If you found yourself anxiously scanning yesterday's blog about CT scans for lung cancer screening in smokers, hoping for reassurance that we now have means to detect lung cancer early enough that you'll have time to quit before it's too late, then read on...
If you are a smoker today, then the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING you can do for your health is to QUIT. Period. While we are learning to detect and treat smoking-related cancers better each year, believe me, you don't want to count on a CURE. Often times the surgeries and chemo are devastating, though life-sparing.
I have met very few smokers who do not WANT to quit, though yes (my friend who shall remain nameless) there are some out there who simply enjoy smoking and hope they don't live long enough to end up suffering poor quality of life because of chronic bronchitis or emphysema. MOST SMOKERS WANT TO QUIT, but have not found either the right motivation, medical aid, or family/friend support to do so.
First of all, let me say that it takes the average serious smokers multiple attempts to quit. Have you quit for a month, a year, a pregnancy or two, only to restart? That is COMMON, and NOT a reason that you "can't" quit!
There are SEVEN different medical aids that your doctor can recommend or prescribe to help you from the pharmacy end of things! Have you really tried them ALL?
There are numerous behavioral changes YOU can make NOW that will help you quit, too! Stay tuned for more blogs this week with more details...
BOTTOM LINE: NO amount of nicotine IMPROVES your health, so make an appointment with your doctor to find out which method might work best for you!
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