Whether you’ve been smoking for years or haven’t been addicted to the habit for very long, you know at least some of the health risks that are involved. Smoking can increase your risk of lung diseases like bronchitis and emphysema, and if you’re already an asthma sufferer, smoking can worsen the condition. If you develop COPD, you are about 12 times more likely to die from it than someone who doesn’t smoke. Smoking also has a negative effect on your vision, and deprives your skin of antioxidants, which accelerates the aging process.
Since you started smoking, you may have also noticed that your nails have darkened, it’s hard to get the unpleasant odor of cigarette smoke out of your pores and clothing, and your teeth are beginning to yellow. If you are a smoker, there’s a good chance that a loved one has encouraged you to quit. You may have even tried to be smoke-free a few times only to pick the habit up again later. Whether you want to stop smoking as a personal health goal or you want to make this lifestyle change for your children or relatives, there are several benefits you can look forward to once you stop smoking. Here are seven reasons why you should do your best to become an ex-smoker.
1. More Energy
You’ll find that you’re more energetic once you become a non-smoker. This is because kicking the habit improves blood circulation, which makes it easier for you to take walks or work out without getting fatigued quickly. You may also discover that you don’t get colds or the flu as often, since quitting smoking improves the function of your immune system. Once you have renewed energy, you may be more motivated to accomplish some of the goals you’ve been putting off due to fatigue, like getting into shape or beginning an artistic project that relaxes you and allows you to show your creativity.
You may also notice that your love life improves, since you blood will circulate efficiently through the body. If you’re ready to get back into the dating scene, you may be in luck — studies show that people are three times more attracted to non-smokers than smokers.
2. Easier Breathing
You may find that it’s easier to take deep breaths after you quit using cigarettes. According the Lung Institute, your blood pressure will go down the first day your stop smoking and the carbon monoxide in your body will be reduced to healthy levels, which can make breathing easier. Your lungs start to function better after the first month of being smoke-free, which can also make for healthy circulation. After about nine months, you’ll be less susceptible to lung infections, since your lung’s cilia will start working well again. You should also see a huge reduction in shortness of breath and coughing at this point. As the years go on, your chances of getting lung, throat or mouth cancer will decrease, which can help you breathe better both physically and mentally.
3. Less Stress
Smoking may have been your way of coping with stress, since it’s likely that you’ve felt anxious or in a bad mood in between cigarettes. This is because your body was having nicotine withdrawals, and the withdrawal feels the same as other forms of stress. This leads your brain to believe that you need more nicotine to ease your stress. However, studies have shown that your stress level will likely reduce once you quit smoking.
4. Fertility Improvement
If you’ve been trying to have children, your fertility may have been affected by your smoking habit. The lining of the womb because more susceptible to sperm after you become a non-smoker, and if you’re a man, your sperm will be more potent once you’ve given up the habit. Making sure that you’ve been smoke-free for a few months before attempting to get pregnant and remaining cigarette-free throughout your pregnancy also increases the chances that your baby will be healthy.
5. Improve Senses
It’s likely that your senses of taste and smell will be more pronounced when you stop smoking. The toxins that are abundant in cigarettes have a tendency to dull your senses, so food and beverages will likely have a richer taste when you’re a non-smoker, and you can enjoy some of your favorite aromas with ease.
6. Healthier Skin
When you kick the habit, you’ll improve the health of your skin by reducing and preventing wrinkles. The harmful chemicals in cigarettes keep antioxidants from shielding your skin from free radicals, and this could lead to premature aging. It will be easier for you to get more oxygen and nutrients in the skin after you give up cigarettes, which can correct the sallow, rugged appearance of the skin that often comes with smoking.
7. Longer Life
Finally, becoming an ex-smoker can lengthen your lifespan. About 50% of people who smoke pass away prematurely from diseases that are related to the habit. When you smoke, you’re more susceptible to chronic bronchitis, heart disease and lung cancer. These conditions can not only shorten your life, but can significant reduce your quality of life as well. The University of Toronto also conducted a study that revealed that people who smoke are 50% less likely to live to the age of 80 than those who have never smoked. Men who stop smoking by the time they are 30 will increase their life expectancy by a decade.
Smokers of both genders who give up cigarettes between the ages of 45 and 54 can live up to six years longer than they would have if they continued smoking. Even if you wait until you’re 60 to quit smoking, you’ll still be adding to your lifespan by three years. So, no matter when you decide to give up the habit, there’s a good chance that you’ll live longer than if you continued to smoke. This is a benefit that both you and your loved ones can look forward to when you remove cigarettes from your life.
