Smoking Cessation Classes Offered by Hendersonville Medical Center
http://tristarhendersonville.com/June 13, 2008
While smoking was seen as glamorous years ago, today it is common knowledge that smoking kills. In fact, it is the most common cause of preventable death and disease in the United States today, and the Surgeon General claims that quitting smoking is the best thing smokers can do to increase their quality of life and length of years. About half of all smokers will eventually die from a smoking-related illness, and countless others will suffer from diseases caused by smoking that robs of quality of life.
Cancer is typically the first to mind when people discuss smoking-related diseases, but in fact there are many more. It’s true that smoking ups the risk of lung cancer, but it also increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, voice box, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, stomach, and some leukemias. Smoking also increases risk of pneumonia, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. People who smoke are twice as likely to have heart attacks and strokes since smoking causes the walls of arteries to narrow. Smoking increases the risk of macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness in elderly people.
Luckily, the advantages of quitting smoking begin almost immediately.
20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drops.
12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.
10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease.
15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker's.
Immediate Rewards of Quitting
Kicking the tobacco habit offers some benefits that you'll notice right away and some that will develop over time. These rewards can improve your day-to-day life a great deal.
- your breath smells better
- stained teeth get whiter
- bad smelling clothes and hair go away
- your yellow fingers and fingernails disappear
- food tastes better
- your sense of smell returns to normal
- everyday activities no longer leave you out of breath
An eight-session smoking cessation class begins Monday, July 7, at Hendersonville Medical Center, and the classes are held weekly from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. in the medical center’s Learning Resource Center.
The class addresses the reasons a person smokes and helps develop a personalized plan for quitting. Led by instructors professionally trained by the American Lung Association, the classes create a supportive environment with an emphasis on long-term freedom from smoking, with each participant developing an individual plan for quitting. This group approach uses positive thinking, alternate behaviors, one-on-one help, rewards and group support. The classes also include the latest skills for stress management, weight control, assertive communication and exercise—skills to help participants succeed.
Registration is required as space is limited; persons may call TriStar MedLine at 342-1919 or 1-800-242-5662 for more information or to sign-up. The cost for the program is $50, which is fully refunded to participants who complete all eight classes, and another $25 is required to cover the costs of class materials.
Hendersonville Medical Center, part of the TriStar Health System, is a 110-bed community-based medical center with comprehensive medical and surgical programs including Obstetrics, Cardiology, Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery services. Fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, Hendersonville Medical Center remains the only Accredited Chest Pain Center in Sumner County. For more information about the services offered and health plans accepted by Hendersonville Medical Center or TriStar Health System, call MedLine at 342-1919, toll-free outside of Nashville at 1-800-242-5662, or visit the website at TriStarHealth.com.
