Smoking seriously damages your health.  The doctors at The Ash Surgery advise all patients to give up smoking. Help and support is available from the Smoke Free Liverpool 0800 061 4212 or text QUIT to 66777.

Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable ill health and death in the UK. Exposure to second-hand smoke is associated with cot death, middle ear infection and respiratory diseases.

www.smokefree.nhs.uk

What are the health benefits of stopping smoking?

The benefits begin straight away. You reduce your risk of getting serious disease no matter what age you give up. However, the sooner you stop, the greater the reduction in your risk. In fact, researchers have found that if you stop smoking before the age of 50 your risk of dying is virtually reduced that that of a non-smoker. Even if you give up after the age of 60, your risk of dying at any given age is reduced by about 39% compared to a person who carries on smoking.

If you stop smoking you:

• Reduce the risk of getting serious smoking-related diseases such as heart disease, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and peripheral vascular disease
• Reduce the risk of getting various other conditions which, although not life-threatening, can cause unpleasant problems. For example: impotence (erection problems), fertility problems, optic neuropathy (a condition affecting the nerve supplying the eye), cataracts, macular degeneration (a breakdown of tissue at the back of the eye), psoriasis, gum disease, tooth loss, osteoporosis and Raynaud's phenomenon (fingers going white or blue when exposed to cold)
• Reduce the risk of pregnancy complications if you are pregnant

If you have smoked since being a teenager or young adult:

• If you stop smoking before the age of about 35, your life expectancy is only slightly less than it is for people who have never smoked
• If you stop smoking before the age of 50, you decrease the risk of dying from smoking-related diseases by 50%
• It is never too late to stop smoking to gain health benefits. Even if you already have COPD or heart disease, your outlook (prognosis) is much improved if you stop smoking

Time line of health improvements after quitting smoking:

• After 72 hours Breathing becomes easier. Bronchial tubes begin to relax and energy levels increase
• After 1 month Skin appearance improves, owing to improved skin perfusion
• After 3-9 months Cough, wheezing, and breathing problems improve and lung function increases by up to 10%
• After 1 year Risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker
• After 10 years Risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker
• After15 years Risk of heart attack falls to the same level that it would be for someone who has never smoked