Sky Lakes Medical Center | Live Smart | Winter 2017

STOP SMOKING 6 LIVE smart | Winter 2017 How tobacco affects your body WE’LL HELP YOU KICK BUTT Sign up today for Freedom From Smoking, a seven- week small-group series with daytime and evening classes available. Go to skylakes.org/quitnow . Benefits of quitting After 1 year Excess risk of heart disease decreases to half that of a current smoker. After 2 years Risk of stroke goes down. After 5 years Risk of stroke can fall to about the same level as a nonsmoker. After 10 years The risk of dying from lung cancer declines to about 50 percent of that of a current smoker. After 15 years The risk of heart disease is similar to that of a nonsmoker. The anatomy of smoking If you’re a smoker, you probably know you should stop. That’s a good start toward quitting, but you need a powerful motivator to follow through. Knowing the truth about how smoking harms your health may be what it takes. An alarming fact is that smoking affects nearly every part of your body, including your: w w Airways. Delicate tissues in your lungs become inflamed because of smoking. This can lead to serious disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking can also cause cancer to develop in your lungs, throat and mouth. w w Heart. Smoking harms the cells lining the blood vessels and heart and can increase the risk of clots that cause heart attacks. Smoking can also contribute to an abdominal aortic aneurysm—the weakening of the major artery near the stomach. w w Other blood vessels. Damage to vessel linings can cause them to narrow, restricting blood flow to the kidneys, stomach, arms, legs and feet. This can lead to a range of problems, including pain and gangrene. w w Brain. Blood clots that form in damaged arteries can travel to your brain and cause potentially fatal strokes. w w Bones and tendons. Smoking increases the risk for osteoporosis—weak bones— and fractures in both men and women. Overuse injuries, such as tendinitis, and traumatic injuries, such as sprains, are also more likely among smokers, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. w w Immune system. Smokers have smaller amounts than nonsmokers of some types of cells that destroy germs. That leaves you more vulnerable to infections. In addition, smoking can cause cancer of the pancreas, kidneys, cervix and stomach. It also can cause leukemia, cancer of the blood. And smoking increases your risk for eye diseases and dental problems. Women who smoke tend to have more complications with pregnancy, including premature births, low- birth-weight babies and stillbirths. And their babies are more likely to die of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) than babies whose mothers don’t smoke. By quitting, your health risks decrease immediately and continue to diminish over time, no matter how long you’ve smoked.