Smoking a Health Risk for Adult Health

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Smoking a Health Risk for Adult Health

Chances are if you are smoking adult, you have been doing so since you were a young teenager. Most adult smokers today admit to picking up the habit as early as 15 years old. If you are around 35, that means you have been smoking over half of your life.

You might have started smoking because it was “cool.” On the other hand, it allowed you to fit in with the crowd, could be your favorite movie star smoked. No matter why you started, you know what the health risks are now and maybe it’s time to think about quitting the habit.

There are added smoking risks for young adults. Especially adults who want to start a family. Some important considerations in smoking or not smoking are the effect on getting pregnant, and the effects on the unborn child. Smokers have more difficulty conceiving than nonsmokers. They also have more miscarriages and their babies are smaller at birth.

Once children are born, if they are exposed to second hand smoke, they have more difficulties with breathing, asthma, and allergies. They also have more ear infections and colds than children of nonsmokers.

Men don’t have a free pass on fertility problems either. Male smokers have sperm that are more abnormal and a lower sperm count than nonsmokers. If you and your spouse are trying to have a family, it could be your smoking habits are contributing to the problem.

There are other advantages to giving up smoking. Nicotine leaves our body in two hours. The deadly chemical, carbon monoxide, leaves your bloodstream in about twelve hours. All other nicotine by-products are gone within the next two days, and in two months your healthy begins to improve. Your circulation to your arms and legs improve, and lungs begin improving in about three months. In a short time, your sense of taste and smell improves, your skin color gets better, and you lose that “stale tobacco” smell.

Finally, your chance of getting cancer and heart disease begins to fall.

One other good reason for giving up smoking is the cost of a pack of cigarettes. Tobacco prices are getting higher and many states are adding more taxes on tobacco products all the time.

You may think you are doing your body a favor by going to “light” cigarettes, or cutting down. There is no scientific proof that going light will cut your chances of getting a smoker related disease. A light smoker will inhale deeper, hold it in their lungs longer, and still take in the same amount of harmful chemicals. Smoking light cigarettes do not keep you from getting addicted.

How can you give up smoking? To prepare yourself for this change in lifestyle, prepare yourself in advance. Set a date to quit smoking. Gather all the information you can find about smoking and how to quit. A health professional can also help with advice and support.

Get rid of all your cigarettes before the day you picked to quit. Tell friends and family you are quitting, using reverse peer pressure can help you quit, the same as peer pressure started you on the smoking path. Remember, cravings for a cigarette only last for about 3-5 minutes and if you can avoid smoking during that time, the craving will fade. Avoid doing the activities or going to the places where you smoked. Stay away from other people who smoke, and avoid working areas where smoking is allowed.

Another tip is to avoid situations where you normally would smoke. If you are used to smoking after a meal, try taking your dog for walk. If you smoked while talking on the phone, go to a room where you don’t normally smoke. Just changing your routine can help you kick the smoking habit.

Withdrawal symptoms can make you feel bad for a while. You may find you are coughing more than when you smoked. That is a good sign; it shows your lungs are trying to get rid of the buildup in your lungs. Nicotine patches, or chewing gum can help decrease the withdrawal symptoms; these are available as an over-the-counter product you can find nearly everywhere.

You can kick the smoking habit by preparing yourself, enlisting the help of family and friends, and a lot of determination.