Unveiling the Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking Before You Turn 40!

Smoking causes a million deaths, second-hand smoke causes 240,000 deaths while chewing tobacco alone leads to 35,000 deaths. These numbers show just how dangerous tobacco is. To reduce these deaths, it is thus imperative to encourage smokers to quit this habit, as it is never too late to quit smoking. 

Numerous research done over the years has suggested that people who quit smoking earlier in life see major gains in life expectancy after a few years. A recent study has shown that smokers who have quit smoking before turning 40 are more likely to live almost as long as people who have never smoked. People quitting at any age are said to return quite close to never-smoker survival around 10 years after quitting and around half of that benefit is reaped within the first three years itself. 

Quitting smoking is highly effective in decreasing the risk of death and it has been found that people reap these rewards remarkably quickly. This observational study included 1.5 million adults from four countries and was closely followed over 15 years. It was found that smokers who were between 40 to 79 years of age had around three times the risk of death as compared to people who had never smoked. This meant that on average, they lost around 12-13 years of their life. Quitting smoking at any age was found to be linked with longer survival and people who quit for even less than three years gained around 6 years in life expectancy. 

Long-term smokers often think that it is too late to quit smoking, especially when they are in their middle age. However, the results of this study counter this line of thought and highlight the fact that it is never too late to quit smoking. No matter when you stop, the positive impact will be fast and you will be able to reduce your risk of various major diseases, thereby increasing your chances of a longer and better life. Let us further break down these health benefits for you:

Cardiovascular health benefits: Quitting smoking is the best and one of the most important actions a person who smokes can take to reduce his risk of different cardiovascular diseases. Quitting smoking decreases the risk of disease as well as death from cardiovascular disease (Okorare, O., Evbayekha, E.O., Adabale, O.K., Daniel, E., Ubokudum, D., Olusiji, S.A., Antia, A.U. and Olusiji, S., 2023. Smoking cessation and benefits to cardiovascular health: a review of literature. Cureus, 15(3)). It also reduces the markers of hypercoagulability and inflammation, leading to substantial improvement in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. On the other hand, it also decreases the chance of developing subclinical atherosclerosis and helps slow its progression over time. Quitting smoking decreases the risk of coronary heart disease and the risk of disease and death from stroke. In addition to these, smoking also reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease and venous thromboembolism. For further insights on this, refer to DocTube™.

Respiratory health benefits: The risk of different respiratory diseases substantially decreases when a person quits smoking. It reduces his risk of developing COPD while slowing down the progression of COPD and over time reduces the loss of lung function. It also reduces the occurrence of respiratory symptoms like wheezing, sputum production and cough. Quitting smoking reduces bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory infections while boosting lung function, reducing symptoms and improving overall treatment outcomes.

Gynecological health benefits: Quitting smoking is crucial for women as it offers a host of benefits to their gynecological health and well-being. It proves imperative for a healthy pregnancy and in ensuring a healthy baby. Quitting smoking before pregnancy or in the early months decreases the risk of delivering a low-birth-weight baby. Quitting smoking early in pregnancy also eliminates the diverse adverse implications of smoking on fetal growth (Wen, C.P., Cheng, T.Y., Lin, C.L., Wu, H.N., Levy, D.T., Chen, L.K., Hsu, C.C., Eriksen, M.P., Yang, H.J. and Tsai, S.P., 2005. The health benefits of smoking cessation for adult smokers and for pregnant women in Taiwan. Tobacco Control, 14(suppl 1), pp.i56-i61). It is also known to reduce the risk of preterm delivery.

Cancer-related health benefits: Quitting smoking is undoubtedly one of the best things smokers can do to reduce their risk for cancer. Research suggests that quitting smoking reduces the risk of different cancers such as bladder cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, lung cancer, colon and rectum cancer, cervical cancer as well as cancers in the esophagus, kidney, liver, pancreas, stomach, mouth ad throat and the voice box (Hall, D.L., Neil, J.M., Ostroff, J.S., Hawari, S., O’Cleirigh, C. and Park, E.R., 2021. Perceived cancer-related benefits of quitting smoking and associations with quit intentions among recently diagnosed cancer patients. Journal of health psychology, 26(6), pp.831-842). When cancer survivors quit smoking, it helps in improving their prognosis while reducing the risk of premature death.

Remember that every time you smoke, your body is flooded with hundreds and thousands of chemicals, a large number of which are highly poisonous. Thus the day you decide to quit smoking, your body starts to clean itself of all these toxins and the repair process initiates. During the first few days or weeks, a person can notice certain benefits like improvement in senses of taste and smell and the ability to breathe better and be more energetic. Some of the other significant health benefits include better blood circulation to your muscles and heart, thereby making physical activities easier and improved lung function, which reduces wheezing, cough or other breathing issues. Thus, the earlier you quit smoking, the more you are likely to benefit. However, it is never too late, as no matter when you quit, your health will improve irrespective of your age or for how long you have smoked. 

FAQ

What are the immediate health benefits of quitting smoking?

Within 24 hours of quitting smoking, a person’s bloodstream becomes almost nicotine-free, the level of carbon monoxide in the blood reduces and oxygen reaches his heart and muscles more easily. Within the first week, the sense of smell and taste improves.

What drinks can help smokers to detox their lungs?

The best drinks to help smokers detox their lungs are green tea, warm water with lemon, turmeric milk, honey and warm water, beetroot juice, pineapple juice and garlic-infused water.