Health risks of smoking
Quitting smoking is one of the best choices you can make for your health – no matter when you do it.
Even if you’re living with a health condition like emphysema or lung cancer, quitting can still make a real difference. It can help you feel better, improve your quality of life and give your body a better chance to heal. It’s never too late to quit.
Overview
People who smoke have a greater risk of developing cancer, lung disease, and heart and blood vessel disease.
No matter your age, or how long you have smoked, you can dramatically reduce the risks to your health by quitting. The moment you quit smoking, your health will begin to improve.
Lung cancer
The sooner you quit smoking, the better your chances of having a long and healthy life.
Did you know?
- If you quit smoking by the age of 40, you reduce your risk of lung cancer by up to 90%.
- Quitting by the age of 50 reduces your risk of lung cancer by up to 65%.
- After 10 years of being smoke-free, you’ll have avoided around 40% of the risk of ever getting lung cancer.
If you have lung cancer, quitting can reduce the chance of tumour progression and improve your outcome. If you need to have chemotherapy or radiation treatment, you are likely to have fewer side effects and complications if you no longer smoke.
The evidence suggests that twice as many people who quit smoking following their diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer are still alive after five years.
Emphysema
Quitting smoking can’t reverse emphysema, but it will have a positive effect on your health.
If you have emphysema, quitting smoking can:
- Improve your breathing
- Increase your overall quality of life
- Slow down the decline of lung function
- Reduce the likelihood of being hospitalised and dying prematurely
How smoking causes emphysema
Emphysema is also called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD).
When you smoke tobacco, the smoke you draw into your lungs can damage the tiny air sacs that transport oxygen into your bloodstream.
The air sacs become less elastic, which can make breathing difficult. You might find that even simple activities can make you breathless. These symptoms can lead to emphysema.
Heart disease
It is never too late to quit smoking and start reducing the risk of heart disease – not only for yourself but also for your loved ones.
Did you know?
- If you have coronary heart disease, quitting smoking can reduce the chance of dying by 36%
- Quitting can be even more effective than treatments such as cholesterol-reducing medication
Effects of smoking on your heart
Smoking narrows and clogs the arteries. This limits blood flow and reduces the flow of oxygen around your body. The restricted blood supply to your heart can cause permanent damage to your heart muscles.
If your arteries become too clogged, they can become blocked – this can cause a heart attack.
If you already have some form of heart disease, quitting will reduce your risk of further damage. It will also lower your chances of having another heart attack or stroke.
Speak to your doctor if you have cardiovascular disease and are considering using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help you quit smoking.
Stroke
Quitting smoking will reduce your chance of having a stroke.
A stroke occurs when an artery carrying blood to the brain suddenly becomes blocked, causing part of the brain to die. This can cause loss of movement, vision or speech.
People who smoke have an increased risk of blood clots forming in their arteries. The toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke can damage blood vessels, and cause the arteries to narrow or harden. This damage to the arteries increases the chance of blood clots forming.
People who smoke are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to have a stroke than people who don’t smoke. People who smoke heavily are even more at risk.
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Smoking is a leading risk factor for developing peripheral vascular disease (PVD). It also makes the effects of the disease worse.
PVD occurs when the arteries that supply blood to your legs, feet, arms or hands become narrowed or blocked.
This can result in a range of symptoms, including pain while walking or resting, pins and needles, and numbness. In severe cases, the part of the body that’s affected will need to be amputated because of the reduced blood flow.
Impotence
People who smoke have a significantly higher risk of developing impotence than people who don’t smoke. The longer you smoke and the more tobacco you smoke, the greater the risk of developing impotence. This is also known as erectile dysfunction.
Create a personalised Quit plan that will support you while you quit.