Smoking damages your lungs, reduces blood quality, affects your heart, and impairs brain function.Tobacco has been shown to cause cancer in virtually any part of the body, as well as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease.If you want to reverse or slow down the damage caused by long-term smoking once you've quit, there are many additional choices you can make.Learning how to manage the effects of smoke damage can help you live a better life.
Step 1: Seek medical help.
The best way to quit "cold turkey" is to consult with a medical professional.This may mean a brief information session with a primary care giver for some people.Some people may need a more long-term treatment plan.It's a good idea to talk to your doctor about a smoking cessation plan.The start method is to set a quit date.Tell your friends and family that you are quitting.Anticipate hard times and plan for them.Tobacco products should be removed from the house, car, and work.Tell the doctor so that he can help you.
Step 2: You can join a counseling program.
Most healthcare providers offer counseling.Depending on the individual's needs and the options available through a given healthcare provider, counseling may range from individual (one-on-one) counseling sessions, group counseling, or remote counseling by telephone.Behavioral therapy can be used to quit smoking.There are apps on the market that can help smokers quit.The quitSTART app was designed in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.You can get help by calling a free hotline.There are a lot of resources for quitting at www.smokefree.gov.
Step 3: Take medication.
There are a lot of medication options that can help you quit smoking.There are over-the-counter and prescription options to choose from.It is possible to reduce your cravings for tobacco with prescription medication.Nicotine replacement products include the nicotine patch, nicotine gum and nicotine lozenges.Nicotine replacements can be used as patches, inhalers, and sprays.Bupropion and varenicline are prescription medications that can help you quit smoking.
Step 4: Understand why quitting is important.
Smoking cessation is the best way to stop smoking.If you do not include quitting tobacco in your plan, you will not be able to reduce the health impact on your body.Studies show that quitting smoking can have long-term effects on your health.Within 20 minutes of quitting smoking, your heart rate, blood pressure, and carbon monoxide levels will return to normal.
Step 5: Control breathing.
A number of breathing positions and relaxation techniques can be used if you suffer from respiratory ailments.If you want to improve your lung function, talk to your doctor or respiratory therapist about controlled breathing techniques.Sit upright.During times when you are short of breath, this can help increase the capacity of your lungs.You can breathe through the nose and pursed lips.You can use this to find a rhythm to regulate your breath.To breathe, use your diaphragm.Rather than shallow breaths associated with the upper chest, that means taking deeper, more substantial breaths.The parasympathetic nervous system will be activated and you will also be able to relax.You may feel anxious when you are short of breath.Relax your neck, shoulders, and upper torso.If you can, have a friend or relative stand behind you and rub your shoulders while you sit and breathe.
Step 6: Allow yourself to cough up phlegm.
Some people may experience coughing in the weeks or months after quitting smoking.It may seem counter-intuitive, but coughing is good for your body once you quit smoking.It helps clear mucus out of your lungs, which is a sign that the lungs are healing.If your coughing persists for more than a month or is accompanied by blood, you should call your doctor as this may be a sign of a more serious respiratory condition.
Step 7: The mucus should be reduced.
Many current and former smokers have elevated levels of mucus in their lungs.You may need to cough more frequently to combat this.You can help combat airway irritation by using a humidifier in your home.To keep your body hydrated, you should drink plenty of water.
Step 8: Get lots of exercise.
Cardiovascular exercise has been shown to improve the respiratory muscles and provide you with stronger lungs for people with respiratory problems.Don't push yourself too hard or work out too much.150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week is what the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition says you should aim for.It is equivalent to working out for 30 minutes a week.Break your exercise down into 10-minute segments.You won't receive all the benefits if it's shorter than that.Moderate intensity exercise includes walking, biking, gardening, using a wheelchair, and water aerobics.
Step 9: A healthy diet can be maintained.
Some people don't think of diet as a factor in respiratory health, but being overweight can put an additional strain on the lungs and restrict breathing.Being overweight also puts you at risk of missing important vitamins and minerals.Ask your doctor if a more balanced diet can help you with your respiratory condition.Americans are advised to consume more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low fat dairy products, lean meats, and seafood.Limit the amount of salt, saturated and trans fat acids, and simple sugars.
Step 10: Take your medication.
There are a number of drugs that can help reduce the effects of COPD.Depending on your symptoms and treatment plan, the medication your doctor recommends will be different.The purpose of bronchodilators is to relax the muscles in your airway to make it easier to breathe.Most bronchodilators come in short- and long-acting forms, and are prescribed as an aerosol inhaler.Inhaled steroids are used to reduce inflammation of the airways.Fluticasone and budesonide are commonly-prescribed steroids.Steroids and bronchodilators are combined into a single inhaler.Advair combines salmeterol and fluticasone, and Symbicort combines formoterol and budesonide.Patients with moderate to severe acute exacerbation of COPD are most likely to be prescribed oral steroids.Steroids can be given in short courses that last around five days.There are oral steroids for COPD exacerbation.This medication helps reduce inflammation of the airways and relaxes the muscles that line the respiratory system.roflumilast is the most common inhibitor.The medication Theophylline can help improve breathing in patients suffering from COPD.There are a number of oral forms of Theophylline, including syrup, capsule, and tablets.Elixophyllin, Norphyl, Pyllocontin, and Quibron-T are some of the common brand names of Theophylline.Antibiotics can cause COPD symptoms to get worse.Antibiotics can help treat exacerbations of COPD associated with respiratory infections, while some studies suggest that one particular antibiotic - azithromycin.
Step 11: Lung therapy can be tried.
Patients suffering from moderate to severe COPD can benefit from lung therapy.If COPD makes breathing difficult, the therapy options are designed to increase the function of the patient's lungs.A portable unit of supplemental oxygen can be used for oxygen therapy.Depending on the severity of symptoms, some patients need supplemental oxygen only during strenuous activities or while sleeping, while others need it all the time.Oxygen therapy has been shown to extend the patient's life.The option combines training, education, exercise, and counseling.Reducing the length of hospital stays is one of the goals of pulmonary rehabilitation programs.
Step 12: Consider having surgery.
For patients with severe COPD and/or emphysema who have not responded to medication and traditional therapy options, surgical options are usually reserved.Lung volume reduction surgery involves removing small portions of damaged lung tissue, allowing the healthier tissue to expand and work more efficiently.The treatment option may improve a patient's quality of life.Lung transplantation improves the patient's ability to breathe and resume physical activity, however, it is a very serious procedure with many possible side-effects, including the risk of death.Prospective transplant recipients must meet specific criteria.If a lung transplant is right for you, talk to your doctor.