Love your lungs

This week marks Love Your Lungs Week, previously known as Breathe Easy Week. It’s an initiative by the British Lung Foundation, to raise awareness and focus on lung health. By organizing campaigns, they hope to improve the quality of air we breathe and make lung diseases more treatable. Every day, we can take steps to improve our lung health. If you smoke, this is a fantastic opportunity to revisit quitting.

How to quit smoking

It’s been long accepted that smoking is bad for your health, that almost goes without saying. Many of us know this but choose to continue to smoke anyway. We’ve listed below a few ways to help you stop smoking:

• Make yourself accountable: tell people you’re quitting.
• Think about your loved ones. Second-hand smoke is unhealthy, especially for children.
• Consider the cost of smoking which can be expensive. With the recent cost of living increase could that money be better used elsewhere?
• Use stop smoking aids.
• Avoid situations that you typically associate with smoking.
• Keep busy. When you’re bored, you’re more likely to revert to old habits.
• Write down your reasons for quitting and keep it close.

What happens when you quit?

• After 20 minutes your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal.
• After 48 hours all carbon monoxide is flushed out. Your lungs are clearing out mucus and your sense of taste and smell are improving.
• After 3 to 9 months any coughs, wheezing or breathing problems will be improving as your lung function increases by up to 10%.
• After 10 years, your risk of death from lung cancer will have halved compared with a smoker’s! [1]

Resources to help you quit

Download the free NHS Quit smoking app. The app allows you to:

• Track your progress.
• See how much you’re saving.
• Get daily support.

Take action today to breathe easier and feel better, your lungs will thank you.

[1] https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/