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Stop Smoking
When do the effects of quitting smoking start to show? What does success in quitting depend on happening? We give you the keys to finishing and not relapse to stop smoking.
“Tobacco smoke -with more than 4,000 toxic substances- is related to more than 27 diseases and, therefore, affects the human body as a whole,” says José Luis Díaz-Maroto, Family doctor and coordinator of the Group of Work on Smoking of the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians (Semergen).
Always talk about cardiovascular and respiratory, and lung cancer. Still, we could name related, as other pathologies, macular degeneration, the skin involvement with the formation of premature wrinkling, osteoporosis, threatened abortion, underweight at birth.
Effects From Minute 20
When quitting smoking, the recovery of health is a solid point for encouraging the smoking patient to give up tobacco use; Some benefits occur immediately, others in the medium term, and others in a long time.
How many smokers succeed and how many relapse?
“It stands known that when a smoker tries to quit smoking on his own, with health advice, the success rate is around 5 per cent, but when that attempt to quit smoking remains helped by psychological support and pharmacological treatment, success is around 30-40 per cent”, says this family doctor.
Likewise, when smokers quit with their willpower, around 70 per cent relapse in the first week.
Factors Influencing Success Or Failure
Generally, Diaz-Maroto acknowledges, the sooner you try to quit smoking, the higher the success rate. The main influencing factors are the years of the smoker, the number of cigarettes smoked, the way of smoking (number of puffs and depth of them) and other factors such as gestural and social dependence.
Keys To Achieving It And Not Relapsing
As for the critical points for successful smoking cessation, the Semergen expert is clear. “First of all, the smoker must be motivated enough to quit smoking, but it is also important that medical professionals make a correct diagnosis of the patient and offer him appropriate treatment .”
It is important to emphasize that leaving smoking is possible and that it will be the best step you take to improve your health and quality of life.
The leading causes of relapse in smoking patients are withdrawal syndrome. The appearance of depression, and weight gain (the latter fundamental cause in women).
For this reason, Díaz-Maroto emphasizes.”The action of quitting smoking must remain accompanied by psychological measures and the use of first-line drugs. Which are replacement therapy with nicotine, bupropion and varenicline”.
Message Of Encouragement For Repeat Offenders
For this expert in Stop smoking. “It is imperative to tell the smoker that smoking is a chronic addictive disease. And that, in the natural history of this disease. It is normal to have relapses when quitting smoking.”
Therefore, the message must be positive. “The important thing is to take action and try as many times as necessary to be able to leave it permanently, of course. Taking into account risk situations”. Concludes the member of Semergen.
