Still smoking? Do yourself a favor and try to quit this month

The American Cancer Society says smoking causes an estimated 480,000 deaths every year — or about 1 in 5 deaths. Additionally, more than 16 million Americans live with a smoking-related disease.

Nov. 18 is the Great American Smokeout, a challenge for all smokers to give up smoking for 24 hours. As we approach this date, we spoke with experts at LMH Health about smoking and the importance of quitting.

Dr. Krishna Rangarajan, a pulmonologist with Lawrence Pulmonary Specialists, said even if you feel fine now, the effects of smoking can last for up to 20 years and symptoms may not be present right now. To avoid lung and other cancer, shortness of breath and other conditions, the sooner you quit, the better.

“It is never too late to stop,” Rangarajan said. “It is also important to note that smoking does not just mean cigarettes. Smoking electronic cigarettes and vaping are maybe just as bad for you. The nicotine levels are high and e-cigarettes are highly addictive and hard to stop. Even if you are young and healthy, many diseases related to smoking like COPD and lung cancer do not show up until years later.”

If you are not experiencing shortness of breath, lung cancer can remain a big concern. Other diseases such as colon cancer, head and neck cancer, osteoporosis, increased pregnancy complications, heart disease and, of course, increased complications if you contract COVID-19 can happen as a result of smoking.

“Deciding to take the step towards smoking cessation is often the first and most important step for someone to make,” he said. “How you quit is different from person to person and up to you. Some are more successful saying ‘I am going to quit on that date’ and they set a quit date. That is often a big first step. For some people, slowly reducing can work, but often the last couple cigarettes are hard to eliminate. Quitting cold turkey is good for some, but overall, setting that quit date is most important first step.”

Quitting can take months or even years, but various aids are available and talking to an expert can help.

“Some helpers like nicotine gum, patches, inhalers with nicotine and some medications can be beneficial for smoking cessation,” Rangarajan said. “Not only that, but seeking counseling can also be beneficial. The combination of counseling and medication has been shown to lead to healthier results. There are free counseling programs through most states as well. In Kansas, we have the Kansas Quit Line at 1-800-quit-now or you can visit ksquit.org. We also have an incredible smoking cessation class offered at LMH Health.”

The social aspect of smoking can make it hard for many to quit.

“Smoking can become extremely social for folks,” Rangarajan said. “People will take smoke breaks together or have it with a meal or in their car. It becomes a part of their routine and their lifestyle. This is why having a class or a way to help you quit is great. There are people in these spaces to help you not smoke and there is accountability there to help take away some of the excuses we tell ourselves to keep smoking.”

Rangarajan said resources are available to help people who are frustrated with failed attempts to quit. LMH Health has outpatient pharmacists who work with primary care clinics to help their patients quit smoking.

Taylor Smith, a pharmacist with LMH Health, said pharmacists and physicians work collaboratively with patients who are interested in learning more about medicines that can help them quit smoking.

“When we see a patient who wants to work to quit smoking, there are a few options we can offer,” Smith said. “The nicotine component in tobacco is of course what is the most addictive. So, from a medicine standpoint, we may recommend nicotine replacement therapy, a nicotine patch, gum, lozenges, inhalers or nasal sprays. We can also offer a medication called Chantix, but like to meet with our patients first to see if they would be a good candidates.”

The pharmacists at LMH Health can assist by discussing different medication options and helping to customize treatment plans.

“When we meet with patients, we work to select medications that are affordable. We assess insurance coverage and cash price and work with patients to select an option that is realistic in terms of cost,” Smith said. “We also talk about the importance of combining medications with behavioral counseling to help stop smoking. Studies show that the two together are more effective than either one alone. We talk about what barriers there have been in the past, previous attempts at stopping and take all the information we can into account to equip our patients with the best possible plan for success.”

However, medications to help quit smoking are temporary. Smith said medications can help with the transition period to reduce cravings and help increase your chances of becoming tobacco-free.

In addition to its direct effects on health, smoking can create a general barrier to having surgery.

Dr. James Huston, an orthopedic surgeon with OrthoKansas, said that after surgery the nicotine in tobacco or vaping can constrict blood vessels. As a result, smoking during recovery from surgery can negatively impact the body’s ability to heal a wound or a fracture.

“Our nicotine cessation policy is important because wound healing and bone healing can be adversely affected by tobacco and nicotine,” Huston said. “To perform a total joint procedure, we ask all our patients to cease smoking for at least three weeks before your surgery and at least six weeks after your surgery to ensure proper healing and a good recovery.”

It takes a minimum of three weeks for nicotine to fully clear the bloodstream, he said. The six weeks after surgery is when the majority of the soft tissue and bone healing happens, but smoking after the six-week mark can still harm your healing process.

“It’s in the best interest of patients to give them the highest chance of success in a surgery or procedure,” Huston said. “Many of my patients have quit smoking primarily to have a joint replacement but then have subsequently been successful in sustaining healthier habits. It is always exciting to see patients not only recover well from a needed procedure but then feel so much happier and pleased with how they feel because they stopped smoking.”


PLAN TO QUIT:

Are you thinking about quitting? Join our “You can be smoke free” class. Our program is individualized, interactive and patient-centered. Work with a certified tobacco treatment specialist to help you develop a plan to quit. You will learn about:

• Addiction;

• Strategies to help you quit;

• Medications that may be helpful;

• Relapse prevention.

This four-session program meets by telephone and is $75. Scholarships are available. Register for your first session today at www.lmh.org/events.

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