Having suffered from tuberculosis, many understand that in order to recover it is necessary to completely stop smoking, which destroys the protective mechanisms of the bronchopulmonary system.But not everyone succeeds in quitting smoking because of worsening health and increased coughing in the first days after quitting.
Many people expect the body to immediately take the path of improved well-being.But this is a mistake: during the years of regular intake of nicotine, the body gets used to it and requires it to return to its usual state.The fact is that smoking leads to changes in the body even at the molecular level;damage to the genes responsible for cell division may occur.Therefore, a smoker has an increased risk of cancer.
After quitting smoking, a person faces a period of body restructuring.It can be uncomfortable, but once it's over you feel better quickly.The following positive changes are observed in the cardiovascular system: the vessels regain their elasticity, the flow of oxygen to the heart increases and it begins to function better.The transmission of impulses in the nervous system improves, nervousness decreases and the limbs stop trembling.
The functioning of the bronchi is restored rather slowly and a complete return to a healthy state does not occur.Even several years after a person has quit smoking, the risk of cancer remains, but it is significantly lower than that of smokers.
When you quit smoking, unpleasant sensations may appear, and this is not only due to depression due to quitting smoking.In the first days without cigarettes, small ulcers or stomatitis may appear on the lips and oral mucosa.Colds can develop with cough, runny nose or sore throat and there are cases of conjunctivitis.All these symptoms arise because the body has not had enough time to rebuild and the immune system is in a depressed state.This causes a cold, but after 2-3 weeks your health starts to improve.
In the first week after quitting smoking, the body is actively cleansed of nicotine, which leads to nicotine hunger.Regenerative processes begin in the bronchial and intestinal mucosa and become more active over time.Mucus may begin to flow from the lungs along with a cough.Blood supply to the blood vessels of the brain and other organs improves.Due to the fact that the intestines have a reduced tone, constipation can occur.An increase in blood pressure may occur.
At the end of the first week, stomach function returns to normal.If injuries and ulcers are observed on the tongue, then the healing process takes place.The skin may experience flaking due to dryness.It is believed that at the end of the first week, the physical addiction to smoking goes away, but the psychological addiction may still remain.Those who have quit smoking describe their bodies as "out of balance" in the first week.Appetite increases and all taste sensations in food become sharper;often a person becomes "addicted" to sweets.
For a person who quit smoking a week ago, this is a stressful time that can be difficult to cope with.This condition can affect sleep, sweating increases and the person becomes nervous and irritable.Thoughts appear that you should not quit smoking, but by the end of the week these thoughts occur less and less often.At this moment, will and obedience are important.
After a month, a period of renewal of the body at the cellular level begins.The appearance improves significantly - the face looks healthier.Dry skin disappears, vascular tone returns to the proper level.But lung function is still in a recovery period.
After 5 months from the moment of quitting smoking, the liver cells begin to recover and the blood is completely renewed.Cough rarely bothers me anymore.Normalization of weight is observed because sleep and appetite return to normal.There is an increase in strength and a desire to play sports.
You can make it easier to quit smoking by reviewing your lifestyle and diet.The menu should have enough fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products.It is necessary to walk more often in the fresh air and go to bed on time.
After quitting smoking:
The first changes will begin after 20 minutes - blood circulation improves and the sensitivity of the fingers and toes increases.
After 8 hours, the amount of carbon monoxide in the blood decreases.This means that the oxygen levels in your blood have returned to normal.
After two days of quitting smoking, the body is completely cleansed of nicotine.You can finally say goodbye to those little crystals that encourage you to smoke.Unfortunately, as soon as the nicotine is completely removed from the body, the desire to smoke increases to the maximum.
Two days after quitting smoking, the taste buds begin to function normally.Not only will you be able to better understand the nuances of taste, but you will also start adding less spices to your usual food.
After two days you start to smell better.Now the idea of stopping and smelling the roses will seem much more appealing.
After three days, the ciliated epithelium in the lungs is restored.Smoking destroys the microscopic cilia that clean the airways.Fortunately, these eyelashes can be regenerated.
Blood pressure begins to decrease after a week, which reduces the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, kidney failure and angina.
The cough starts to disappear two weeks after you quit smoking.It does not disappear immediately, as your lungs need time to remove the harmful substances accumulated in them.
After two weeks, blood circulation will be restored, which will immediately positively affect sexual function: the quality of erection in men will improve, sensitivity in women will increase.
Three months after quitting smoking, skin tone softens.Nicotine prevents blood flow to the upper layers of the skin, which makes it pale, dry, and inflames the skin.Nicotine also stimulates the appearance of wrinkles because it blocks the production of collagen.
If you haven't smoked a cigarette for a year, the most visible signs of smoking disappear.The tobacco color on your fingers will disappear and the plaque on your teeth will fade.After cleaning at the dentist, the teeth will no longer yellow and the blood circulation in the gums will return to normal.
After five years without smoking, stroke risk indicators return to normal, and after 15 years, the risk of developing cancer in an ex-smoker becomes the same as in a non-smoker.