If a person smoked for 50yrs,then stopped,would it do more harm, as they had been used to nicotine for so long

Answer 1

No, the body starts healing the harm cigarattes have caused just as soon as you stop smoking.

There can be side effects, though: I found myself with a lingering caugh and my voice was not so clear for a while, I could not hit my high notes in the choir... Doctor said it was all normal and would settle; it has.

Giving up IS beneficial.

Answer 2

Hmmm - an interesting case.

As the question does not give the age of the person, I will base my answer on a median of 65 years of age. (i.e. the person in question started smoking at 15 years of age).

These days, 65-80 years of age is not old, but there are certain conditions that become more serious as one ages - high blood pressure is one case in point. However, the psychological comfort that is derived from smoking tobacco is often more important to the person than the possible medical consequences.

I would suggest that if the person is a pipe smoker, giving up may have psychological consequences that negate any physical advantages. Ultimately, this is a matter for health professionals, so your Doctor is the person to give the final verdict. He is tied by the various legislative measures that are anti-smoking, so do not be surprised if he even bans the inhalation of the smoke from a bonfire. Then watch as he drives his BMW from his surgery, and sticks the same PCBs into the atmosphere that us smokers inhale from our pipes.

Answer 3

I started at 14 quit at 50, almost 13 years ago, in the interim I survived colon cancer with no chemo (10 yr so far) and today can beat my kids (and grand kids) to the top of my waterfall in a rock climb.... I laugh at Viagra ads and enjoy a nice red meat diet rife with salt and cholesterol, but the latest physical exam shows BP low for my age, as are HDL/LDL hemo-contents.
Unfortunately life is a genetic crapshoot... some people would have landed in their eggs by 40 with that lifestyle... I am thriving.
The nicotine addiction was VERY real, and took 3-4 years to finally subside completely.

Answer 4

I'm a nurse. This is tough. The person would have to have some form of nicotine in order to function. Rather it be patches or something like that. Unfortunately the damage is done and nothing can reverse it. I would recommend that going cold turkey isn't the answer, but cutting down.

Answer 5

This is a no brainer. The tar and poisons in cigarettes are just as harmful to an individual as they were 50 years ago. Nicotine is not in itself harmful, just the delivery method, so use patches or gum to manage the inevitable withdrawal symptoms. It's never too late to give up.

Answer 6

The withdrawal symptoms would be unpleasant, but the long term health benefits are great and on balance there are short term benefits. The main problem is that smoking paralyses the lungs built in cleaning mechanism. When this restarts, there's 50 years of muck to get rid of.

My grandmother gave up smoking when she was 60 and lived to 102.

Answer 7

I did it, I was up to 5 packs a day

Get some anti-Anxiety drugs from your Dr, You'll need it the first month

Odds are you will feel like crap for about a year

Cut back slowly like 1 or 2/day every week, allow your body time to readjust to the new lower levels

If at first you don't succeed; your only normal

Good luck, it's a tough road

Answer 8

An old friend of mine, smoking for 45 years, tried that last year. Fortunately he's still alive and smoking a little again.In between he lost the ability to walk more than few feet, his will to carry on and got a varicose vein in his penis. So there you go!

Answer 9

yes it does ....to them but not to the smoke phobics around them ...geese all the non smokers have more rights than the smoker its there choice as is yours you don't have to be there so get off your high almighty ...get a live and campaign for something worthwhile the smokers have paid for your free health treatment for years .....why don't you campaign against all these anti bacterial manufactures that are destroying your kids natural immune systems instead or the 4x4 drivers pumping out pollution by the gallon or nuclear fuel or the advertising companies etc etc smoking has been around for 400 yrs so look elsewhere for your ails and complaints ....non smoker......PS not to you just angry at some of the answers sorry

Answer 10

Bottom line. Smoking is bad and stopping after smoking for that length of time will throw your system out of whack. It is never to late to stop and add a few years to your life.