Most smokers sooner or later make the conscious decision to say goodbye to addiction once and for all.
Quitting smoking - health problems have begun - such a problem is often faced by former smokers.
For people who have been taking nicotine for a long time, the path to recovery will not be easy.
Adapting to life without artificial stimulants has its side effects, medically called nicotine withdrawal.
Living a life where giving up 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.
Events:
- Irresistible craving for nicotine;
- Tremor of the limbs;
- Inconstancy in mood;
- The manifestation of malice;
- Problem sleep
- Excessive consumption of sugary foods;
- Low performance.
There is a cough with sputum - a symptom of cleansing the respiratory system of toxic substances. The bronchi are involved in the cleansing process of the body. In case of strong addiction, the smoker's body temperature rises, sweating occurs.
Side effects associated with quitting smoking 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 the release of endorphins. Temporary depression is important to survive so as not to break rejection of a bad habit.
There is a decrease in immunity, infections appear. For a long time, the mucous membranes were enveloped in smoke (called an antiseptic), as a result of which the conditions for the development of harmful microflora appeared.
A major problem is shortness of breath. It occurs due to a lack of nicotine. It goes through 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 the rejection of cigarettes. People simply begin to consume an unusual amount of food to improve their mood, maintain vitality.
Sweet foods help cope with persistent stress. Together, all these circumstances lead to the appearance of excess weight. Control will play an important role in maintaining appearance and maintaining health.
Physical activity does not stay at the same level after giving up the addiction. Weakness is felt in the body, mobility is impaired, tremor in the hands is observed, breathing can be confused with breathing in a person suffering from asthma.
Those who quit smoking experience difficulties in the intimate part of life due to a drop in mood and a constant state of tension.
Before giving up on 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 way of sports exercises (they help improve mood and figure);
- Reception of vitamin complexes (to avoid cold infections);
- Proper care of the oral cavity and teeth;
- Eat light foods containing vitamins and minerals;
- Introduce small amounts of caffeinated foods into the diet (no more than 2 cups of drink per day);
- Frequent walks in the fresh air (will help to cope with shortness of breath).
Side effects appear individually. For many people, the symptoms are mild.
Quitting smoking - headache
It is difficult to give up the habit, because any change for the body is stress, even with a healing effect. When a person quits smoking, they begin to suffer from headaches, tinnitus, dizziness, pain in the abdomen and chest, and the urge to feel bad.
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 specialists in such a capacious feature as the "withdrawal syndrome", the manifestations of which lead to mental disorders. Work capacity decreases, the smoker becomes irritable, aggression appears in his behavior.
At the beginning of the abandonment of nicotine addiction, the primary symptoms appear, which are associated with the process of cleaning the brain vessels from harmful compounds of carcinogens, the oxygen level rises rapidly, 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;
- The renunciation of any addiction is accompanied by strong feelings;
- If a person has calmed down only with the help of a cigarette, then after missing this opportunity, he begins to get angry, panic, from which the pressure increases and pain sensations appear in the brain.
The headache in a smoker who has decided to quit smoking can be accompanied by more serious symptoms: distraction, shortness of breath and, strangely, cough. If a person has just thought that it is time for them to quit smoking, they may start showing health problems at this stage.
Nicotine is a drug, refusal to use it will be accompanied by "abstinence" with the ensuing consequences.
The pain in the head of an addict who has decided to overcome his addiction will be of a different nature: the pain is aching, sharp, throbbing, alternating with attacks, aggravated during physical activity. Some patients, in order to get rid of the obsessive headache, have to use analgesics, otherwise they will have to endure it for several days.
If you stop smoking and your chest hurts
Chest pain in people who have quit smoking is associated with many causes, some needing treatment.
The main ones include:
- After quitting smoking, the lungs begin to function normally, and a restorative process appears in them.
- Lack of nicotine after a sharp cessation of its intake in the body.
- With an alkaline balance in the blood, a hyperventilation process begins in the lungs.
- Due to bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Pneumonia, angina.
- The initial process of oncology.
- Peptic ulcer, gastritis.
It makes sense that the first reason belongs to the common reason, people who want to quit smoking have a long history. It will take the body a long time to remove the tobacco tar, soot and mucus that has accumulated over the years from the lungs.
Epithelial cells begin to renew, the protective functions of the cilia are restored, and the activity in the respiratory system is normalized. This leads to discomfort in the body. Tobacco has a negative 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 is 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 of the heart valves and muscles. Lack of oxygen, increased toxin levels, high stress on the heart help the emergence of coronary heart disease and angina pectoris.
A correct medical diagnosis
To determine the source of chest pain, the therapist will examine the patient, listen to the heartbeat and respiratory rate, measure blood pressure and pulse. Based on all this, she will appoint a suitable medical examination. You will have to undergo computed tomography, ECG, X-rays, FGDS.
If the doctor has suggestions about heart problems, he will refer the patient to have an ECG. With the help of her, 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 refute or confirm a broken rib or pneumonia. If the x-ray does not give a specific answer, it will be necessary to undergo ultrasound and computed tomography.
Problems in the gastrointestinal tract will help determine FEGDS. A mandatory measure in the diagnosis of chest pain is a complete blood count. It will indicate possible inflammation in the body.
What is forbidden to do
For people who have quit smoking, the onset of pain is an unpleasant consequence, especially for those who have not experienced it in the past. This leads to thinking about going back to smoking.
The disappearance of unpleasant sensations will not be final, they will return and the treatment cannot be avoided, tobacco smoke will have a detrimental effect on the body. This will lead to the progression of the old disease, the emergence of a new one.
There is no need to neglect to go to the hospital and conduct an examination. With the help of an X-ray of the lungs, it is possible to learn at an early stage the appearance of malignant neoplasms, and various tests will provide a complete picture of the state of health.
You cannot refuse the treatment offered by the doctor. This will lead to dire consequences.
How cigarette smoking affects a person's weight
Nicotine, which is addictive 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 the 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 right after a cigarette.
The body gets a stimulating effect, which leads to heart disease, hypertension, heart attacks.
By quitting smoking, the processes quickly return to normal activity. 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 require more. Most return to normal weight after a year.
It is impossible to say how much each smoker will eventually gain kilograms. It depends on gender, age, activity level, diet and genetic predisposition.
Most people lose excess weight as the body adjusts to a nicotine-free life. For others, it will take effort. For some, weight gain is a lifelong occurrence.
It is possible to gain weight and why it is gaining
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, required 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 have to maintain the weight, not try to lose weight. There is a "withdrawal syndrome". Previously, under stress, we smoked a cigarette, 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 habit of smoking
For seven out of 10 people gaining weight, the reason is to eat more calories. Feelings of hunger increase as appetite grows and 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 at the waist. Having decided to quit smoking, it is important to make a plan for snacking throughout the day.
When you're 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 cookies / crackers;
- Baked products based on wholemeal flour.
Remember that 100 extra calories per day will add 0. 5kg of fat per month.
Some ideas on how to cut meals by 100 calories at a time:
- Choose canned tuna in brine or fresh water rather than oil;
- Instead of mayonnaise, add slices of tomato, lettuce, pepper to the sandwich;
- Switch from whole milk to skim or skim milk;
- If you can't give up on sweets, eat a third of your usual portion after breakfast;
- Prepare 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 down on 100 calories is to exercise more.