It's no secret that smoking does colossal damage to the entire body. Nicotine and the accompanying pollutants contained in tobacco smoke penetrate every organ, every cell in the body and cause destruction and serious consequences.
So it would be naive to believe that giving up this bad habit will go unnoticed.
The problem of smoking is treated by doctors with specialization - narcologists and psychotherapists (psychologists). This is explained by the fact that in the process of giving up smoking a person must face the problems of physical and psychological dependence on cigarettes. If the patient is not an avid smoker, the process of body rehabilitation is quite simple (almost imperceptible). If the patient is a seasoned smoker and at the same time their daily norm was a pack or even two a day, then the smoking cessation (and even a harsh smoking cessation) can result in a stressful state.
Let's take a closer look at what happens to a smoker's body after giving up a bad habit.
What can affect the body's recovery process?
How difficult and how long the process of restoring and renewing the body will take depends entirely on the smoker himself, or rather on:
- his smoking story;
- gender;
- age;
- the presence of background and chronic diseases;
- the state of the immune system;
- individual characteristics of the patient's body.
In some patients the process is faster, in others it is delayed, but on average it takes about a year to "heal".
Prepare yourself: the unpleasant aspects of smoking cessation
Smoking cessation can cause a number of unpleasant sensations, all of which are temporary and a normal response of the body during restructuring and transition to function without nicotine. In medicine, this period is called withdrawal syndrome (popularly - fragile) and it does not threaten the body in any way. During the rehabilitation of the body, the following symptoms may appear (but it is not necessary, so you should not listen and look for these signs in yourself):
- burning desire to smoke;
- slight dizziness;
- irritability, lack of strength to wait or tolerate something;
- depressed mood or state of depression;
- obsessive fear;
- quick fatigue;
- slow heart rate;
- rashes (irritation, acne);
- inflammation of the oral mucosa;
- sore throat;
- runny nose;
- sleep disorders;
- constant hunger;
- stomach cramps;
- persistent cough.
These are the most common symptoms during the body's recovery phase, but it is not at all necessary for you to experience all of the above (or even some of them).
The recovery phase can also be accompanied by a decrease in immunity. Therefore, smokers are prone to viruses and colds in the first few months. And that is quite understandable, because the body adapts to new conditions of existence and therefore immunity cannot give viruses worthy rejection.
Over the years of smoking, your body has gotten used to a constant supply of nicotine. In order for the body to adapt to new (well-forgotten old) working conditions, the longer and longer you smoked, the longer you have to wait.
What can facilitate the body's recovery process?
The body's recovery process can easily be 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 - valerian, lemongrass and ginseng tincture, a cocktail of feverfew and chamomile boil. Sports (moderate physical activity - refusing to use the elevator and climbing stairs, classes in the pool, hiking and biking in a pine forest or woodland, hiking, outdoor games) and hobbies (some prefer to "do their heads"). And instead of cigarettes, take seeds or nuts - this is a useful alternative to nicotine. They contain minerals and substances that are necessary for the body and help fight toxins.
To restore the airway as quickly as possible, try limiting contact with household and office equipment (they interfere with cleaning the lungs), or buy an air ionizer.
To maintain immunity, it is recommended to avoid drafts and walks in cold and muddy weather. replenish the lack of vitamins with fruits or take vitamin and mineral complexes. It is useful to pay attention to your diet to restore protein balance and to eat more foods that contain vitamin C (oranges, lemons, kiwi, grapefruits, pineapples, berries, herbs, rosehip broth, sauerkraut salad) and fiber (driedFruit, bran, vegetables). Dairy products will discourage tobacco cravings and will also be very useful for the recovering organism (especially the cardiovascular system).
Above all, however, smoking cessation must be accompanied by strong motivation.
What you can expect: positive changes
When you stop smoking, your internal organs and systems react first.
Do not be afraid of 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 retain their former elasticity and begin withwork full force.
After stopping nicotine, a certain amount of depression can be observed. However, this is only a consequence of the fact that the nervous system is toned and restored to its natural state - it withstands stress without the help of nicotine. The handshake syndrome disappears a little later.
As you know, nicotine has a negative effect on the reproductive systems of both men and women. By reducing sperm count and sperm vitality, nicotine can make a man sterile. Nicotine also has a detrimental effect on the female body, disrupting the woman's reproductive cycle, as well as the possibility of normal fertilization of the egg and intrauterine development of the child. Smoking (especially in women) carries gene mutations and therefore affects the ability to have healthy offspring. Compared to non-smokers, smokers are ten times more likely to have an unhealthy child, as well as the fact that the risk of miscarriage is many times higher. After quitting smoking, the risk of premature birth, as well as the birth of a child with pathology of the respiratory tract, cardiovascular system and other diseases, is significantly reduced. In men, smoking cessation prevents the onset of premature impotence (in smokers, this age is 30-40 years).
Many women are concerned about weight gain when they quit smoking. While smoking, nicotine relieves hunger, speeds up metabolism and at the same time helps fight stress. There is no need to worry if due attention is paid to diet during the restructuring of the body (avoiding fatty foods, and also refusing, or at least restricting, 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 "horror stories" about it are nothing more than a publicity stunt by tobacco and cigarette companies. Those prone to obesity should follow an active lifestyle (try to walk more) in addition to a healthy diet.
Smoking cessation has a positive effect on the entire body and manifests itself as follows:
- Improvement of the work of all organs and systems (cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nerves, digestion, urogenital);
- Improvement of the circulatory system and blood circulation (healthy complexion and even blushing);
- easy breathing and disappearance of shortness of breath;
- Improvement of smell and taste (maybe even improvement of sight and hearing, because nicotine no longer affects the function of the auditory and optic nerves);
- Increase in efficiency and creation of the desire to be more active;
- normalization of sleep (daytime sleepiness disappears) and general body tone;
- Improvement of memory, reaction, concentration;
- Increase in the speed of thinking (quick mind);
- Extension of free time (by refusing to smoke breaks);
- Increase in finances (which used to be blown away - on cigarette smoke).
What happens to the body by day and month during recovery?
For those interested in what happens to the body when a smoker gives up a bad habit, we will answer: the body recovers and it happens something like this (the process can be different for everyone).
1 day:
- the carbon monoxide concentration in the blood decreases and the oxygen content in the tissue increases;
- decreased appetite;
- weakness can be felt;
- may have a bad dream.
Day 2:
- improve the functioning of the pulmonary epithelium - the amount of mucus in them decreases;
- cells of the stomach and intestines are renewed;
- cough, itchy skin;
- frequent urination.
Day 3:
- the bronchial mucosa is restored - the flow of oxygen to the heart and brain increases;
- improves the tone of blood vessels;
- Appetite increases dramatically.
Day 4:
- The blood flow to the brain normalizes - tinnitus and dizziness are observed.
- Antidiuretic is produced.
Day 5:
- cough up phlegm;
- Healing microtraumas of the tongue and restoring taste buds.
Day 6:
- the work of the pancreas and gallbladder is restored;
- excessive sweating and nausea occur.
Day 7:
- psychological awareness of cigarette addiction;
- cough up phlegm;
- stool injury.
This is how the body goes about the first week of recovery, and perhaps those first few days won't be particularly noticeable. However, a month will pass and not only will you be able to feel the qualitative changes, but others will notice it too.
For months the recovery process has been something like this:
- 1 month - recovery takes place at the cellular level (the epithelium is renewed, the absorption and absorption process in the intestine is normalized, depression is possible).
- 2 months - the skin is restored (the yellowing of the fingers and face disappears, the dry skin disappears), the lungs are restored at the cellular level (cough may persist), fatigue during physical exertion disappears.
- 3 months - blood vessels, nervous system (minimal susceptibility to stress), increased appetite, but healthy sleep is fully restored.
- 4 months - normalization of the skin of the face (peeling passes), the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach is normalized, and the stool normalizes.
- 5 months - lung tissue continues to recover, liver cells are restored, the body's response to physical activity is normalized (but in "marathons" you should wait now).
- 6-8 months - the process of enrichment of the blood with oxygen is normalized, the liver continues to regenerate, weight is stabilized, taste buds and smell are restored.
- 9 months - almost complete recovery of the entire body, it can be tempting to start smoking again.
- 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 unpleasant sensations are temporary, but the diseases that smoking causes bring much more anger and suffering to the body.
Good luck fighting your bad habit - smoking! We believe there is only one possible winner in this fight and you will!
Be healthy!