Stopping Smoking
Giving up smoking requires will power and determination but is easier with the right support and you're more likely to stay stopped if you have some support.…
Stop smoking successfully with support from your pharmacist
Deciding to quit smoking is a major decision and the first step to making a really
worthwhile lifestyle change and one which will have a major impact on your health
and general well-being for the rest of your life.
All the evidence to date shows that people who receive regular support and
advice throughout the quitting process are more likely to succeed, and one of
the most accessible sources of advice and support can be found just around the
corner in your local community pharmacy.
Hints and tips for stopping smokingCommunity pharmacists have been supporting patients in giving up smoking for decades. As well as being in a position to advise on the most appropriate form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), they will be able to share with you the benefit of their experience and provide you with many hints and tips to help you on your way such as:
Fix a date to give up and avoid periods when you have a busy...
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Health benefits of giving up smoking
- Your body will begin to repair itself as soon as you stop smoking –
and you’ll go on feeling the health benefits for the rest of your life.
- 20 minutes after stopping your blood pressure and pulse rate will return
to normal. Circulation improves in hands and feet, making them warmer.
- 8 hours after stopping nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in the blood will
be cut by half and oxygen levels will return to normal. Chances of heart attack
start to fall.
- 24 hours after stopping the level of carbon monoxide in your body will be that
of a non-smoker and your lungs will start to clear out mucus and other smoking
debris.
- 48 hours after stopping your body is becoming free of nicotine and your sense
of taste and smell is improving.
- 72 hours after stopping you should be breathing more easily. Airway passages
in the lungs begin to relax. Energy levels increase.
- 2-12 weeks after stopping your circulation is improving, making walking easier.
- 3-9 months after stopping your lung function has increased by up to 10%. That
means less coughing and wheezing and fewer breathing problems.
- 5 years after stopping your risk of having a heart attack is halved.