Chronic Conditions

Tobacco and chronic or long-lasting disease, like heart conditions or cancer, can often go hand-in-hand. The good news? Quitting smoking helps. Reducing your risk, improving treatment and your quality of life!

It is never too late. No matter how long you’ve smoked, quitting can help improve your health.

Consider screening. You know regular breast, prostate, or colorectal screenings are important to make sure you’re healthy – so are lung cancer screenings! Good news, quitting smoking at any age can lower your risk of lung cancer, and regular lung cancer screening can catch lung cancer in the earliest, treatable stages. It saves lives. Is […]

Did you know smoking cigarettes takes more years of life than HIV itself? Smoking with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, increases the chance of developing cancer and lung conditions such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and pneumonia. Smoking can also impact the effectiveness of HIV medications. Quitting smoking makes a difference. Quitting means […]

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Heart disease includes coronary heart disease, heart attack, and heart failure. Smoking allows less oxygen to the heart; increases blood pressure and heart rate; increases blood clotting; promotes plaque buildup in the arteries; damages artery cells and other blood vessels; and restricts blood flow […]

 No matter how long you have smoked, your health can get better when you quit. After you quit – the benefits of quitting are big Better blood sugar control Improved action of insulin Better circulation Less risk of having diabetic nerve and kidney problems Lower blood pressure and cholesterol Smoking does impact your diabetes Tobacco has many […]

COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is also called emphysema or chronic bronchitis. COPD is caused by continued, long-term exposure to irritants – most commonly tobacco smoke. Symptoms of COPD can include chronic cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing, and an increase in the production of mucus.

When you quit smoking, you are more likely to live longer after your treatment, cancer can respond better to treatment, wounds heal better, and nicotine in your body is cleared. This is important because nicotine can actually speed up the growth of cancer. Quitting smoking can also mean improved lung health, appetite, sleep, and energy level. […]

No matter how long you have smoked, your health can improve. In fact, in just two to three months after stopping smoking, your lung function improves. This means a lower risk of an asthma attack and less breathlessness and coughing – making daily tasks a little easier. Continued smoking can worsen asthma symptoms… Why? Tobacco smoke can irritate your airways, […]

If you have been diagnosed with a chronic condition and are currently taking medications to manage your condition, remember to talk with your healthcare provider before quitting smoking. Why? When you quit, changes to nicotine levels in the body may impact the effectiveness of medications. Your healthcare provider is the best person to help you […]

Your body begins healing soon after you quit and will continue to heal the longer you’re smoke–free. Quitting smoking can mean improving treatment, managing your condition better, and stopping symptoms. In just 20 minutes after you quit smoking, your heart rate starts to slow down, and your blood pressure begins to normalize. As you reach […]

Another way to protect yourself – quit smoking and vaping. Whether you used to or currently smoke, your risk of severe illness from COVID-19 increases. Public Health Agencies like the FDA and CDC agree: quitting smoking and/or vaping offers added protection from COVID-19. Why? COVID-19 is an illness that impacts the respiratory system (nose, throat, […]