Last Updated on 18th August 2021 by Charlie Walsh
Stoptober is a 28-day quitting campaign that was created by Public Health England and is the largest mass quit attempt in the UK. The ethos behind that campaign is that if you quit smoking for 28 days, you are five times more likely to quit smoking for good. For those taking part in Stoptober 2019, there are also lots of supportive resources available to help you on your journey. This includes a quitting smoking app, regular emails, face to face local help and community help through Facebook groups and forums. You can also track your progress with personal quit plans which tell you how much money you have saved, how to recognise smoking triggers such as drinking alcohol and the daily benefits to your health.
In addition to the obvious benefits of quitting smoking this Stoptober, we wanted to explore the other advantages of quitting smoking such as the effect that this may have on your sexual health and overall confidence.
Stopping smoking can make you feel more attractive
Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but it is no secret that smoking can stain your teeth and leaves a lingering unpleasant smell which quite often, smokers are immune to. Once you quit smoking, this can help to whiten your smile and increases blood flow to the skin which can help to brighten your complexion and boost your confidence. Without the strong odour of cigarettes following you around, your natural pheromones are no longer masked which can help to make you more attractive to the opposite sex too.
Stopping smoking can help you to become aroused faster
For many years’ reports have claimed that both male and female smokers experienced decreased sexual arousal and low sexual appetites. Sexual arousal requires a good level of blood circulation throughout the body. However, smoking negatively affects blood circulation by constricting the blood vessels and hindering the levels of blood supply required to achieve arousal. Quitting smoking can help to improve circulation in the long term and lead to faster arousal and more satisfying sex for both men and women.
Stopping smoking can help you to achieve a stronger erection
Smoking damages the blood vessels and erectile dysfunction is often caused by poor arterial blood supply to the penile tissues. Even during perfect health, it is normal to have difficulty achieving an erection in some circumstances and this is more likely to increase as the male gets older. However in younger men, impotence or erectile dysfunction is far more likely to happen to a male who smokes. For heavy smokers, the odds of this happening at a younger age are much higher but can be improved by quitting smoking. However, this does depend on your age, overall health and severity of erectile dysfunction.
Stopping smoking helps to increase your sexual performance
If you have ever experienced a lull in energy after smoking a cigarette, this is because smoking causes an increase of carbon dioxide which contributes to a lack of oxygen within the body. Oxygen is responsible for carrying up to 90% of our energy around the body and therefore, it is a highly important requirement for optimum sexual health. Smoking also affects the lungs because it creates excess mucus in the lung passages and narrows the airways so that it is harder to breathe. Those who continue to smoke will experience a loss of stamina and shortness of breath during sexual intercourse. By quitting smoking this Stoptober, you can improve your sexual stamina and improve your sexual performance.
Stopping smoking can increase your sexual pleasure
With smoking causing pressure on the respiratory system, the heart, contributing to shortness of breath and adversely affecting the libido, it’s no wonder that one study goes as far to label the cigarette as an abusive third member of a relationship.
When you put all these factors together, it is quite clear that the effects of smoking have a serious impact on all aspects of your relationship and your sex life. For example, one study talks about an increase in resentment between couples where one party smokes. This is due to the high cost of smoking, the unpleasant odour and concern for the health of the other party. This can have an adverse effect on intimacy between couples and play its part in a loss of libido. However, it isn’t all bad news for smokers.
As soon as you finish your last cigarette, you body begins to repair itself and can reverse the damage caused by smoking. For example, just 72 hours after your last cigarette, the bronchial tubes inside the lungs start to relax and open up more. This helps to reduce shortness of breath and improve stamina during physical activities such as sex. Two weeks after quitting smoking, blood flow around the body improves and your ability to achieve and maintain an erection will begin to increase. An increase in blood flow to the sexual organs also helps to increase sexual pleasure and intensify orgasm, so sex feels even more pleasurable.
Where to get help with quitting smoking
Before making any changes to your lifestyle, it is important to speak to a health professional and get some advice. Lots of GP’s surgeries and Pharmacies have trained smoking cessation professionals onsite to give you all the advice you need to quit smoking permanently.
Good luck from all the team at Bathmate!
