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Smoking is a habit that is very hard to stop.
The
more you smoke, the lower your vital capacity. Vital capacity is
determined by measuring the amount of air you take in with each breath.
In the test you take a deep breath and then blow it out into a device
that tells your doctor the volume of air dispelled.
If you do not stop smoking, this limits your activity when your
lungs no longer expand enough to take in sufficient vital oxygen from
the air that has only about 19% to begin with.
Cigarette smokers
double their risk of heart attack. They are at even more risk from
sudden cardiac death. Stroke kills more young smokers than nonsmokers.
The
American Cancer Society said some years ago that when you stop smoking
in:
15 minutes:- Blood pressure, pulse rate, and body temperature
of hands and feet return to normal.
8 hours:- Carbon monoxide
level drop to normal and oxygen level increase to normal. Take note that
carbon monoxide is a deadly poison.
24 hours:- Heart attack risk
decreases. Isn’t that good to know?
Within 48 hours:- Nerve
endings start regrowing and your ability to smell and taste increases.
Did you know that cigarette smoking stops nerve growth?
2 weeks
to 3 months:- Circulation improves, walking is easier and lung function
increases up to 30%. Now, that is a great benefit, isn't it?
1 to
9 months:- Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath
decrease. Cilia regrow in the lungs with increased ability to handle
mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection.
It will take a
while if you have not stopped smoking a long time, but the relief must
be wonderful.
1 year:- Excess risk of heart disease is half that
of a smoker.
5 years:- Lung cancer death rate of a former
one-pack-a-day smoker decreases almost one-half. Risk of cancer of the
mouth, throat, and esophagus is half that of smokers. I've had Some
communities have stopped chewing tobacco companies from giving chewing
tobacco away at rodeos where it easily can get into the hands of
children. Can you think of anything worse than mouth cancer?
10
years:- The lung cancer death rate is the same as nonsmokers.
Precancerous cells are replaced. Risk of death from cancer of the mouth,
throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decrease.
15
years:- Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker. So now
you are back to normal.
Think about it.
If you put $600
dollars each year into a stock mutual fund, annuity, or other financial
instrument that generates 5% annually, you will have over twenty grand
after 20 years.
That is if you add it in one chunk each year. The
$600 figure assumes that you are spending $50 each month on cigarettes.
There
are those who are spending a lot more. You will have more if you invest
$50 monthly rather than saving until you get $600 at the end of the year.
And
all this because you stopped smoking.
Do not be taken in by
television ads that tell you to go to their site to learn how to stop
smoking. Television ads are used for two purposes. They either sale the
product or they enhance brand name recognition.
If you want to
stop smoking, stop watching television altogether
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