World Lung Cancer Day: How to Quit Smoking to Improve Your Respiratory Health and Peripheral Neuropathy

Great progress has been made against cigarette smoking in the United States, but the long-term effects of smoking still linger. Although smoking rates have gone down regularly since the 1990s, many people of all ages still use tobacco products, leading to diseases like lung cancer and peripheral neuropathy. There's still plenty of work to be done in the fight against tobacco use. Below we've got some tips to help you quit smoking!

 

 

The Facts About Cigarette Smoking

Cigarettes have been understood to be dangerous for years. They're indicated in many diseases and health conditions, including peripheral neuropathy. But despite this, there are still many smokers out there and even former smokers still feel the ill effects of tobacco:

• 34 million Americans smoke cigarettes.
• Over 16 million Americans live with a disease related to smoking.
• Smoking is the largest preventable cause of death and illness worldwide.
• 480,000 deaths, or 1 in 5, are caused yearly by smoking.

Rates of smoking have always been worryingly high among vulnerable populations in America. Many people smoke as a form of stress relief, so it's no surprise that smoking has often been found in greater rates among those below the poverty line, those suffering from mental health issues, or people in marginalized populations, such as certain racial or ethnic groups as well as the LGBTQ population. Like any other habit, smoking can be comforting during difficult times. This is one of the reasons why quitting takes so much work.

 

The Benefits of Quitting

Quitting smoking can seem trivial after years of damage from cigarettes, but no matter your age or how long you've smoked, it can help you. The longer you go without smoking, the stronger the benefits:

• 20 Minutes After Quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure decrease.
• 12 Hours After Quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal.
• 2 Weeks to 3 Months After Quitting: Lung function and circulation both improve.
• 1 to 9 Months After Quitting: A decrease in coughing and shortness of breath. The cilia in your lungs begin to function as normal, reducing the risk of infection and improving lung health.
• 1 Year After Quitting: Your heart attack risk drops, and your risk of coronary heart disease decreases to half of a current smoker's.
• 5 Years After Quitting: Your risks of certain cancers reduce by half, including those of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder. Your cervical cancer risk becomes that of a non-smoker. Your stroke risk can reduce to that of a non-smoker.
• 10 Years After Quitting: Your risk of lung cancer becomes half that of a current smoker. Your risk of cancer of the larynx and pancreas decrease.
• 15 Years After Quitting: Your risk of coronary heart disease reduces to that of a non-smoker's.

Quitting Smoking

Everyone acknowledges that quitting is difficult. But there's a crucial thing you can do to help yourself before you even smoke your last cigarette: Make a Plan! Preparing for quitting can help give you guidance, and give the process a shape and structure so it seems less daunting. Here are some tips on how to do that:

• Establish a day to officially quit, and let your friends and family know. Emotional support is crucial.
• Set goals: what timeframe for reducing or eliminating cigarettes works for you? What does success mean for you specifically, and by how many months?
• Ask your friends and family to avoid smoking around you.
• Get rid of all cigarettes and paraphernalia, such as lighters and ashtrays.
• Stock up on oral substitutes to transfer your habit: sugarless gum, carrot sticks, toothpicks, coffee stirrers.
• Join a group support program such as Nicotine Anonymous.
• Research different types of counseling or therapies that may help.
• Consult your doctor about prescriptions that may help you reduce nicotine dependence, as well as alternative forms of nicotine to help you gradually lessen your intake.

 

Mountain Ice Pain Relief Gel for People with Diabetic Neuropathy

Many patients with neuropathy apply topical pain relievers to relieve localized pain. Mountain Ice is an ideal choice for that, but can also do so much more. The ingredients contained in Mountain Ice have anti-inflammatory as well as anti-oxidant properties, both of which help to increase blood flow. Poor circulation is a common factor in neuropathy, and increasing the body's ability to deliver blood and oxygen to damaged nerves can speed up regeneration.

 

Many neuropathy cases also stem from inflammatory or autoimmune conditions, which cause painful inflammation and swelling as the body's immune system attacks itself. Mountain Ice contains a number of ingredients with anti-inflammatory properties, such as menthol, hyaluronic acid, Vitamin E, and glucosamine that can reduce that swelling.

 

Be sure to speak with your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before stopping or starting any medication, taking any supplements, or beginning a new healthcare regimen. 

Please consult your doctor or other qualified medical professional before stopping or starting any medications, supplements, or health regimens.