What is Smoking?

People who quit smoking usually don't decide to quit because of all the bad news about it. They already know it's bad for them. Often, experts say, smokers quit because they simply get fed up with being controlled by the habit.

Still, the facts about smoking are as true as ever. It kills more Americans than auto and airplane accidents, AIDS, cocaine and heroin overdoses, and murder combined. Smoking tobacco, in fact, kills about 400,000 men and women each year, which makes it the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. One in every five deaths is smoking-related, and, on average, smokers die seven years earlier than nonsmokers.

Smoking results in many kinds of cancers, above all lung cancer. It's also a major cause of heart disease, stroke, and a host of other health problems, including emphysema and bronchitis.

And it hurts more than just the smoker. Secondhand smoke (other people's tobacco smoke) kills as many as 68,000 Americans each year. It is especially hard on children: Adults who smoke around kids put them at high risk for a number of problems, including colds, ear infections, asthma, and even sudden infant death syndrome-when a healthy baby dies during sleep.

Many people have trouble kicking the habit because tobacco contains a highly addictive substance: nicotine. It provides a "fix" every time you light up. But you can quit. There are many things you can do to ease your cravings for tobacco and kick the habit. Your doctor can also help.

Symptoms:
Signs that smoking is harming your health:

  • Shortness of breath, wheezing.

  • Fatigue.

  • Lasting or hacking cough.

  • Poor blood flow. (Cold hands and feet are a sign of it.)

  • Frequent bouts of throat and lung problems such as bronchitis.

  • Wrinkled skin (from poor blood flow).

Your doctor can give you tips on quitting and refer you to support groups. Be sure you get checkups for the many ailments smoking can cause. Ask if you need an X-ray to check for lung cancer. Even after you quit, a chest X-ray every year may be a good idea. You still have a higher than normal risk of lung cancer for several years after quitting. These screenings can help your doctor catch a cancer early.