Quit Smoking
Smoking can harm your blood vessels, raising your risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease (damage to the blood vessels in your feet and legs), also called PAD.
What can quitting do for me?
Some benefits of not smoking include:
- Less risk of heart attack, heart disease, stroke, and PAD
- Lower blood pressure
- Less risk of foot ulcers, eye problems, nerve damage, and kidney disease
- Less risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, lungs, and bladder
- For women, less likelihood of a miscarriage or stillbirth
- For men, less risk of erectile dysfunction
- Less harm from second-hand smoke for your children and grandchildren
What steps should I take to quit smoking?
Preparing to quit can help you quit for good. Here are some ideas that have worked for others.
Before you quit smoking:
- Think of your own reasons to stop and write them down (put the list where you’ll see it every day).
- Tell others you’ll need their help and understanding
- Throw away your cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays
- Ask a friend to quit smoking with you
Options for when you quit smoking:
- Go cold turkey. Quitting all at once works for some people
- Quit smoking gradually by cutting back over several weeks
- Use a nicotine patch, gum, inhaler, or spray, or ask for a prescription medicine
- Ask your health care provider for information about counseling, acupuncture, or hypnosis
Learn more about quitting smoking.
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