It can be hard to give up smoking due to the addictive nature of nicotine. You may be resistant even though you know that you’re putting yourself at risk. Here are some health facts that may convince you that it’s time to quit smoking.
Increased Risk for Mental Decline
You’re five times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or dementia if you continue smoking. This is true even if you don’t have a family history for these types of conditions. The likely reason is the damage to the arteries that smoking has been shown to cause. It’s not just damaging your heart and lungs. The arteries in your brain are just as susceptible as the rest of your body. Stopping smoking now reduces your risk after a few years.
Heart Disease and Stroke Risks
You’re at an increased risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke. This is because of the damage that is caused to the arteries in your body. Smoking also puts you at an increased risk for developing blood clots. A stroke is just a blood clot in your brain. If you stop smoking now, your risk of heart disease is cut in half after one year. After 15 years, you have the same amount of risk as someone who’s a non-smoker.
Weakening Bone Structure
Smoking can cause your bones to weaken. The cause of this structural weakening of your bones is linked to the chemicals in the cigarettes. They break down the osteoblasts in your bones. These cells are responsible for building new bone. If you have dental implants, this can cause them fail. Quitting smoking now can stop the damage to your cells. You can feel assured that if you need dental implants in the future that they will be successful.
Development of Cancer
It’s long been known that smoking is linked to the development of lung cancer. You can also develop mouth and throat cancer. Approximately one in eight cases of all cancer can be linked to smoking. There are also other types of cancers that you may not have considered being a problem as a smoker. If you’re a woman, you’re 30% more likely to develop breast cancer. Colon, pancreatic, liver, and stomach cancer have also been linked to cigarettes.
There are lots of benefits to stopping smoking now. You can improve your health outlook in life after a few years of being a non-smoker. There’s also the benefit of not smelling like an ashtray all of the time.