Quit Smoking

Why is smoking bad for you? 

According to the NHS, smoking is one of the UK's largest causes of illness and death. Smoking can damage nearly every organ in the body, leading to preventable causes of disease and death. The NHS spends around £2 billion a year on smoking-related diseases. 

Tobacco products contain toxic substances that negatively affect people's health. Two toxins present in cigarettes include: 

• Tar. This brown, sticky substance coats the inside of the smoker's lungs, affecting their ability to breathe. 

• Carbon monoxide. This gas replaces oxygen in the blood, starving the body's organs and tissues from receiving the oxygen they need to function correctly. 

You are negatively affected by smoking if you smoke yourself or if you are a passive smoker (people around you smoke). 

Smoking can cause:

• Cancer (smoking causes 70% of lung cancer cases). 
• Heart disease 
• Lung disease
• Diabetes 

Smoking causes damage to your blood circulation and heart, increasing the risk of developing: 

• Stroke 
• Heart attack
• Coronary heart disease 
• Cerebrovascular disease 
• Peripheral vascular disease 

Smoking also damages your lungs, leading to: 

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema
• Pneumonia 

Smoking can worsen the symptoms of respiratory conditions such as respiratory tract infections (such as the common cold) and asthma. Men who smoke can experience impotence, as the blood supply may be limited to the penis. Fertility may also be reduced in both men and women. 

Health risks of smoking during pregnancy

Smoking during pregnancy can put both the health of your baby and yourself at risk. There is an increased risk of complications such as: 

• Stillbirth 
• Miscarriage 
• A low birth weight baby 
• Premature birth  

Risks of passive smoking

While you may not smoke yourself, continuously breathing in secondhand smoke from a cigarette or the smoke that the person smoking breathes out can increase your risk of developing health conditions. For example, if someone smokes in the same house as you, the risk of developing lung cancer increase by 25%. 

Children and babies are vulnerable to secondhand smoke and are at an increased risk of developing chest infections and a persistent cough if they have asthma or meningitis. Babies or young children are at an increased risk of glue ear (an ear infection) and cot death.

How do I stop smoking? 

Despite the health benefits of stopping smoking, many people may find it extremely difficult due to the highly addictive nature of nicotine. There are many ways to quit smoking; some people can quit cold turkey, others may need nicotine replacements, and some may need prescription options in combination with counselling and nicotine replacements. 

Here are some methods to help you quit smoking: 

• Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). The nicotine present in cigarettes can lead to a person developing a dependence on it. Nicotine replacement therapy provides low levels of nicotine to help ease or reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms. NRT is avaialble in the form of patches, gum, lozenges, sprays, or inhalers. NRT patches are available without a prescription from the pharmacy. 
• Zyban (Bupropion). Zyban is an antidepressant used to stop the cravings and withdrawals of nicotine. It works similarly to Varenicline, reducing the dopamine shortfall. Zyban can also reduce a person's irritability and mood changes whilst going through withdrawal. 

• Use an app to track habits. Habit tracking by itself and in combination with other treatment options can help people form new healthy habits and track their process. 
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It is a method of therapy or counselling that helps people change their habits. Research suggests that CBT can help encourage long-term abstinence from nicotine. 
• Varenicline. A doctor prescribes this medication to help you quit smoking. Varenicline works by inhibiting nicotine receptors in the brain, reducing cravings and withdrawal. This medication triggers the brain to release dopamine, the same feel-good hormone that is released when you smoke. Doctors often recommend Varenicline to be taken in combination with e-cigarettes, other medications, and nicotine patches. 

It is recommended to talk to family, friends, and your support system to help encourage you through your journey.  

How can Asthma be treated?

There are two main aims of asthma treatment - relieving current symptoms and preventing future ones. These goals are achieved with different inhalers and lifestyle alterations. 

Asthma can be controlled and managed with medications, allowing people to live normal lives. The treatments are usually categorized into the short and long-term, short-term medications provide quick relief and long-term medications can help to prevent future asthma attacks. 

Over time, if your asthma is being controlled well, you should be using your blue inhaler less and less. If this is not the case, your doctor will most likely adjust your treatment until your blue inhaler frequency starts to reduce. 

Short-term (blue reliever inhalers)

These inhalers treat the breathlessness, coughing, and wheezing associated with asthma. Common medicines include things like Ventolin and Salamol. These inhalers can also be used in anticipation of symptoms, like before exercise. Some medications can also act to open up airways when they’ve narrowed. 

Long-term (brown/purple prevention inhalers) 

While there’s no permanent cure for asthma, treatments can alleviate the symptoms that lead to an asthma attack. Corticosteroid-based treatments are used to reduce the sensitivity of airway linings, reduce inflammation, and slow mucus production. It’s important to take these treatments regularly; so they’re able to build up an effect within the body. 

Can you prevent or control Asthma?

While it’s impossible to guarantee asthma prevention (because the direct cause isn’t understood, yet) with lifestyle adjustments and proper medication usage you can control it. Here are some tips to help deal with asthma:

• Stay away from triggers - this includes allergens or activities that you’re aware of that flare up your asthma. Air filtration devices can also enhance overall air quality and may help you. 
• Exercise - physical activity can strengthen your lung capacity and potentially help keep your asthma under control. Some may need to take their blue inhaler as a precautionary measure before exercising. 
• Attend Regular asthma reviews - these reviews help determine how your asthma is progressing, an honest review will help you manage your symptoms and lessen your dependence on relievers.  
• Take inhalers as prescribed - your corticosteroid inhalers, when taken regularly, will vastly improve how under control your asthma is in the long term. 
• Get the flu jab - Asthma sufferers are more susceptible to viral respiratory tract infections (like the flu). 
• Stop smoking - if you’re a smoker, stopping it can dramatically reduce the overall severity of your asthma.