Not just lung cancer! Why is it so hard to quit smoking?

Have you ever had such an experience?

I finally waited for the elevator.

Smoke billows when the door opens

Asked around the old smokers

Why do you smoke every day?

The old smoker shook off the ash and said:

"The pressure is too great, you don't understand

Relieve anxiety and tension

Refreshing

Act cool..."

The "China Smoking Health Harm Report 2020" shows

The number of smokers in my country exceeds 300 million

The smoking rate among people aged 15 and above is 26.6%

This means that among this group of people

One in three to four people smokes

This may include our family, friends, and colleagues.

To persuade friends and family to quit smoking

Trying everything you can seems to have no effect

Tell the truth

▽

Tobacco kills more than 1 million people in my country every year

More than AIDS, tuberculosis, traffic accidents

and the total number of suicide deaths

Talk about feelings

▽

Smoking too much makes your teeth yellow

Strong body odor

People don't even like you when they're in love

Talk about harm

▽

Haven't spoken yet

Old Smoker: Oh, oh, I see.

Smoking is harmful to health and is printed on the cigarette shell

Today, Huaxi doctors will give you a detailed list

The harm of smoking!

1. Respiratory diseases

Image source: Photo Network

COPD: The most intuitive feeling is "shortness of breath, difficulty breathing". Studies show that at least 25% of continuous smokers develop into COPD patients.

Bronchial asthma: Smoking is one of the main environmental risk factors for asthma.

Respiratory infections: Smoking increases the risk of respiratory infections, including pneumonia.

Tuberculosis: Smoking increases the risk of tuberculosis by more than 2.5 times.

Venous thromboembolism: including pulmonary embolism, fat embolism, amniotic fluid embolism, air embolism, tumor embolism, bacterial embolism, etc.

Sleep apnea: This is what we commonly call snoring, and the snoring is irregular, and you feel like you are holding your breath, and you may even wake up repeatedly because of the suffocation. There are also a series of symptoms such as increased nocturia, dizziness in the morning, headache, and dry mouth and throat.

…

2. Malignant tumors

In the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, the human body is exposed to more than 7,000 chemicals, including at least 69 carcinogens . When the human body is exposed to these carcinogens, they can cause permanent mutations in key genes in the body and gradually accumulate, disrupting the normal growth regulation mechanism and ultimately leading to the occurrence of malignant tumors.

Image source: Photo Network

The levels of evidence for the disease burden of each cancer and the strength of its association with smoking etiology are as follows:

3. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

WHO points out that among all people who die from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, a considerable number are caused by smoking. Smoking increases the risk of death from coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease by 2 to 3 times .

Image source: Photo Network

Hypertension: The 2017 Global Burden of Disease Study shows that hypertension is the leading risk factor for global disease burden.

Atherosclerosis: Smoking increases the risk of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, carotid arteries, aorta, cerebral arteries, and peripheral arteries.

Coronary heart disease: There is ample evidence that smoking can cause coronary heart disease.

Stroke, peripheral arterial disease, etc.

4. Diabetes

Smoking can lead to type 2 diabetes. The more smokers smoke, the younger they start smoking, and the longer they smoke, the higher their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In addition, smoking can increase the risk of developing macrovascular and microvascular complications of diabetes.

Image source: Photo Network

The friends who listened to the advice understood the harm of smoking, put down their cigarettes, and picked up e-cigarettes... Some of them listened to the advice, but not much.

Attention! E-cigarettes are also unhealthy!

Image source: Photo Network

Most electronic cigarettes are composed of e-liquid (containing nicotine, flavors, solvent propylene glycol, etc.), power supply, atomization components, etc. When you "light" the e-cigarette, the e-liquid is heated and atomized to form smoke and inhalable aerosols, which feels similar to real cigarettes.

But be careful! Whether it is the e-cigarette liquid or the smoke sprayed out, they all contain toxic substances! They all have different damages to human health!

The nicotine in cigarettes can replace endorphins and prompt brain cells to release dopamine. This is why smoking produces "happiness" and makes people feel "refreshed".

Image source: Photo Network

The inhalation of nicotine makes the brain feel the direct nerve stimulation effect. Over time, it is easy to develop nicotine dependence, and the addiction to smoking will come.

Image source: Photo Network

Eliminate tension: If stressful work is the main cause of smoking, try to change your work environment and habits; replace all smoking tools with sugar-free chewing gum, fruit, etc., and take more rest and walk more.

Strengthen the awareness of quitting smoking: clearly change the old habits that lead to smoking, and actively repeat the determination to stop smoking; with this awareness, your sense of taste and smell will get better after a few days of quitting smoking.

Find alternatives: play a game of skill to keep your hands busy; brush your teeth to create an unwanted smoke taste in your mouth; or distract yourself with an stimulating conversation.

Throw away smoking paraphernalia: including but not limited to ashtrays, lighters, cigarettes, etc.

Avoid multiple relapses: Smoking again after quitting does not mean failure to quit smoking. It is not "too late" after taking a puff or a cigarette, but you should carefully analyze the reasons for smoking again to avoid repeating the same mistake in the future.

Hospital smoking cessation clinic: If you really find it difficult to quit smoking, you can go to a professional smoking cessation clinic in a regular hospital for help. Clinically, psychological intervention can be provided to smoking cessation patients, and even smoking cessation drugs can be used. If you find that you cannot control your own behavior, you must go to a professional medical institution for diagnosis and treatment!

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

Welcome to forward and share!

See you in the comment section~

Experts who reviewed this article

References

National Health Commission. China Smoking Health Report 2020[M]. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2021.

Content Production

Edit: 100% sweet

Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty