It’s a fact that cigarette smoking causes most cases of lung cancer. The sooner you quit, the more your chances are reduced of getting cancer and other diseases. Did you know that just 20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure drop? Also interesting is that just two weeks to three months after quitting, your circulation improves and lung function increases. Our bodies respond when we make healthy choices. Which is why quitting tobacco is a really great idea.

Make sure to discuss your smoking history with your primary care doctor whether you currently smoke of have quit. Like with most cancers, catching lung cancer in the early stages greatly improves your chances of a positive outcome. Depending on how many years and how much you smoke or did smoke, your doctor may recommend that you have a lung cancer screening test. Outer Banks Health offers free low-dose CT lung cancer screenings to qualifying individuals. For more information, call 252-449-9102.