Smoking - Bad for the heart and lungs
		Kick the habit!

1. Smoking increases the risk of coronary artery disease, increases levels of "bad cholesterol", and can increase the risk of heart attack.



2. Smoking also increases the risk for lung diseases and cancer.



3. Patients who have both heart and lung disease may not be able to take some of the medications used to treat chronic angina.



4. Nicotine is addictive, so kicking the habit can be difficult. If at first you don't succeed, try again.

People who smoke may do so for different reasons. When feeling nervous or stressed, lighting up may seem to give a sense of calm. People who are overweight may sometimes rely on smoking to curb their appetite. At the same time, it's hard to ignore the drawbacks. Smoking is an expensive habit, and you may sometimes feel that smoking is controlling your life.

Smoking - Bad for the heart and lungs

As the years go by, though, smokers often find themselves battling a range of serious — and often preventable — diseases. Smoking increases your risk of developing coronary artery disease. It can increase levels of "bad cholesterol" (coronary artery disease. It can increase levels of "bad cholesterol" (LDL), lower levels of "good cholesterol" (HDL), and it may promote injury to the lining of artery walls.¹ It can also cause arteries already partially blocked by plaque due to atherosclerosis to tighten, further decreasing the flow of oxygen-rich blood to tissues. What's more, smoking can increase your chances of having a heart attack. Read more in Coronary Artery Disease.

Smoking is also a major contributor to lung diseases, such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and lung cancer. Unfortunately, many patients have heart and lung disease at the same time, a situation that can complicate medical treatment. For example, some patients with chronic angina may take drugs called beta-blockers to help prevent angina pain or discomfort. But if they also have lung disease, beta-blockers may cause unwanted effects, such as increased breathing problems or spasms of the airways leading into the lungs. If you have both heart and lung disease, talk with your doctor about which medications may be right for you.

Kick the habit!

Eventually, the negative aspects of smoking may encourage you to quit but you still worry that you won't really be able to kick the habit. People share many reasons for continuing to smoke: a strong physical dependence on nicotine, fear of weight gain, and increased anxiety and irritability.

Because nicotine is addictive, giving up smoking can be quite difficult. But each year, 1.3 million smokers in the U.S. succeed, according to the American Heart Association, and many of them don't do it on the first try.² According to the National Cancer Institute, many smokers make two or three attempts before they succeed in quitting.³ So it pays to keep trying.

Some tips to help you get started on a smoke-free life:

• Choose a good time to stop smoking. You're less likely to succeed if you try to quit during the holidays or when you're dealing with a lot of stress, such as a big work deadline or family crisis.



• Commit yourself to a stop date. Once you pick a date, make a list of all the reasons for quitting that are important to you. Review this list every so often to stay motivated.⁴



• Talk to your doctor about nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine is an addictive substance. As a result, those who stop smoking may have withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, trouble concentrating, headaches, drowsiness, and stomach upset. To cope with these symptoms and cravings, smokers may temporarily use nicotine replacement products, such as nicotine patches, gum, nasal sprays, or inhalers. Some of these products are available over the counter, while others require a prescription. Doctors may also prescribe a non-nicotine pill to help smokers quit.⁵ Ask your physician or pharmacist if any of these products might work for you.



• Don't fall for "low-tar, low-nicotine" cigarettes. Nicotine is so addictive that even if you choose these seemingly "better" options, you may just end up inhaling longer and harder to get the same effect that you had with regular cigarettes. The best choice is to stop smoking completely.



• Don't substitute other tobacco products for cigarettes. Cigars, pipes, and smokeless (chewing) tobacco can be just as harmful to your health.



• Change your environment. Rid yourself of all cigarettes and ashtrays in your house, workplace, and car. Don't hang around other smokers, and don't let anyone smoke in your home. If drinking alcohol makes you want to smoke, try to stop using alcohol.



• Join up with other smokers who want to break the habit. You can find a referral to a local smoking cessation program or support group through your doctor, community hospitals, or local health agencies. Such programs can give you ideas for changing your behavior. For example, maybe you always light up at the table after dinner. But now you can replace that habit by training yourself to get up right away and go for a short evening walk. Ask family, friends and colleagues to help you stay the course. You may even want to invite a friend or relative to quit with you.



• Find ways to distract yourself. Instead of fingering a cigarette, keep your hands busy by holding a pencil or paper clip. Instead of smoking, chew sugarless gum or snack on a carrot, celery stick, or fruit. The urge to smoke may end in just a few minutes, so find ways to stick with your commitment until the feeling passes.



• If you relapse, don't give up. Remember: it can take several attempts before you give up cigarettes for a lifetime. When you fail, don't give in to discouragement. Analyze what circumstances led you back to smoking and learn from your reflections. Then try again.

If you succeed in putting out that final cigarette, cigar, or pipe, you'll reap many health benefits almost immediately. The arteries in your heart relax and allow more oxygen-rich blood to reach your heart. Your HDL levels may begin to rise, and your risk of having a heart attack can drop. You will also lower your chances of stroke and cancer. In short, you may live longer and better.

What's more, you can buy other things with the money that you used to spend on smoking. You will also be protecting your household, including children, from the health hazards that come with breathing secondhand smoke. For example, according to the American Lung Association, children who breathe secondhand smoke are more prone to ear infections, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and other lung diseases.⁶ Ultimately, quitting benefits not just you, but your loved ones as well.

	Progressive relaxation, breathing techniques, and guided imagery are methods for: Click here.

Sources

1. The Merck Manual, 17th Edition. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck & Co., 1999. p 1656.
   
   
2. "Smoking Cessation." American Heart Association, 2004. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4731, Accessed July 27, 2004.
   
   
3. "Questions and Answers About Smoking Cessation." Cancer Facts, National Cancer Institute, 2000. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/cessation,
   Accessed October 18, 2005.
   
   
4. "Online Guide to Quitting." Tobacco Control Research Branch, National Cancer Institute, 2004. http://www.smokefree.gov/guide/why_quit.html, Accessed July 27, 2004.
   
   
5. "Nicotine Replacement." American Lung Association, June 2002. http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=33566, Accessed July 27, 2004.
   
   
6. "Secondhand Smoke and Your Family." American Lung Association, June 2002. http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=39858, Accessed July 27, 2004.