BestQuitSmokingTip

Understanding the Benefits of Quitting Smoking

When you think of Sigmund Freud, chances are you think of his role in the development of psychology and psychiatry. In virtually every picture of Freud, you’ll see him holding a cigar. Since the health benefits of quitting smoking were unknown, Freud developed smoking-related cancer of the jaw; after several surgeries to remove most of his jaw, Freud died from this cancer.

Today we have information about smoking-related cancers and other illnesses, and the benefits of quitting smoking. We’re also well-informed about the dangers of second-hand smoke. Tobacco smoke is deadly, whether you actively inhale it or are exposed to it through other smokers.

Among the benefits of quitting smoking is reducing the risk of smoking-related cancers of the lungs, jaw, tongue, lymph nodes and esophagus. Even second-hand smoke can cause these cancers. It is primarily the tar content that causes cancer. The greatest benefit of quitting smoking is that you will not be putting tar, a toxic poison, into your body.

Some of the symptoms of cancer caused by tar-containing tobacco smoke are white spots on the tongue, lips, throat, gums, and jaw structure, deep, sputum-producing coughing spells, difficulty swallowing, recurring infections of the lymph nodes, and difficulty breathing. Another benefit of quitting smoking and reducing your exposure to second-hand smoke is that toxic tar won’t collect in your lungs, throat, and lymph nodes.

Asthma is a medical condition that causes a serious constriction of the airway passages, making it difficult, sometimes impossible, to breathe. Severe asthma can be fatal if it isn’t quickly treated with an inhaled steroid medication. Asthma is caused by, or worsened, by tobacco smoke, including second-hand smoke. If you suffer from asthma, one of the benefits of quitting smoking is that your asthma attacks can be significantly reduced or even eliminated. If you have a child with asthma, it’s imperative that you not expose him/her to your second-hand smoke or allow other smokers to do so.

If you have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) the benefits of quitting smoking are extremely important. COPD is the chronic obstruction of your airways; it can occur with emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or both of these disorders. Coughing, choking, and gasping for breath, and smoking-related cancer are symptoms of COPD. The primary cause of this illness is tobacco smoking. Thus, it is entirely preventable simply by not smoking. The benefit of quitting smoking for those with COPD is a lack or delay of progression of the disease e.g. lung damage. Unfortunately smoking-related COPD damage is irreversible and permanent. Although its symptoms can usually be treated, for people with severe, advanced COPD the survival prognosis is very poor.

Emphysema is a disease similar to COPD; it too causes serious airway obstruction, and often occurs along with COPD. The primary treatment for emphysema is to stop smoking and/or breathing second-hand smoke. The benefit of quitting smoking among emphysema sufferers, like COPD; progression of the disease is delayed, but the airway and lung damage is permanent and eventually fatal. With end-stage emphysema, a mechanical breathing machine is necessary unless the terminal patient has an advanced medical directive declining this treatment.

The benefits of quitting smoking are clear and in most cases, hopeful. However, years of exposure to tobacco smoke takes its toll in the form of terminal illness that could have been prevented. To reap these benefits of quitting smoking, make a plan today to stop smoking!