Smoking is an unhealthy habit that can be hard to break. While we’ve all heard of the many ways quitting can be made possible—cold turkey, medications, nicotine patches and gum, or therapy—it often comes down to one’s determination and ability to make changes.

It is important to understand that it is never too late to quit smoking. Even if you’ve tried to quit before and haven’t accomplished it, you can still find success quitting in the future. Stacy Raviv, MD, a NorthShore pulmonologist, gives her insight on how quitting can improve your health:

• Decrease risk of cancer. Smoking is one of the leading causes of cancer. Quitting can help greatly reduce your risk of getting lung and other cancers.

• Limit loss of lung function, reduce cough and shortness of breath. Smoking greatly impacts your respiratory system. Quitting may make it easier to breath, exercise and stay active.  It may also prevent progressive worsening of one’s breathing over time.
• Improve bothersome asthma and allergies. If you are a smoker and suffer from asthma or allergies, you may notice a significant change in your symptoms once you quit smoking. Smoke is often considered an irritant and trigger of allergy and asthma symptoms.
• Decrease blood pressure. Smoking can impact your heart and blood vessels, causing elevated blood pressure and an increased heart rate. These factors can lead to other heart problems, including heart disease and atherosclerosis.
• Decrease your risk for heart attack and stroke. While most smokers do not actually develop lung cancer or even emphysema, heart attacks and strokes are very common diseases made even more common by smoking.
• Stay alive and healthy for those you care about. They will thank you for it.

Have you tried to quit smoking? What methods worked for you? What didn’t?