Whether you have been smoking for three or thirty years, it is never too late to quit and improve your health. Salam Clinic & Health care services offers, smoking cessation program, for the community and beyond. The program is based on empirically-supported therapies that have been found to help people quit smoking.
Diseases caused by smoking kill thousands of people each year. In fact, smoking is directly responsible for almost 90% of lung cancer and COPD deaths. Even with antismoking campaigns and health warnings, many people continue to smoke or start to smoke every year. About 8% of kids under the age of 18 years are current tobacco users.
Smokers not only increase their risk of lung disease, including lung cancer, but they also increase their risk of other illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, and oral (mouth) cancer. Risks from smoking, as they relate to lung disease, include the following:
•Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which includes: •Chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis, a long-term inflammation of the bronchi, is characterized by coughing mucus over a long period. •Emphysema. Emphysema, a chronic lung condition that affects the air sacs in the lungs (alveoli), is characterized by shortness of breath, coughing, fatigue, sleep and heart problems, weight loss, and depression. •Lung cancer. Smoking, including secondhand smoke, is the leading cause of lung cancer. •Other cancers. Not only does smoking increase the risk of lung and oral cancer, it also increases the risk of other respiratory system cancers including cancer of the nose, sinuses, voice box, and throat. And, smoking increases the risk of many other cancers of gastrointestinal, urinary, and female reproductive systems.
Secondhand smoke is smoke that is exhaled by smokers and smoke emitted from the burning end of a lit cigarette, cigar, or pipe. It causes more than 7,000 lung cancer deaths each year in persons who do not smoke. It can also lead to lung conditions and heart disease. Symptoms associated with exposure to secondhand smoke may include:
•Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat •Coughing •Excessive mucus in the airways Children and infants exposed to tobacco smoke are more likely to experience ear infections, and asthma. They are also at a higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than children and infants not exposed to secondhand smoke.
People who quit smoking can actually reverse some of the lung damage. Other benefits of quitting smoking may include the following:
•Decreased risk for lung disease •Decreased risk for heart disease •Decreased risk for cancer •Reduced cigarette stains on fingers and teeth •Reduced occurrence of cough •Elimination of stale cigarettes smell on clothing and hair •Improved smell and taste •Saving money by not buying cigarettes
Cigars actually pose the same, if not greater, risk as cigarettes for oral cancer. Although many cigar smokers do not inhale, their risk for oral, throat, and esophageal cancers is the same as for cigarette smokers. Consider these facts from the CDC:
•Compared with nonsmokers, cigar smokers who inhale are more likely to develop oral cancer, esophageal cancer, and laryngeal cancer. •Cigar smokers who inhale and smoke five cigars a day may have a lung cancer risk similar to one-pack-a-day cigarette smokers. •Secondhand smoke from cigars contains toxins and cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) similar to secondhand cigarette smoke, but in higher concentrations.
Quitting smoking is very difficult. The American Lung Association offers the following tips to help users quit using tobacco products:
•Think about why you want to quit. Make a list of all the reasons. •Set a quit date. •Try to pick a time when you have as little stress as possible. •Ask for support and encouragement from family, friends, and coworkers and your physician. •If you don't already exercise, start to increase your physical activity to improve your health. •Try to get enough sleep each night and eat healthy. Along with exercise, healthy sleeping and eating will help you cope with quitting. •Join a smoking cessation program, or support group. These programs are available in most communities. And, there are also programs available by phone and Internet.
There are both prescription and over-the-counter medications that can help you stop smoking. Talk with your health care provider about these medications and whether or not any of them are right for you.
Over-the-counter medications: •Nicotine patch. Nicotine is delivered through the skin. •Nicotine gum. Gum delivers nicotine quickly. •Nicotine lozenge. Lozenges are like hard candy. Prescription medications: •Nicotine nasal spray. Nicotine is also delivered quickly. •Nicotine inhaler. Using an inhaler is like smoking cigarettes. •Bupron (bupropion). It helps to lessen cravings for nicotine. •Chantix (varenicline tartrate). It helps to lessen the discomfort of quitting and the pleasure you get from smoking.
Full services in smoking cessation including; counseling, over the counter medications and prescription medications. All at your door steps, on international standards in Lahore. At Salam Clinic patients have the confidence and knowledge that comes from knowing their physicians are providing treatment options based on the very latest developments in medical science and technology. For queries or communication related to smoking cessation issues kindly email info@salamclinic.com.pk
35B Model Town, Lahore, Pakistan info@salamclinic.com.pk tanvirsalam@salamclinic.com.pk
03224684368 04235856735