Stop smoking

Stop smoking

Stopping smoking can make drastic improvements to your lifestyle and health in many ways. Once you stop smoking, some of the benefits are immediate and some are longer-term.

Benefits to you:

  • You will save money.
  • Your sense of taste will return and you will enjoy the taste of food more.
  • Your breathing and general fitness will improve.
  • The appearance of the skin around your mouth, and teeth will improve.
  • You’ll be more confident in social situations because you won’t smell of stale smoke any more.
  • Your fertility levels will improve, along with your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Benefits to those around you:

  • You will no longer expose loved ones to second-hand smoke.
  • You will reduce the chances of your children suffering from bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma attacks, meningitis and ear infections.

Timeline of the benefits of quitting:

  • After 20 minutes – Blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal.
  • After 8 hours – Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in blood reduce by half and oxygen levels return to normal.
  • After 2 days – Carbon monoxide will be eliminated from the body. Lungs start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris. There is no nicotine in the body. Ability to taste and smell is greatly improved.
  • After 3 days – Breathing becomes easier. Bronchial tubes begin to relax and energy levels increase.
  • After 1-3 months – Your circulation improves.
  • After 3-9 months – Coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve as lung function increases by up to 10%.
  • After 5 years – Risk of heart attacks falls to about half compared with a person who is still smoking.
  • After 10 years – Risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker. Risk of heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked.

At the beginning of your programme you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire to highlight the reasons you smoke and to identify any smoking triggers. This will allow the doctor to focus your treatment at highest times of relapse risk.

The initial consultation is 30 minutes long and you will need to return for regular 10 minute appointments once a week to ensure your treatment is working.

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