Will cutting down on cigarettes also cut our risk of heart disease and lung cancer? Will quitting for 2 days reduce the risk of a heart attack? When will we regain our sense of taste and smell? We bust some myths about stubbing out.
You're convinced of the health benefits and that quitting's the right way to go, but you're not sure if you can make it. Or you may want to know what happens after you stop smoking before you set a quit date. We're here to help!
This week, we bust some myths that may have been causing you to have second thoughts about stubbing out.
When Trying to Quit Smoking...
Myth #1: It’s too late to quit, the damage is done.
Not true! It’s never too late to quit smoking. Whether you’ve smoked for decades or months, and no matter your age, quitting will improve your health and decrease your risks of developing certain diseases.
Will your body heal after you quit? Yes! In fact, you’ll feel better just eight hours after you put out your last cigarette, as the carbon monoxide level and oxygen level in your blood return to normal. And within two short days, your risk of a heart attack is reduced. Within three months of being smoke-free, your blood pressure returns to normal.
Related: Quit Smoking Tips for People with Diabetes
Myth #2: I can escape the risks by smoking less.
Will cutting down on the number of cigarettes you smoke help prevent diseases like diabetes and lung cancer? No. There is no safe amount of exposure to cigarette smoking — one cigarette is still one too many.
If you are thinking of reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke, make it a goal to gradually work towards zero!
Myth #3: Failing to quit once means you’ll never succeed.
Not true! Most smokers take more than six attempts to quit successfully[1] and stay smoke-free, so don’t give up! Treat your attempts as “practice rounds” and learn from what went wrong. Then use this knowledge to give it another try. You can also look for nicotine replacement therapy products to help increase your chances of quitting successfully.
Related: Help Someone Quit Smoking
What Will Happen After You Quit Smoking?
Myth #4: Quitting will cause me to be moody and irritable.
True, quitting could cause us to experience withdrawal symptoms like moodiness and irritability. Don't worry, they're normal signs that your body is recovering from the harmful effects of smoking, and they last only a short while.
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms are usually worse in the first week, and they often disappear after the first two to three weeks when the feeling of wellbeing starts to kick in.
If you find that your withdrawal symptoms unbearable, consider tapping onto nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) which increases the chances of quitting by easing these withdrawal symptoms. NRT supplies nicotine to the body to replace the nicotine from cigarettes and to help reduce nicotine cravings when quitting. The amount of nicotine supplied is slowly reduced over time to decrease dependency and help you quit smoking. Consult a pharmacist or doctor to find out more.
Related: Weather the Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms
Myth #5: I will gain weight after quitting.
Not everyone will gain weight after stubbing out, so don’t fret too much about gaining a “spare tire” in the long term.
The reason some of us might put on weight is that our sense of taste and smell recovers after we quit smoking, so food might seem yummier and we might eat more than usual.
Still concerned? You can do something to prevent weight gain after quitting, for example, by eating healthier and moving more. Good thing we can enjoy lighter, lower-calorie dishes like yong tau foo and steamed fish with our recovered sense of taste!
Related: Weigh to Go! Quit Smoking Without Weight Gain
Resources for Quitting
Join the I Quit Programme and remain smoke free for 28 days and you are 5 times more likely to quit smoking. You can nominate your loved ones as a supporter when you sign up for the programme. Validate your smoke-free status and redeem a HPB eVoucher* worth $50 at the 28th day milestone. Keep going and you'll also receive eVouchers* worth $30 and $20 at the 3rd month and 6th month milestone respectively!
*Terms and conditions apply.
Download the HealthHub app on Google Play or Apple Store to access more health and wellness advice at your fingertips.
Read these next:
- 5 Quit Tips to Quit Smoking for Good
- How to Deal with Cravings After You’ve Quit Smoking
- Questions on Smoking, Tobacco Use and Health
- Say Hello to 4Ds and Bye to Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms.
References
- Chaiton, M., Diemaert, L., Cohen, J. E., Bondy, S. J., Selby, P., Philipneri, A., et al. (2016, Jun 9). Estimating the number of quit attempts it takes to quit smoking successfully in a longitudinal cohort of smokers.
BMJ Open, 6(6), e011045.
Retrieved October 2017 from http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/6/e011045
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