Everyone knows about the ill effects of smoking, but not all about the mechanism of recovery and return to life without bad habits. This is an understanding of all the processes that take place in the body that can serve as additional motivation in the fight against nicotine addiction. Let’s think about how it happens and what causes smoking cessation and what to do to make it as comfortable as possible to break with addiction.
What happens to your body when you quit smoking?
Quit smoking before the onset of irreversible pathological processes, a person can, even for a long time, be able to restore his own health. Complete recovery of the body even after a short use of tobacco products but still takes 5 to 10 years. However, early signs of performance improvement can be seen after a few days.
To do this, it is necessary to note on paper all the sensations that occur during smoking cessation. By keeping a daily smoking cessation diary, you can ensure all changes occur daily. It is also a way to create good motivation for yourself, to celebrate every local success in this difficult endeavor.
Next, we will tell you in more detail how all the organs and systems are restored.
How does the condition of internal organs change?
Quitting smoking completely has a beneficial effect on the human body, but not all changes are visible to the naked eye. Let's look at some of them:
- Blood pressure decreases, the risk of myocardial infarction decreases several times.
- The walls of blood vessels are strengthened, organs are enriched with oxygen.
- Bronchi heals, lungs are cleared of viscous sputum - it becomes easier to breathe, shortness of breath and annoying cough.
- The chances of getting cancer, including the most common diseases of this type, lung cancer, are reduced.
- The sense of smell and taste are restored.
- The liver is cleansed after prolonged exposure to toxic substances.
- The risk of sudden death is reduced by 10 times.
This is just the main part of what happens after quitting smoking, because almost all organs of smokers recover from the influence of toxins and carcinogens contained in tobacco smoke.
External changes in the body after quitting smoking
Women are most interested in what happens when you quit smoking with your appearance. We hasten to answer that life without cigarettes will only bring about a positive change in your appearance. Visual improvement can be seen within 4-6 weeks. First of all, the skin becomes healthier, the grayish color disappears due to the fact that toxins no longer enter the body and blood is saturated with oxygen.
Teeth become whiter without being affected by the tar found in tobacco products. The yellowish tone that accompanies every smoker disappears from the fingers.
After 6 months, women notice the strengthening of hair follicles and, as a result, a decrease in hair loss, an increase in their appearance. Without being exposed to tar and toxins, the skin of the body improves thanks to the natural production of collagen, which is no longer prevented by smoking.
Quit smoking: what happens in the bodies of men and women
The reproductive function of a human being suffers from smoking no less than the cardiovascular or lung system. But stopping the intake of toxic substances contained in cigarettes in time will preserve the health of women and men. Thus, women, in addition to the general increase, can see the following changes in the body after quitting smoking:
- Normalization of hormone levels, because the toxins contained in tobacco smoke, which adversely affect the hormonal balance in a woman's body, will no longer be supplied.
- Improves facial skin condition and reduces the risk of premature aging due to normalization of collagen production.
- There is a high probability of getting pregnant and giving birth to a healthy baby.
For men, breaking up with bad habits will improve their sexual function. This happens not only to increase the potential, increase the duration of sexual intercourse, but also the ability to reproduce healthy offspring.
The most common negative consequences of quitting smoking
A large number of people who have tried to overcome their own nicotine addiction, first of all, notice not a positive, but a negative change. This is not surprising, because from the cessation of nicotine intake in a person, withdrawal syndrome occurs - a kind of withdrawal. To find out what to prepare for, consider what happens after you quit smoking:
- From the nervous system: increased irritability, decreased concentration, depression, restlessness, poor sleep quality or insomnia, general weakness and rapid fatigue.
- From the gastrointestinal tract: nausea, increased sharp appetite, abdominal pain.
- In the respiratory system: increased cough with the release of dark sputum.
- In the ENT organs: sweating or "bump" sensation in the throat, nasal congestion, slightly runny nose.
All of these symptoms can be reduced by giving your body support.
How to maintain immunity in the body?
The immune system immediately responds to changes associated with cessation of nicotine intake, and often in the early stages this reaction is the opposite of what is expected. There is often an argument that I do not smoke for a month, and that I often get sick compared to while smoking. Former smokers become more susceptible to various viruses and spread them easily, this is associated with body restructuring. Therefore, steps should be taken to strengthen the immune system. Therefore, in the process of giving tobacco products, doctors advise taking a multivitamin complex, in which all the vitamins and trace elements needed are balanced.
Also, traditional medicine recipes will not be superfluous in this case. Echinacea tincture, ginseng, green tea with honey and lemon will be useful helpers.
Please note that it is not recommended to use medication when parting with bad habits.
How to help the lungs?
The lungs and bronchi are especially exposed to tobacco smoke, so you should help them clear the thick phlegm as soon as possible. To do this, you need to take plenty of fluids. Regular stationary water is very suitable. Also, attention must be paid to humidity in the home. Dry air is known to prevent productive coughing, thus slowing down the cleaning process.
Herbs and syrups based on them are good alternatives to synthetic mucolytics. A budget and effective option is licorice root syrup. You can also use a mixture of herbs lungwort, horsetail, banana, elecampane and elderberry in the form of tea. Therefore, during smoking cessation, changes in the body, i. e. the organs of the respiratory system, will experience minimal discomfort.
How to deal with nervous system disorders associated with breaking bad habits in the first month?
A large number of negative reactions felt by a former smoker to himself fall on the nervous system. Thus, almost everyone records a depressed state, and in some cases even a depressed state. If you think about what happens when you quit smoking every day, then the nervous system is suffering more than others at an early stage.
As we mentioned above, taking medication at the time of smoking cessation is highly undesirable, but this rule does not apply to sedatives, which can effectively relieve stress on the psyche. However, the medication can only be used as directed by a doctor.
Herbalists should make soothing ingredients such as motherwort, mint, and valerian as tea or take in tablet form.
What can be done to prevent smoking from weight gain?
Special attention should be paid to diet so that changes after quitting smoking do not affect weight. Weight gain is the result of increased appetite and, if you do not take this problem seriously, you can gain a lot of weight. Often this statement scares women who smoke, forcing them to abandon the idea of quitting bad habits.
A diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits should be included in the diet during the withdrawal period. Fiber can withstand hunger perfectly, and will allow you to feel full for a long time. You should also exclude the use of spicy and fatty foods, and also be careful with desserts and pastries. The same can be said of lollipops and seeds, which are a substitute for cigarettes for many. They should prefer apples, carrots, or a glass of clean water.
What happens when you quit smoking every day?
One can feel the first result of fighting addiction in the first few days. Moreover, during this period, the most accurate reaction is a negative reaction, which, as a positive one, should be included in the smoker's diary (if any) to get an overview, strengthen the spirit and understand what has been and is not broken. So, what are the risks of quitting smoking during the day:
- 1 day: appetite is disturbed, apathy occurs.
- Day 2: anxiety appears, insomnia may appear.
- Day 3: the urge to smoke becomes very strong.
- Day 4: cough increases with sputum discharge.
- Day 5: there is a constant feeling of hunger.
- Day 6: Depression can develop.
- Day 7: Gradual withdrawal syndrome.
At the same time, the pulse and pressure are stable, the risk of heart attack decreases, olfactory senses are improved, and organs are saturated with oxygen.
Changes in the body after quitting smoking, which occur in a month, a year
For someone who stops smoking, the effects on the body every day are just the beginning of a long recovery path, lasting for several years. However, this is the most productive first year, because during this period the maximum number of changes occurs, which is reflected not only in appearance, but also in the general condition of the former smoker:
- Lung volume increases, fatigue increases and shortness of breath during physical exercise disappears.
- Physical and psychological dependence on cigarettes is gone.
- The risk of developing cardiovascular disease is significantly reduced.
- Skin looks more attractive, premature aging is prevented.
- Hair becomes shiny, nails are stronger.
- Affected liver cells are restored.
- Cough and hoarse voice disappear.
At this stage, we can say that dependence has disappeared.
What is the best method for throwing hard or gradually?
This is a question that often arises among smokers with various experiences. There is an opinion that it is necessary to fight addiction based on your own addiction period. However, most doctors argue that quitting smoking will not bring positive results. Thus, the smoker's habit does not disappear, and the body continues to demand nicotine. Therefore, the best solution is the complete and firm rejection of tobacco products. While smokers along the way will face the difficulties we have described above, in the end he will take care of the most valuable thing - health.
But there are some cases when it does not work suddenly to break with addiction. This is true for heavy smokers who take an average of 1. 5-2 packs a day. In this case, it is necessary to try to reduce the amount of smoke methodically until it stops completely in a month.
As you can see, there will be many obstacles to a healthy and nicotine-free life. The main thing is to understand that they are all temporary, and assure yourself that these temporary difficulties will not allow you to retreat before the main purpose - to be free from nicotine.