8 Reasons To Give Up Smoking

If you’re a smoker, there is no doubt you will have been told how bad it is for you. Your friends and family will be worried for your health, and they will have asked – perhaps begged – you to stop. Yet despite these things, you may find it difficult to do so. It isn’t easy; nicotine is an addictive drug, and it is one of the major components of cigarettes. Once you start and form the habit, it can feel impossible to quit. It’s not impossible though, and with the right help and the right information, everyone can do it.

You need to quit for yourself, though, and not (just) for other people. If that’s what’s holding you back, here are some excellent reasons to give up smoking and become a healthier, happier you.

You Smell Like Smoke
Even if you don’t notice it anymore, if you’re a smoker, you smell like smoke. It’s not something you can hide, and it’s not a smell that other people, especially if they are non-smokers, enjoy. No matter where you go the odor of cigarettes goes with you, not just in your clothes but in your hair and your skin too. It can affect your breath in a negative way as well.

You Lose Your Sense Of Smell And Taste
You can’t smell the smoke and other chemicals that are lingering on you, but that’s not the only thing you can no longer smell. When you smoke, your senses – most noticeably smell and taste – are adversely affected. This means that smokers can’t appreciate the taste of great food (or any food) anymore. They can’t differentiate different flavors quite as well as a non-smoker would be able to. Although this may not be the worst thing that can happen to you, it is robbing you of taking full enjoyment in everything life can offer you, all because of the cigarettes you are smoking.

Premature Aging
No one likes the thought of getting older – many of us try to put it out of our minds as much as possible. When you are a smoker, this is a harder task. That’s because smoking ages you prematurely. The skin becomes full of toxins, which destroys the collagen within in. This means it is no longer as elastic as it once was, and is how wrinkles form. Not only that, but the very action of drawing in the smoke from the cigarette will also cause many wrinkles around the mouth.

Smoking will also make your eyes look dull, your skin seem sallow and even yellow colored, and your teeth with be stained too. You will look much older than your years, and this is yet another excellent reason to give up smoking altogether – your body has the most amazing capacity to heal itself given enough time.

Impotence
Something that no one likes to talk about but that can certainly affect men who smoke more than those who don’t is impotence. Smoking affects the way that blood can get around your body, narrowing blood vessels. Since blood vessels need to dilate in order for men to gain an erection, if they are damaged or not working due to smoking, then that man will suffer from impotence.

It is an issue that can be fixed, however. You can search online to find out more about medication that can help, and if you also quit smoking you should be able to get back to normal and regain your confidence in the bedroom and in your life in general too.

Increased Chance of Infection
There are many health risks associated with smoking cigarettes, but one that isn’t as well-known as the others is that when you smoke, you are leaving yourself open to an increased chance of infection. That means you are much more likely to catch colds and come down with the flu, and that can affect your working life and personal life – not to mention the fact that you’ll generally feel unwell a lot of the time, particularly during the winter months.

Why does this happen? It’s because when you smoke, the cilia (tiny hairs that are found lining the respiratory tract) which are supposed to catch the viruses and bacteria before they can do you much harm are paralyzed. They can’t do their job, and your body is left open to these illnesses. When you quit, it only takes a month before the cilia are back to working at their full strength.

Less Physically Able
Over time, a smoker will become less physically able than a non-smoker would. They won’t be able to breathe as easily, which means that sports and other physical activities become more difficult; this could even extend to something as simple as walking or climbing stairs. The lungs and heart of a smoker have to work much harder, leaving them open to damage.

Your Health
Of course, the biggest reason to give up is your health. We’ve already mentioned some of the problems that smoking can cause, but when it comes to disease, cigarettes really do cause lots of potentially fatal problems including:
• Many forms of cancer including lung and mouth
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Asthma and other lung diseases
• Stroke

The Cost
Even if the health implications aren’t worrying for smokers, the cost could be an excellent reason to quit altogether. Smoking is not a cheap habit, with the average pack of cigarettes costing over $5 (although in some states this can be a lot higher, perhaps as much as $10). Add up how many packs you smoke per week and you’ll see that you are spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on cigarettes each year; you are literally burning your money and seeing no reward – there are only downsides to smoking.

When you give up, put the money you would have spent on cigarettes to one side. Use it for something exciting or important such as a vacation or vehicle, or even just a trip out somewhere. When you realize that you could be putting your money to better use, you will be less keen to light up.

It makes so much sense to stop smoking for all kinds of reasons; the best time to start is right now.