So, overcome those initial difficult steps, and you will definitely be good to go.
Comments 2