Arbor Health | Arbor Health and Life | Fall 2019

ARBOR HEALTH AND LIFE is brought to you by Arbor Health Foundation as a community service for the friends and patrons of ARBOR HEALTH, P.O. Box 1138, Morton, WA 98356, telephone 360-496-5112. Information in ARBOR HEALTH AND LIFE comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. 2019 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Thinking of joining the growing ranks of former smokers? If so, it’s one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself and your family. As you pick a quit date, you may have some last-minute worries You can do this! Q : Will I gain a lot of weight? A : Many former smokers do gain some weight, but it’s typically less than 10 pounds. And that’s not as bad for your health as continuing to smoke. While it’s more important to focus on quitting, you might be able to minimize weight gain at the same time. For example, snack- ing on healthy foods, like fruit or veggies, and taking walks can help you curb cravings and calories. Q : I’ve smoked a long time—what’s the use? A : No matter how long you’ve smoked, quitting now can help you live a healthier, longer life. Quitting smoking can also change other things about your life. For example, you can save a lot of money. And you won’t have to worry about when you’ll get your next cigarette break or if you smell like smoke. Q : How can I get through the cravings and withdrawals? A : Smoking urges and withdrawal symptoms, like feeling nervous or irritable, will lessen as time goes by. Until then, you might try some of these ideas when you feel the urge to smoke: Sip water, take short walks or take deep, relaxing breaths. Talk to a close friend when you’re feeling stressed. Ask your doctor about nicotine replacement aids, such as nicotine patches or gums. Q : Can I really do this? A : Absolutely! Millions of people have already quit smoking. If they can do it, so can you. The most important thing is to not give up. In fact, most people have to try to quit a few times before they can finally stop smoking for good. So even if you’ve tried before and weren’t able to quit, you should still try again. about giving up the habit. Robin Rice, PA-C, of the Randle Clinic, answers four common questions that people have about quit- ting smoking. 4 common questions Nagging doubts about quitting smoking + HERE TO HELP! Your primary care pro- vider can help you be- come a nonsmoker. Call the Mossyrock Clinic at 360-983-8990 or Randle Clinic at 360-497-3333 . Robin Rice, PA-C, Randle Clinic MYARBORHEALTH.ORG 4