Taking steps toward quitting an addictive habit can be really hard to do, but the rewards will always be worth it in the end! This is especially true when it comes to smoking cigarettes and other forms of tobacco.

Smoking is bad for your health in every way, so quitting will only directly benefit you and those around you. The longer you smoke, the higher the risk you run of developing certain dangerous and even deadly diseases.

Our AFC Urgent Care Gastonia team wants you to live your healthiest life possible, so check out our latest blog below to learn more about the importance of quitting smoking.

How Are Cigarettes Addicting?

Nicotine is one of the many thousands of chemicals found in cigarettes, and it is incredibly addicting. When your body is exposed to nicotine, dopamine is released in your brain, which is the hormone responsible for feelings of happiness, satisfaction and relaxation. Over time, your body will grow accustomed to this feeling and will want it more often.

When you get a craving to have a cigarette, this is your body’s way of telling you it wants that dopamine release. These cravings can be intense when they first start! If you are trying to quit, focus all that energy onto something else for the first five to 10 minutes of that craving. After the initial strong craving, it should fade into something more manageable. Each time you resist this craving, you are one step closer to being done with cigarettes forever.

Diseases Associated With Chronic Smoking

• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Lung cancer
• Heart disease
• Emphysema

What’s the Best Way to Quit?

The best way to quit is the way that works for you. Now that may sound obvious, but there are so many different avenues and methods of quitting, and no two journeys are the same. The biggest factor in someone’s success is when he or she finds their reason “why.” Having a strong motivating factor can help make the quitting process much more manageable.

Nicotine replacement therapy like patches or gum are often successful for many people, as well as replacing the time otherwise spent smoking with a new hobby or activity. However you choose to tackle this goal, remember that you can do anything you set your mind to and we believe in you!

Benefits of a Smoke-Free Life

• Stronger, less damaged lungs
• Reduced risk for cancer and other diseases
• Improved physical appearance and senses
• Eliminated secondhand smoke at home for your family

We are always here for you. Stop by AFC Urgent Care Gastonia any day of the week.