Therefore, it would be naive to believe that giving up this bad habit will go unnoticed.
The problem of smoking is taken up by doctors of specialties - narcologist and psychotherapist (psychologist). This is explained by the fact that when quitting smoking, a person has to face the problems of physical and psychological addiction to cigarettes. If the patient is not an avid smoker, then the body rehabilitation process is quite easy and simple (almost invisible). If the patient is an experienced smoker and at the same time his daily rate was one pack, or even two a day, then quitting smoking (and even a sharp cessation of smoking) can lead to a stressful situation.
Let’s take a closer look at what happens to a smoker’s body after quitting a bad habit?
What can affect the body's recovery process?
How difficult and how long the process of recovery and renewal of the body will take depends entirely on the smoker himself, or rather on:
- his smoking history;
- gender;
- age;
- presence of background and chronic diseases;
- state of the immune system;
- individual characteristics of the patient's body.
For some patients the process is faster, for others it is delayed, but on average it takes about a year to "cure".
Prepare for: the unpleasant aspects of quitting smoking
Quitting smoking can have a number of unpleasant sensations, but all are temporary and are a normal reaction of the body during restructuring and nicotine-free functioning. In medicine, this period is called withdrawal syndrome (popularly - fragile), and does not threaten the body in any way. During body rehabilitation, the following symptoms may occur (but this is not necessary, and therefore you should not listen to and look for these signs in yourself):
- ardent desire to smoke;
- slight dizziness; irritability
- , lack of power to expect or tolerate anything;
- depressive state or depressive state;
- obsessive anxiety;
- rapid fatigue;
- slow heartbeat;
- skin rashes (irritation, acne);
- inflammation of the oral mucosa;
- sore throat;
- nasal discharge;
- sleep disorders;
- persistent hunger;
- stomach cramps;
- persistent cough.
These are the most common illnesses during the recovery period of the body, but it is not at all necessary for all of the above symptoms (or even some of them) to appear in you.
Recovery period can also be associated with a decline in immunity, and therefore, in the first two months, smokers are prone to viral and colds. And this is quite understandable, because the body adapts to the new conditions of existence, and therefore immunity can not give a worthy removal of viruses.
Over the years of smoking, your body has become accustomed to functioning in a way of constantly supplying nicotine, and in order for the body to adapt to new (well forgotten old) working conditions, it will take time andthe more you smoke, the more you have to wait.
What can make the body recovery process easier?
The body's recovery process can be slightly facilitated by filling life with pleasant sensations and joyful events - this stimulates the production of the pleasure hormone (dopamine).
To calm the nervous system, you can take sedatives - a solution of valerian, lemon grass and ginseng, a cocktail of decoctions of the mother plant and chamomile. Sports (moderate physical activity - rejection of the elevator and climbing stairs, classes in the pool, walking and cycling in a pine or forest forest, walking, outdoor games) and hobbies (some prefer to "let work with the head"). And instead of cigarettes, take seeds or nuts - this is a useful alternative to nicotine, they contain minerals and substances necessary for the body that help fight toxins.
For faster recovery of the respiratory system, try to limit contact with home and office equipment (they interfere with the lung cleansing process) or buy an air ionizer.
To maintain immunity, it is recommended to avoid withdrawals and walks in cold and wet weather; fill the lack of vitamins with fruit or take vitamin and mineral complexes. It will be useful to pay attention to the diet in order to restore protein balance, as well as eat more foods that contain vitamin C (oranges, lemons, kiwi, grapefruit, pineapple, berries, herbs, rose soup, saladsauerkraut) and fiber (dried fruits, bran, vegetables). Dairy products will discourage the desire for tobacco, moreover, they will be very beneficial for the recovering organism (especially for the cardiovascular system).
But above all, quitting smoking should be accompanied by strong motivation.
What to expect: positive changes
When smoking cessation, the internal organs and systems are the first to react.
Do not be afraid of any chest discomfort (this, as we have already said, is a temporary phenomenon), only the respiratory and circulatory systems begin to recover: the heart muscle and blood vessels gain their elasticity ofprevious to work at full strength.
After quitting nicotine, a depression may be noticed, but these are just consequences of the fact that the nervous system is toned and restores its natural state - it resists stress without the help of nicotine. The handshake syndrome disappears a little later.
As you know, nicotine has a negative effect on the reproductive system of men and women. By lowering sperm count and sperm vitality, nicotine can make a man infertile. Nicotine has an equally harmful effect on the female body, disrupting the female reproductive cycle, as well as the possibility of normal egg fertilization and intrauterine development of the baby. Smoking (especially in women) involves gene mutations, and therefore affects the ability to have healthy offspring. Smokers, compared to non-smokers, have a ten times higher risk of giving birth to an unhealthy baby, as well as the fact that the risk of miscarriage is many times higher. After quitting smoking, the risk of premature birth is significantly reduced, as well as the birth of a child with pathology of the respiratory tract, cardiovascular system and other disorders. For men, smoking cessation prevents the onset of premature impotence (for smokers this age is 30-40 years).
Many women worry about gaining weight when they quit smoking. While smoking, nicotine quenches hunger, speeds up metabolism and at the same time helps fight stress. There is no reason to worry if, during the period of body restructuring, proper attention is paid to diet (give up fatty foods, and also refuse or at least limit the consumption of sweets and flour products). According to statistics, the average weight gain of those who quit smoking is about 3 kg per year, but the "horror stories" about it are nothing more than a publicity stunt of tobacco companies and cigarette companies. Those who are prone to overweight, in addition to a healthy diet, should pay attention to an active lifestyle (try to walk more).
Quitting smoking will have a beneficial effect on the whole body and will appear as follows:
- improving the work of all organs and systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, digestive, urogenital);
- improving the circulatory system and blood circulation (healthy complexion and even redness);
- easy breathing and disappearance of shortness of breath;
- improvement of smell and taste (perhaps even improvement of sight and hearing, because nicotine no longer impairs the functioning of the auditory and optic nerves);
- increase efficiency and show the desire to be more active;
- normalization of sleep (daytime drowsiness disappears) and general body tone;
- improving memory, reaction, concentration;
- increase thinking speed (quick wit);
- leisure increase (refusing to smoke);
- increase in finances (which were previously blown up - in cigarette smoke).
What happens during recovery with the body by day and month?
For those who are interested in what happens to the body when a smoker has given up a bad habit, we will answer: the body is healing and it happens approximately like this (the process can take place differently for everyone).
1 day:
- the concentration of carbon monoxide in the blood decreases and the level of oxygen in the tissues increases;
- ul oreksin;
- feels weak;
- may have a bad dream.
Day 2:
- Improving the function of the lung epithelium - the amount of mucus in them decreases;
- stomach and intestinal cells renew;
- cough, itchy skin;
- frequent urination.
Day 3:
- restores the bronchial mucosa - increases the flow of oxygen to the heart and brain;
- improves vascular tone;
- appetite increases dramatically.
Day 4:
- blood flow to the brain is normalized - tinnitus and dizziness are observed; The antidiuretic hormone
- is produced.
Day 5:
- coughing up mucus;
- healing of microtraumas of the tongue and restoration of the taste buds.
Day 6:
- the work of the pancreas and gallbladder is restored;
- excessive and mixed sweating appear.
Day 7:
- psychological awareness of cigarette addiction;
- coughing up mucus;
- Stool violation.
Approximately so passes the first week of body recovery and, perhaps, these first few days will not be particularly noticeable. However, a month will pass, and not only will you be able to feel the qualitative changes, but others will also notice.
For months, the recovery process goes something like this:
- 1 month - healing takes place at the cellular level (epithelium is renewed, the process of absorption and absorption in the intestine is normalized, depression is possible).
- 2 months - the skin returns (yellowing of the fingers and face disappears, dry skin disappears), the lungs return to the cellular level (coughing may continue), fatigue during physical exertion disappears.
- 3 months - blood vessels, nervous system (minimal sensitivity to stress), increased appetite, but healthy sleep are fully restored.
- 4 months - normalization of facial skin (peeling), production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach is normalized and defecation is normalized.
- 5 months - lung tissue continues to recover, liver cells have recovered, the body's response to physical activity has normalized (however, with the "marathon" you have to wait now).
- 6-8 months - the process of enriching the blood with oxygen is normalized, the liver continues to regenerate, the weight is stabilized, the taste buds and aroma are restored.
- 9 months - almost complete recovery of the whole body, it can be tempting to go back to smoking.
- 1 year - physical activity without restrictions; the risk of diseases caused by smoking is reduced by 90%.
Be patient, because you have to pay for everything in life, and all the unpleasant feelings are only temporary, but the diseases caused by smoking bring much more trouble and suffering to the body.
Good luck in fighting your bad habit - smoking! We believe that in this war there is only one possible winner, and you will become him!
Be healthy!