If your New Year’s resolution is to finally quit smoking, it might be a good idea to start now. At Matthews Internal Medicine we can help patients in Charlotte, NC, and the surrounding areas with our smoking cessation programs and by offering the preventative care that they need. Quitting smoking is tough and it can take a while, but if you talk to one of our doctors now you may be able to leave the cigarettes behind before 2021 even begins.
Benefits of Quitting
Quitting isn’t easy, but there are so many good reasons to stop smoking. Smoking has obvious cosmetic effects. It can stain your teeth and fingers. Cigarettes smell bad to many people and that smell can get into everything in your home. That’s enough reason for some people to quit, especially at the urge of a partner.
More concerning, however, are the health effects of smoking. Smoking can make you more susceptible to certain types of cancer, including throat cancer and lung cancer. Quitting smoking can also help with heart disease prevention efforts. Smoking can have other detrimental health effects too, including adverse effects on your reproductive health. The American Medical Association has even found a link between smoking and complications from COVID-19.
When you quit smoking, you can help yourself avoid potentially deadly diseases and you’ll just feel better. Your clothes won’t smell and you won’t get winded walking up a flight of stairs. Our doctors can tell you more about the benefits of quitting smoking.
Smoking Cessation Methods
There are many ways that people try to quit smoking. Some go “cold turkey,” meaning that they drop cigarettes entirely and do their best to deal with the cravings. Others try to wean themselves off of nicotine by using replacements for cigarettes. Lozenges, patches, and gums can provide you with nicotine and help reduce your cravings for cigarettes.
Counseling can also help. Some studies even credit counseling with doubling your chances of quitting, because a support system can make that much of a difference.
Why Go to Our Doctors?
Our doctors can help with your smoking cessation efforts in a few key ways. First, they help you find the tools that you need and quit the way you want to. They offer you support the whole time and give you someone to talk to. Quitting smoking is hard! It helps to have someone to support you in your efforts.
Your doctor will hold you accountable and track your progress. If you fail, they are there to help you and get you back on track. There’s no reason to go it alone.
Your Smoking Cessation Experts near Charlotte, NC
If you want to quit smoking by New Year’s Eve, get started now. Schedule an appointment at Matthews Internal Medicine and talk to our smoking cessation experts today. We’ll do everything that we can to help you live a healthier life.