Central Peninsula Hospital | Pulse | Summer 2021 | 50th Anniversary Edition

BENEFITS QUITTING WHEN YOU GIVE UP SMOKING, THE PERKS ADD UP OVER TIME AFTER... 20 minutes Blood pressure and heart rate drop. 12 hours Carbon monoxide level in the blood returns to normal. 2 weeks to 3 months Lungs are working better. The risk of heart attack decreases. 1 to 9 months Respiratory problems have started to decrease. 2 to 5 years Risk of stroke can fall to about the same level as a nonsmoker. 1 year Excess risk of heart disease decreases to half that of a current smoker. 10 years The risk of dying from lung cancer declines to about 50% of that of a current smoker. 15 years The risk of heart disease is the same as that of a nonsmoker. Sources: American Cancer Society; American Heart Association; American Lung Association of ● Talk to your primary care provider about medicines that may make quitting easier, such as nicotine gums, patches and lozenges. ● Stock up on healthy and lower-calorie smoking substitutes—like carrots, celery, nuts and seeds, or sugarless gum—to munch on or chew when the urge to smoke or vape hits. ● Think about other things you can do to handle the need to smoke or vape. For example, do you usually light up after a meal? Take a short walk, sip a soothing tea or brush your teeth instead. If you’re having a tough time quitting, call a trusted friend who will support you. Or call a tobacco quitline, such as 800-QUIT-NOW ( 800-784-8669 ). Most of all, hang in there! Remind yourself that cravings and urges will get better as time goes by. The world is full of former smokers and vapers, and there is no reason why you can’t be one of them. Sources: American Cancer Society; American Heart Association; U.S. Surgeon General Turn your risks around There’s another list that’smuchmore encouraging: the benefits of giving up smoking. Check it out, along with the American Cancer Society’s guide to quitting smoking, at morehealth.org/quit4good . By quitting, your health risks decrease immediately and continue to diminish over time, no matter how long you’ve smoked. A tobacco quitline can also help you quit for good. Call 800-QUIT-NOW ( 800-784-8669 ). Brain. Blood clots that form in damaged arteries can travel to your brain and cause potentially fatal strokes. Heart. Smoking harms the cells lining the blood vessels and heart and can increase the risk of clots that cause heart attacks. Smoking can also contribute to an abdominal aortic aneurysm—the weakening of the major artery near the stomach. Bones and tendons. Smoking increases the risk for osteoporosis—weak bones—and fractures in both men and women. Overuse injuries, such as tendinitis, and traumatic injuries, such as sprains, are also more likely among smokers, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. PULSE Summer 2021 5