In both the Netherlands and Belgium, almost twenty thousand people die every year due to the consequences of smoking. This makes cigarettes by far the leading cause of death in both countries. So much for bad news.
The good news? Quitting smoking brings an endless array of health benefits. This in itself is obviously nothing new, but with the new year ahead – and perhaps with it many good intentions – this might be the right time to delve deeper into the matter.
National Geographic therefore asked some experts what exactly happens to your body if you decide to give up tobacco permanently, from the first hours without smoking until many decades later without cigarettes.
Better heart rate and breathing
“The first change occurs a few hours after the last cigarette butt: a decrease in heart rate,” says pulmonologist Humberto Choi. “In the first few days, carbon monoxide levels in the blood also normalize, up to three times higher (toxic!).”
In the following weeks, lung function improved significantly. Coughing decreases, breathing becomes easier and physical fitness improves. “People who quit now actually start to feel better,” Choi says. “The icing on the cake was an improvement in smell and taste in the following months, which many smokers didn’t even realize they had lost.”
Lower risk of heart attack or stroke
As months turn into years, those who quit are rewarded with a dramatic reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as heart attack or stroke.
“The risk of this decreases tremendously, especially during the first couple of years,” says cardiologist Marie Robertson of the American Heart Association. But even the subsequent smoke-free years continue to bear fruit. Once you reached the magical ten-year mark, your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease dropped by 63% compared to people who still smoke.
The latest thing on the horizon for your heart and blood vessels? Robertson: “After twenty or thirty years, the risk of such diseases returns to the level of someone who has never touched a cigarette.”
The risk of cancer is much lower
Furthermore, after suspension for ten years the risk of cancer decreases significantly. “The risk of dying from lung cancer is therefore halved compared to smokers,” says Farhad Islami of the American Cancer Society. According to Islami, other smoking-related cancers, such as head, neck or esophageal cancer, are also diagnosed within ten years. clean much more unlikely.
In recently published research, Islami shows that twenty or thirty years after the last cigarette, the risk of dying from cancer is reduced by ninety percent. And if you quit before age 35, your chances are about the same as a person who has never smoked.
“Ideally, you should ban cigarettes at a young age,” Islami says. “But the health benefits are also significant for older people who quit smoking – and so it’s totally worth it.”
Why is addiction so persistent?
First, why is smoking so addictive? «The nicotine is to blame. After heroin and crack, it is the most addictive substance we know,” says addiction expert Luba Yammine. “And this addiction has an effect on both a physical and behavioral level.”
So stopping is difficult, but absolutely possible. Never give up. Because nicotine addiction is so persistent, quitting smoking permanently often requires several attempts. And the formula for success is different for every smoker.
While for some the key is to stop abruptly, others are forced to resort to medical aids. “Anyway, for those who need more tries, hang in there! Treat each attempt as a lesson in what can be done better next time,” concludes Robertson.
2023-12-29 14:31:15
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