| Cigarette smoking kills approximately 300,000 in the | | | | impair the quality of your life go away when you |
| United States each year, and most of these people | | | | stop offending others by this habit. |
| are seniors. Lung cancer and emphysema are the | | | | Many health educators are skeptical about cutting |
| best-known miserable outcomes. However, | | | | down slowly and stress that you need to stop |
| accelerated development of atherosclerosis is the | | | | completely. This may not always be true for seniors. |
| most important problem resulting from smoking. This | | | | For some people, rationing is a good way to get their |
| results in heart attacks and strokes, heart pains, leg | | | | smoking down to a much lower level, at which point |
| pains, and many other problems. Pipe and cigar | | | | it may be easier to stop entirely. For example, the |
| smoking do not have the pulmonary consequences | | | | simple decision not to smoke in public can both help |
| that cigarette smoking does, but they do predispose | | | | your health and decrease your daily hassles. To cut |
| to cancer of the lips, and tongue. Nicotine in any form | | | | down, keep in the cigarette pack only those |
| has the same bad effects on the small blood vessels | | | | cigarettes you are going to allow yourself that day. |
| and thus accelerates development of atherosclerosis. | | | | Smoke the cigarettes only halfway down before |
| It is never too late to quit. Only two years after | | | | extinguishing them. |
| stopping cigarette smoking, your risk of heart attack | | | | There are many good stop-smoking courses offered |
| returns to average. It has actually decreased | | | | through the American Cancer Society, the American |
| substantially the very next day! After ten years your | | | | Lung Association, and local hospitals. Most people |
| risk for lung cancer is back to nearly normal. After | | | | won't need these, but they can be of help. Try by |
| only two years there is a decrease in lung cancer risk | | | | yourself first. Then, if you still need help, get it. |
| by perhaps one-third. The development of | | | | Nicotine chewing gum or patches can help some |
| emphysema is arrested for many people when they | | | | people quit, and your doctor can give you a |
| stop smoking, although this condition does not | | | | prescription and advice. Don't plan on this as a |
| reverse. | | | | long-term solution, since the nicotine in the gum or |
| Seniors often feel that it is too late for changes in | | | | patch is just as bad for your arteries as the nicotine |
| lifestyle to have beneficial effects on their health. Not | | | | in cigarettes. |
| so. Most seniors have plenty of time to get major | | | | The challenge to stop smoking is an example of your |
| health benefits from quitting smoking. Remember | | | | ability to make your own choices if you are trapped |
| that after age 65 men live an average of 15.4 more | | | | by your addictions, even the lesser ones, you can't |
| years and women 19.2 years. Chances of stroke and | | | | make your own choices. Victory over smoking |
| heart attack begin to go down immediately after you | | | | behaviors improves your mental health, in part |
| quit. Moreover, you will notice at once that your | | | | because this is a difficult victory. It can open the |
| environment has become more friendly when you | | | | door to success in other areas. |
| are not a smoker. Many of the daily hassles that | | | | |