Listen to your body

Smoking has many effects on your body and perhaps you’re already noticing signs and sounds that could lead to serious harm.  If you’re feeling worried, book an appointment with a GP.

A phlegmy cough

The chemicals in cigarette smoke can damage the microscopic hairs in your airways which are responsible for helping keep your lungs clean. When they’re damaged, they can’t clean your airways, and that’s why you're coughing up phlegm.

If you have a persistent cough, this could be an early sign of a long-term lung disease like chronic bronchitis or emphysema.

+Click to see how breathlessness can impact your daily life
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Quitting smoking is the single most important thing you can do to slow the progression of these types of lung diseases, or prevent them entirely.

Wheezy breathing

If you have a wheeze that isn’t going away, don’t ignore it.

Wheezing could be the first observable sign of emphysema or chronic bronchitis.

With emphysema, the poisons in tobacco smoke damage the lungs by narrowing the tiny airways, making it harder to get air in and out.

With chronic bronchitis, small particles in tobacco smoke irritate your airways and create a build-up of mucus. This causes you to cough and wheeze.

These diseases get worse over time and can stop you doing the things you love most.

The best action you can take to keep your lungs healthy is to quit smoking.

Gum disease

People who smoke are at a higher risk of gum disease, losing teeth, tooth decay and experiencing complications after dental procedures.

These issues are serious and harder to treat the longer you smoke. Quitting sooner can help reduce the impact of smoking on your oral health.

DRosenbach (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Long term effects of smoking

When you smoke, the impact on your body adds up and can lead to the development of many serious conditions. The good news is, as soon as you quit, your body starts to repair itself.

Find out your level of
nicotine addiction

Nicotine is the ingredient in tobacco which makes it so addictive and is why you want to keep smoking. By taking this quiz, you can find out how dependant on nicotine you are, and the tips and strategies you can use to start your quitting journey.

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8 - 10 High to very high dependence   

Your answers indicate you may have a high addiction to nicotine, but don’t worry, you can quit! A great place to start is chatting to your doctor or pharmacist to find out if nicotine replacement therapy is right for you. For free, personalised quitting advice, talk to the Quitline by phone or webchat. You can also read more about quit methods and then figure out what’s right for you.

Craving a hit of nicotine might not be the only reason you find yourself reaching for a cigarette.

Do you have a cigarette when you are stressed, during ‘me time’, with your morning coffee or while watching TV? Your emotions and habits can also trigger cravings.

Take a look at these common triggers to smoke and you will find some simple lifestyle changes that can help you beat your cravings and increase your chances of quitting.

5 - 7  Medium to high dependence 

Your answers indicate that you may have a moderate addiction to nicotine. Get started by chatting to your doctor or pharmacist to find out if nicotine replacement therapy is right for you. For free, personalised quitting advice, talk to the Quitline by phone or webchat or download the MyQuitBuddy app. You can also read more about quit methods and then figure out what’s right for you.

Craving a hit of nicotine might not be the only reason you find yourself reaching for a cigarette.

Do you have a cigarette when you are stressed, during ‘me time’, with your morning coffee or while watching TV? Your emotions and habits can also trigger cravings.

Take a look at these common triggers to smoke and you will find some simple lifestyle changes that can help you beat your cravings and increase your chances of quitting.

3 - 4  Low to medium dependence

Your answers indicate that you may have a low to moderate addiction to nicotine. Get started by reading about the different quit methods and then figure out what’s right for you.  For free, personalised quitting advice, talk to the Quitline by phone or webchat or download the MyQuitBuddy app.

Craving a hit of nicotine might not be the only reason you find yourself reaching for a cigarette.

Do you have a cigarette when you are stressed, during ‘me time’, with your morning coffee or while watching TV? Your emotions and habits can also trigger cravings.

Take a look at these common triggers to smoke and you will find some simple lifestyle changes that can help you beat your cravings and increase your chances of quitting.

1 - 2  Low dependence

Your answers indicate that you may have a low addiction to nicotine. You still have a higher risk of cancer and other smoking-related illnesses, but you are in a great position to quit smoking immediately. Get started here.

Hear from past smokers who listened to their body and quit smoking

Quitting smoking is hard, but with the right support and motivation you can achieve your goal.

Is your body telling you it’s time to quit?

If you’ve noticed these symptoms, it’s important to book an appointment to visit a GP. Even if you haven’t, quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health, and you’ll save a lot of money.