The world has become progressively unfriendly to smokers, especially since the dangers of secondhand smoke have become known. Although nearly everyone knows that quitting smoking can dramatically reduce the risk of lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease, many other benefits of quitting smoking are not widely known. The better you understand these benefits, the easier it will be to motivate yourself to quit.
Mental Clarity
Smoking speeds up mental decline by damaging your arteries and causing blood clots, and quitting can suspend and to some extent even reverse this process. According to the Archive of Internal Medicine, smoking impairs memory and reasoning abilities as early as middle age. After the age of 65, smoking has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's Disease and dementia.
Improved Immune Function
Quitting smoking can reduce your susceptibility to a wide variety of infections, especially pneumonia, and can prevent the occurrence of autoimmune diseases such as lupus, a painful condition that affects the entire body.
Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases
Quitting tobacco will dramatically reduce your risk for a wide variety of chronic diseases including diabetes, breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, macular degeneration and osteoporosis. For instance, according to a medical research summarized in US News & World Report in late 2008, smokers are 44 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and two or three times more likely to develop macular degeneration.
Improved Sex Life
Erectile dysfunction is more common among smokers than nonsmokers, and its incidence is related to the number of cigarettes you smoke per day--meaning that even cutting down smoking can improve your sex life. In addition, by quitting smoking you are more likely to be considered attractive by partners who don't smoke.
Youthful Appearance
Smoking leads to premature aging of the skin and increased wrinkles all over the body. Although quitting smoking may not help you regain a youthful appearance, it can forestall further deterioration in the appearance of your skin.
Self-Confidence
Addiction to a substance that you know isn't good for you can lead to a feeling of loss of control over your own behavior. Conversely, quitting smoking can result in a pleasing feeling of self-control and self-confidence. Your new self-confidence can lead to further improvements in your lifestyle such as regular exercise and improvements in your diet.
