Most smokers, sooner or later, make the conscious decision to say goodbye to their addiction once and for all.
Quitting smoking - health problems began - this problem is often faced by ex-smokers.
For people who take nicotine for a long time, the road to recovery will not be easy.
Adapting to life without artificial stimulants has its own side effects, medically called nicotine withdrawal.
Living a life of breaking a bad habit has many consequences.
Problems after quitting smoking
Quitting smoking leads to nicotine withdrawal symptoms. The reason is the release of toxic substances from the body 3 weeks after smoking the last cigarette.
Manifestations:
- Irresistible craving for nicotine;
- limb tremor;
- Inconsistency of mood;
- The manifestation of malice;
- Troubled sleep;
- Excessive consumption of sugary foods;
- Low performance.
There is a cough with sputum - a symptom of purification of the respiratory system from toxic substances. The bronchi are involved in the body's cleansing process. In cases of strong dependence, the smoker's body temperature rises, sweating occurs.
The side effects associated with smoking cessation affect the nervous system.
In the absence of the opportunity to smoke a cigarette, depressive states occur. The disease covers the entire body due to the cessation of endorphin release. Temporary depression is important to survive so as not to break the rejection of a bad habit.
There is a decrease in immunity, infections appear. For a long time, the mucous membranes were shrouded in smoke (called an antiseptic), as a result of conditions for the development of harmful microflora.
A major problem is shortness of breath. It occurs due to lack of nicotine. It passes for a certain period of time.
The result of quitting smoking is a malfunction in the intestines. Motility is impaired. Consequences for the smoker:
- Problematic emptying.
- Large volume gas formation.
- Constant heartburn.
- Significant weight gain.
The increase in extra pounds is not directly related to cigarette rejection. People simply start consuming an unusual amount of food to improve their mood, maintain vitality.
Sweet foods help to deal with persistent stress. Together, all these circumstances lead to the appearance of excess weight. Control will play a big role in maintaining appearance and health.
Physical activity does not remain at the same level after quitting. Weakness in the body is felt, mobility is reduced, hand tremor is observed, breathing can be confused with the breathing of a person suffering from asthma.
Those who stop smoking experience difficulties in the intimate part of life due to a decrease in mood and a constant state of tension.
Before quitting a bad habit, you need to make a final decision.
How to get rid of emerging problems
Recommendations for people suffering from nicotine addiction:
- Introduction to the usual form of sports exercises (helps to improve mood and figure);
- Reception of vitamin complexes (to prevent cold infections);
- Proper care of the oral cavity and teeth;
- Eat bland foods containing vitamins and minerals;
- Introduce small amounts of caffeinated foods into the diet (no more than 2 cups of the drink per day);
- Frequent walks in the fresh air (will help with shortness of breath).
Side effects appear individually. For many people, symptoms are mild.
Quitting smoking - headache
It is difficult to kick the habit, as any change to the body is stress, even with a healing effect. When a person quits smoking, he or she begins to suffer from headache, tinnitus, dizziness, pain in the abdomen and chest, and the urge to feel sick.
The headache is accompanied by general weakness in the body, loss of sleep and appetite. The entire vegetative system of the body suffers.
The listed symptoms are combined by experts into a characteristic as broad as the "withdrawal syndrome", whose manifestations lead to mental disorders. Work capacity decreases, the smoker becomes irritable, aggression appears in his behavior.
At the beginning of quitting nicotine addiction, primary symptoms appear, associated with the process of cleaning the brain vessels of harmful carcinogens compounds, the oxygen level rapidly increases, which leads to unpleasant sensations. The state of the heart and blood vessels changes, which leads to an increase in blood pressure and pain in the temples and neck.
In addition to the physiological ones, there are also psychological causes of pain when quitting nicotine:
- The smoker is not morally ready to part with a cigarette, the body begins to fall into a stressful state;
- Renunciation of any vice is accompanied by strong feelings;
- If a person calmed down only with the help of a cigarette, then, having missed this opportunity, he begins to get angry, panic, from which pressure increases and sensations of pain appear in the brain.
Headaches in a smoker who has decided to stop smoking can be accompanied by more serious symptoms: distraction, shortness of breath and, interestingly, cough. If a person has just thought about the fact that it is time to stop smoking, at this stage he may begin to experience health problems.
Nicotine is a drug, the refusal to use it will be accompanied by "withdrawal" with the consequent consequences.
The pain in the head of a nicotine addict who has decided to overcome his addiction will be of a different nature: the pain is painful, sharp, throbbing, alternating with attacks, aggravated during physical activity. Some patients, to get rid of obsessive headaches, need to use painkillers, otherwise they will have to put up with it for several days.
If you quit smoking and your chest hurts
Chest pain in people who have stopped smoking is associated with many causes, some of which need treatment.
The main ones include:
- After quitting smoking, the lungs begin to function normally and a repair process appears in them.
- Lack of nicotine after an abrupt interruption of its intake in the body.
- With an alkaline balance in the blood, a process of hyperventilation begins in the lungs.
- Due to bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Pneumonia, angina.
- The initial process of oncology.
- Peptic ulcer, gastritis.
It stands to reason that the first reason belongs to the common reason, people who want to quit smoking have a long history. The body will take a long time to remove the tobacco tar, soot and mucus accumulated over the years from the lungs.
Epithelial cells begin to renew themselves, the protective functions of cilia are restored, and activity in the respiratory system is normalized. This leads to discomfort in the body. Tobacco has a bad effect on the condition of all organs.
During smoke ingestion, the respiratory and digestive organs are affected by toxins. Because of this, the mucous membrane becomes irritated, which leads to the formation of an ulcer.
With the active removal of toxins from the body, the intensity of the heart increases. This leads to high blood pressure, wear and tear of heart valves and muscles. Lack of oxygen, increased levels of toxins, high stress on the heart all help in the onset of coronary heart disease and angina pectoris.
proper medical diagnosis
To determine the source of chest pain, the therapist will examine the patient, listen for heartbeat and respiratory rate, measure blood pressure and pulse. Based on all this, he will appoint a proper medical examination. You will need to undergo CT scan, ECG, X-ray, FGDS.
If the doctor has suggestions about heart problems, he will refer the patient for an ECG. With its help, the presence of angina pectoris, abnormal heart activity, myocardial infarction is determined. For lung and rib problems, a chest X-ray is prescribed.
He will disprove or confirm a broken rib or pneumonia. If the x-ray doesn't give a specific answer, you will need to have an ultrasound and a CT scan.
Problems in the gastrointestinal tract will help determine the FEGDS. A mandatory measure in the diagnosis of chest pain is a complete blood count. This will indicate possible inflammation in the body.
what is forbidden to do
For people who have stopped smoking, the onset of pain is an unpleasant consequence, especially for those who have not experienced it in the past. This leads to thoughts of going back to smoking.
The disappearance of unpleasant sensations will not be definitive, they will return, and treatment cannot be avoided, tobacco smoke will have a harmful effect on the body. This will lead to the progression of the old disease, to the emergence of a new one.
There is no need to neglect going to the hospital and having an exam. With the help of an X-ray of the lungs, one can learn at an early stage about the appearance of malignant neoplasms, and various tests will give a complete picture of the state of health.
You cannot refuse the treatment offered by the doctor. This will lead to disastrous consequences.
How smoking affects a person's weight
Nicotine, which causes addiction to cigarettes, is a central nervous system stimulant. A powerful drug that speeds up metabolism, constricts blood vessels and makes the heart beat faster.
The consequences of smoking include weight gain, the absence of nicotine slows down metabolism.
This means that by eating the same amount of food as before, you can improve. For each person, these processes occur individually.
Implications for metabolism
Nicotine, directly increases metabolism, increases the calories burned by the body - at rest, with direct exposure.
Most people have a heart rate of up to 20 beats per minute immediately after a cigarette.
The body receives a stimulating effect, which leads to heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks.
When you stop smoking, processes return to normal activity quickly. This problem occurs when smokers continue to eat a lot of food, as they used to, while smoking.
Metabolism returns to normal, can not cope with the number of calories - kilograms appear. The risk of weight gain is nothing compared to losing a bad habit. On average, a person gains 3-4 kg.
Some may take longer. Most return to normal weight after one year.
It is impossible to say how much each smoker will end up gaining pounds. It depends on sex, age, activity level, nutrition and genetic predisposition.
Most people will lose excess weight as their bodies adjust to a nicotine-free life. For others, it will take effort. For some, weight gain is a permanent occurrence.
Is It Possible to Gain Weight and Why You're Gaining It
When a person quits smoking, the taste buds change, it seems that the food has become tastier. The desire to eat arises more often.
Smoking, smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, consumed 200 calories, which is equivalent to a sandwich or a glass of soda.
Many get better because they are used to smoking cigarettes after eating. Now the cigarette is replaced by an increase in the volume of food.
You need to keep the weight off, not try to lose weight. There is a "withdrawal syndrome". Previously, under stress, a cigarette was smoked, now the brain asks to replace the cigarette with something else - food.
Nicotine hunger is similar to natural hunger, a person, without realizing it, eats everything that comes to mind. Treats will be a substitute for cigarettes.
Anger, frustration, depression and stress are other withdrawal symptoms. This causes people to eat more than usual.
How to replace the smoking habit
For seven out of 10 people who gain weight, the reason is to eat more calories. The feeling of hunger increases as the appetite increases and the taste buds recover. This will pass after the first 3-4 weeks.
Eating unhealthy snacks full of sugar and fat will be accompanied by an increase in inches in your waistline. Having decided to quit smoking, it's important to make a snack plan throughout the day.
When you feel hungry, choose one of the following low-fat, low-calorie options:
- Fresh fruit/dried fruit;
- natural popcorn;
- Low-fat yogurt;
- chopped carrots/peppers/celery;
- Diluted with water, natural fruit juice;
- Oatmeal Biscuits/Cookies;
- Bakery products made from whole grain flour.
Remember that 100 extra calories a day will add 0. 5 kg of fat per month.
Some ideas on how to reduce meals by 100 calories at a time:
- Choose tuna canned in brine or fresh water instead of oil;
- Instead of mayonnaise, add tomato slices, lettuce, pepper to the sandwich;
- Switch from whole milk to skimmed or skimmed milk;
- If you can't give up sweets, eat a third of your usual portion after breakfast;
- Preparing low-fat salads;
- Make homemade smoothies with fruit and skim milk;
- Replace sugar with sweeteners;
- It is better to eat more fruit than chocolate or ice cream;
- Another way to cut 100 calories is to exercise more.