It’s ten minutes before six, you wake up and before you walk out the bedroom, like yesterday, and the days before, you reach out for a pack of cigarette on the dresser. Your hands move as if they move on their own and there you are smoking your first cigarette. It’s like a mo09rning ritual, you can’t simply miss. But this morning habit may leave you at higher risk for cancer compared to those who wait longer before lighting their first cigarette of the day.
Smokers who light as soon as they walk out the bedroom are more addicted compered to others, a study says. Smoking early in the morning increases risk for head, neck, and lung cancers.
The research compared lung cancer patients with smokers who are cancer-free. The study suggests that smokers who light their first cigarette 31 – 60 minutes after they wake up in the morning are 1.3 times at higher risk for lung cancer than those smokers who delayed lighting up for at least an hour. On the other hand, those who smoked thirty minutes after getting out of bed have almost twice the risk.
In a separate study, the researchers compared smokers suffering from head and neck cancers with smokers devoid of these health conditions. Those who light 31 – 60 minutes right after getting up are 1.42 times at higher risk of these cancers than those who delayed smoking for more than an hour. And those who smoke within thirty minutes of waking up are 1.59 times more at risk of these cancers.
This can be attributed to the possibility that smokers are exposed to higher levels of nicotine and other compounds, leaving them more addicted than those smokers who delayed smoking for at least half an hour or more. It is a combination of personal and genetic factors that lead smokers to stronger nicotine dependence.
The study suggest the craving to smoke right after getting up in bed can increase the smoker’s risk for cancer. Smoking cessation programs that are particularly designed to address this early morning behavior or quitting smoking for good can help lessen the risks.
Quitting smoking lessens your risks for different diseases, from gum disease to the most feared cancers. The moment you quit smoking, your body starts to heal and repair the damages caused by smoking. Living a more active and healthier lifestyle increases your chance of recovery. For a more successful quit, you may want to avail of nicotine replacement therapies or prescription drugs (Chantix). Consult your doctor now to know your choices.
