Smoking and Your Health

Smoking and tobacco use increase your risk of many health problems. According to the American Heart Association, cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Each year, smoking is responsible for 480,000 deaths in the United States, including more than 41,000 deaths caused by secondhand smoke. That’s about 1,300 deaths every day.

Smoking lowers:

The amount of oxygen sent to your heart and other tissues in your body.
Your ability to exercise.
HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

Smoking increases your risk of:

High blood pressure and fast heart rate.
Heart attack, stroke, coronary artery disease (CAD) and peripheral artery disease (PAD).
Lung cancer, throat cancer, chronic asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Diabetes.
Gum disease and ulcers.
Blood clots.
Coronary artery disease after coronary artery bypass surgery.
Getting sick, especially for children exposed to smoke. Kids who are exposed to smoke are more likely to have respiratory and ear infections.
Damage to your coronary arteries and other blood vessels.

What's the link between smoking and cardiovascular disease?

Smoking is a major cause of atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of cholesterol and fatty deposits (plaque) on the inside of the arteries. This keeps blood from flowing through the arteries as it should.

Atherosclerosis can lead to CAD. The coronary arteries carry blood to the heart. If they get clogged with plaque, they can become narrow or blocked, and keep your heart from getting enough oxygen-rich blood to send out to the rest of your body. In response, your heart has to work harder, which can cause chest pain (angina), other symptoms and heart attack.

Atherosclerosis can also lead to PAD, which affects blood flow to your legs and arms. The condition causes painful leg muscle cramps when walking and increases your risk of stroke.

What's the link between smoking and heart attack?

Any amount of smoking increases your risk of a heart attack. The more you smoke and longer you smoke, the higher the risk. People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day are more than twice as likely to have a heart attack than nonsmokers.

What's the link between women who smoke and take birth control pills?

Your risk of stroke, heart attack, CAD, PAD and blood clots is much higher if you smoke and take birth control pills.

What other health problems are caused by smoking?

Cigarettes contain more than 4,000 chemicals and poisons, including more than 60 that cause cancer.

Dangers of secondhand smoke

People who don’t smoke but are exposed to it can also have health issues like breathing problems, cancer and heart disease. This is especially true for children.

What about electronic cigarettes and vaping?

The short-and long-term health effects of e-cigarettes and vaping are not fully known. They have been linked to deadly lung disease and a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and artery disease. Neither type of product is an FDA- approved way to stop smoking.

The benefits of quitting

Many good things happen when you stop smoking:

Live longer. According to the American Heart Association, quitting smoking between the ages of 35 and 39 adds an average of 6 to 9 years to your life. If you quit when you are age 65 to 69, you can live 1 to 4 years longer.
Lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Your risk of heart disease, heart attack and dying from heart disease is cut by at least half when you stop smoking. Quitting also lowers your risk of high blood pressure, PAD and stroke.
Lower your risk of other health problems, including diabetes, lung cancer, throat cancer, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma, ulcers, and gum disease.
Feel better. You won’t cough as much or have as many sore throats after you quit. You’ll also have more energy.
Look and smell better. Quitting smoking can help you avoid wrinkles on your face, stops your teeth from turning yellow, and your hair clothes and breath won’t smell bad.
Improve your sense of taste and smell.
Save money.

How can I quit?

Plan ahead! Most smokers don’t plan to fail; they fail to plan. A good plan to quit will help you succeed. The success rate of quitting "cold turkey" is only about 5%.

Before you quit

You need to be mentally ready to quit and want to do it for yourself. You can't quit just to please your family or friends.
Pick a date to quit - mark it on the calendar and stick to it.
Make a list of your reasons for quitting. Read the list every day, before and after you quit.
Learn your smoking triggers. Write down when you smoke, why you smoke and what you’re doing when you smoke.
Stop smoking in certain situations (during breaks at work, in the car, after dinner, etc.) before you quit completely.
Make a list of things you can do instead of smoking.
Visualize yourself as a nonsmoker.
Tell your family and friends about your plans to quit and ask for their support. Ask family members who smoke to think about quitting with you.
Talk to your healthcare provider about ways to help you quit. You may find it helpful to use medication or nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, lozenges or nasal sprays.
Join a smoking cessation support group or program.

When you quit

Get rid of all cigarettes/tobacco and ashtrays.
If you live with a smoker, ask them not to smoke around you.
Don’t focus on your cravings. Cravings are temporary. When you are tempted to smoke, read your list of reasons to quit.
When you get the urge to smoke, take a deep breath. Hold it for 10 seconds and slowly release it. Repeat this several times until the urge to smoke is gone.
Stay active. Read your list of things you can do instead of smoking.
Keep your hands busy. Doodle, play with a pencil or straw, or work on a computer.
Exercise has many benefits and will help you relax.
Avoid triggers and places, people and situations associated with smoking.
If you need to eat something instead of smoking, choose a healthy snack (carrot or celery sticks) or a piece of sugar-free candy or gum.
Drink plenty of fluids. Limit alcoholic and caffeinated beverages They can trigger the urge to smoke.
Remind yourself that you are a nonsmoker. Nonsmokers don’t smoke!

How does it feel to quit?

At first, you may crave cigarettes, be irritable, feel very hungry, cough a lot, get headaches, have trouble concentrating or be constipated. These are symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and will pass within 10 to 14 days after you quit. Talk to your healthcare provider if the symptoms are difficult to handle. They are much easier to treat than the diseases caused by smoking.

Withdrawal symptoms are signs that your body is healing and getting used to being smoke-free. Stay in control when you have them, and think about your reasons for quitting.

You may still have the urge to smoke, even after withdrawal symptoms pass. Smoking goes hand-in-hand with many emotions and your social life. It is important to break these associations and enjoy life without smoking.

Do not lose hope if you relapse. If this happens, review the reasons why you wanted to become a nonsmoker. Plan ahead and think about what you will do next time you get the urge to smoke.

What happens when you quit

After 20 minutes

You stop polluting the air.
Your blood pressure is lower and your heart rate gets slower.
Your hands and feet get warmer.

After 8 hours

The carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal.
There is more oxygen in your blood.

After 24 hours

You have a lower risk of having a heart attack.

After 48 hours

Your nerve endings adjust to the lack of nicotine.
You can smell and taste things better.

After 2 weeks to 3 months

You have better blood circulation.
You can exercise with fewer problems.

After 1 to 9 months

You cough less and have less sinus congestion and shortness of breath.
You have more energy.

After 1 year

Your risk of heart disease is cut in half compared to when you smoked.

After 5 to 15 years

Your risk of stroke is half that of a lifelong nonsmoker.

After 10 years

Your risk of dying from lung cancer is about the same as that of a person who never smoked.
You have a lower risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas.

After 15 years