World No Tobacco Day: How to Quit Smoking
Are you a smoker? Would you rather not be? Then, read on as Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) Chair of Internal Medicine and Pulmonologist Dr. Katherine Bi walks you through our hospital’s smoking cessation program.
It’s not exactly news that smoking is unhealthy. In the West, many people know from the graphic images and bold lettering on cigarette packaging that smoking kills. In China, however, you can buy cigarettes without affronting information on them, so we’ll get Dr. Bi to remind you. “Smoking is very bad for you – not only for the lungs but for the whole body,” she says.
In a nutshell, smoking can cause lung disease (including lung cancer and COPD), cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease. But that doesn’t stop over 300 million people in China from lighting up (1). So vast is the problem that a 2015 study predicted that 20% of adult male deaths in China this decade would be the result of smoking (2).
So, what can you do if you're a smoker? Dr. Bi explains: “Clearly, smoking damages your health. As soon as you stop smoking, you can stop the damage immediately.” In honor of World No Tobacco Day, we’ll take you through the process.
The first step you can take is to pick a day to quit smoking and go cold turkey from that day on. “In theory, we encourage patients to stop smoking immediately – that’s ideal,” says Dr. Bi. “But I know some smokers would prefer gradually reducing their per-day cigarette consumption until they gradually stop. I know some people who do that. That’s better than nothing – but, in theory, we encourage patients to stop smoking completely.”
Call the doctor
If you’ve tried and failed to quit smoking by yourself, you can consider seeing your doctor for some help. “In BJU we have had a smoking cessation program for many years. It is a multidisciplinary service,” explains Dr. Bi. At BJU, you can see Dr. Bi herself, who is a pulmonologist; Dr. Lucy Gao from Family Medicine; Cardiologist, Dr. Shuling Bai; and Family Medicine Physician and addiction specialist, Dr. Joseph Donroe.
The first step in the program is a doctor’s visit. “Doctors will talk to patients who would like to quit smoking as the first step. This is a face-to-face consultation. Then, the doctor will provide phone consultation as a follow up several times to try to see what’s going on and try to work out the issue,” explains Dr. Bi. She adds that patients may also choose to see a psychologist to help them quit smoking, as some patients may need professional psychological support.
Medication
If counseling alone proves insufficient, patients may also consider medication. “BJU provides medication to patients who want to do smoking cessation. It makes you not want to smoke,” says Dr. Bi. “Some people don’t need the medicine but some people do. Of course, the medicine has some side effects, so the doctor will have to follow up with the patient and closely monitor the side effects from the medicine,” she explains.
The prognosis
How will you feel as you embark on your journey to a healthier you? “In the long run, quitting smoking is absolutely good for your health, but probably, in the beginning, because your body has to adjust itself when you suddenly stop smoking, of course, you will have some imbalances. Your body needs to find a way to have a new balance,” explains Dr. Bi.
This imbalance comes at a chemical level. “The body has been used to lots of nicotine stimulus for a long time. This is especially the case in the brain. So, when you stop smoking, your brain has a sudden lack of stimuli. Then, it has to adjust hormonally to a lack of stimuli from the nicotine,” says Dr. Bi. This means that people who quit smoking may suffer from gain weight and psychological issues like depression. To combat this, your doctor may encourage you to exercise more, depending on your physical condition. Exercise can help with issues like depression and has the advantage of combating weight-gain, too.
The long run
Quitting smoking can be a tough slog, but it’s worth it. “Don’t just think about yourself and the quality of your life when you are older, think also about your family members’ health. Smoking is also not good for them. Secondary smoking is also damaging to people’s health,” says Dr. Bi.
Today is World No Tobacco Day. Take this opportunity to start your journey to a smoke-free you!
Dr. Katherine Bi is the Chair of Internal Medicine at Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU). She is also a highly experienced pulmonologist and ICU physician. To make an appointment with her or another BJU physician, please call the BJU Service Center at 4008-919191.
(1) www.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/opinion/china-and-the-toll-of-smoking.html
(2) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)00340-2/abstract
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