Quit Smoking! Even Light Smoking Can Damage Lungs, Says Study; Some Practical Ways To Quit Smoking

The harmful effects of smoking are well known. Smoking majorly affects lungs and can also lead to life-threating conditions. Smoking can affect more than just your lungs. Most people try hard to quit smoking but are unable to do so. But the health hazards of smoking are enough to quit smoking today. Some people are heavy smokers which is extremely harmful. Most people believe that light smoking will not affect their lungs and continue smoking. But this is not the truth. Even those who smoke fewer cigarettes in a day are also those are also at the risk of lung diseases. Recently a study has also highlighted the ill-effects of light smoking on lungs. People who smoke fewer than five cigarettes a day cause long-term damage to their lungs, according to a new research.

Even Light Smoking Can Damage Lungs

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"Many people assume that smoking a few cigarettes a day isn't so bad, but it turns out that the difference in loss of lung function between someone who smokes five cigarettes a day versus two packs a day is relatively small," said study lead author Elizabeth Oelsner, Assistant Professor at Columbia University Vagelos College in the US.

Also read: Now That You've Made A Resolution To Quit Smoking, Here's How You Can Deal With It

For the study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, the researchers looked specifically at lung function--the amount of air a person can breathe in and out--in smokers, ex-smokers, and never-smokers.

Smoking can affect your skin health and can lead to acne as well
Photo Credit: iStock

Lung function declines naturally with age (starting in one's 20s), and it's well-known that smoking accelerates the decline. Because of the large number of people in the study more than 25,000 researchers could see differences in lung function among light smokers (less than 5 cigarettes per day) and heavy smokers (more than 30 per day) that other studies have been unable to detect.

Their analysis found that lung function in light smokers declines at a rate much closer to that of heavy smokers, as compared to non-smokers. This means that a light smoker could lose about the same amount of lung function in one year as a heavy smoker might lose in nine months.

According to the researchers, light smokers may have a greater risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Also read: Vaping Early In High School Triggers Cigarette Smoking Later In Life

Practical ways to quit smoking

As per the findings is it quite clear that even few cigarettes can be harmful. If you are a smoker you must try to quit as soon as possible to preserve your health and also the people around you. Here are some ways to quit smoking-

1. Keep your mouth busy when you crave for smoking
2. Stay active throughout the day to reduce nicotine craving
3. Whenever you feel like smoking call a friend
4. Give yourself a reward when you do not smoke
5. Beat stress with other methods so that you do not feel like smoking
6. Do not keep cigarettes handy
7. Try hard and keep motivating yourself

Also read: What Are The Various Skin Changes Caused By Smoking?

(With inputs from IANS)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.