Create a new habit: No smoking!
A patient once told me ‘I am not dependant on nicotine I just love to have the cigarette between my fingers’. There can be many ‘triggers’ that will make you to light up each time – happy, sad or stressed – or when you’re in a particular situation. Not only are you addicted to nicotine in cigarettes, but also to the behavior of smoking.
Any new reasons to quit smoking?
Smoking harms nearly every organ your body and of those around you. Apart from well known side effects here are some more, scientifically proven, compelling — and often surprising — reasons to stick to your commitment.
Smokers have five times higher rates of mental decline. The long-lasting chemical changes in the brain due to nicotine are similar to heroin or cocaine; that can prevent you from thinking straight.
So you won’t smoke while being pregnant because doing so can cause unborn babies to have asthma. But simply smoking around children causes ear infections, colds, bronchitis, and other breathing problems including sudden infant death.
A study of nearly 5,000 men who smoked showed that 60% of them are more likely to suffer erectile dysfunction. So guys, concerned about your performance in the bedroom – stop lighting up.
Smokers are four times more likely to become blind due to hastening of age-related ocular degeneration. It causes early wrinkling of skin and graying of hair.
Smoking is linked to certain colon and breast cancers, systemic lupus erythematosis commonly known as ‘lupus’, increased risk of depression in young people, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, gastric reflux disease and snoring problems.
There are also financial incentives to be considered on what you will save up on packs of cigarette as well as on medicines that you won’t need to buy in future.
Quitting smoking will improve your health, your looks, your finances, your self-esteem and your everyday life – immediately and over the long term – in ways you may never have imagined.
If these reasons have motivated you to quit smoking Bahrain specialist hospital has an established quit smoking clinic. Dr. Sonal Jagtap Specialist Pulmonologist and Dr. Subathra Jeyaram Psychologist will take you down the right path to smoke free life.
Dr Sonal Jagtap
Specialist Pulmonologist
Bahrain Specialist Hospital
Email: sonal.jagtap@bsh.com.bh