Most smokers sooner or later make a conscious decision to say goodbye to addiction once and for all.
Quit smoking - health problems began - such a problem is often encountered by ex-smokers.
For people who have been using nicotine for a long time, the road to recovery will not be easy.
Adjusting to life without artificial stimulants has its own side effects, medically called nicotine withdrawal.
Living a life quitting a bad habit has many consequences.
Problems after quitting smoking
Quitting smoking leads to nicotine withdrawal symptoms. The reason for this is the release of toxic substances from the body 3 weeks after smoking the last cigarette.
Expression :
- Craving for nicotine;
- Trembling of limbs;
- Inconstancy of mood;
- The manifestation of malevolence;
- Problematic sleep;
- Excessive consumption of sweet foods;
- Low level of performance.
There is a cough with sputum - a symptom of purification of the respiratory system from toxic substances. The bronchi are involved in the cleansing process of the body. In strong addiction, the smoker's body temperature rises, sweating occurs.
The side effects associated with quitting smoking affect the nervous system.
In the absence of the possibility of smoking a cigarette, depressive states arise. The disease covers the whole body due to the cessation of the release of endorphins. Transient depression is important for survival 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 which the conditions for the development of harmful microflora appeared.
A significant problem is shortness of breath. This happens due to lack of nicotine. Passes through a certain period of time.
The result of quitting smoking is bowel dysfunction. Motor skills are impaired. Consequences for the smoker:
- Problematic drainage.
- Gas formation in a large volume.
- Constant heartburn.
- Significant weight gain.
The increase in excess pounds is not directly related to the rejection of cigarettes. People just start consuming an unusual amount of food to improve their mood and maintain their vitality.
Sweet foods help cope with persistent stress. Together, all these circumstances lead to the appearance of excess weight. Control will play a big role in maintaining appearance and maintaining health.
Physical activity does not stay at the same level after quitting addiction. Weakness in the body is felt, mobility is reduced, trembling of the hands is observed, breathing can be confused with the breathing of a person suffering from asthma.
Those who quit smoking experience difficulties in the intimate part of life due to a low mood and a constant state of tension.
Before you get rid of a bad habit, you have 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 (helps to 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.
Quit smoking - headache
It is difficult to give up the habit, because any change for the body is a 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 feeling of feeling bad.
Headache is accompanied by general weakness of the body, loss of sleep and appetite. The whole vegetative system of the body suffers.
The listed symptoms are combined by specialists into such a broad feature as the "withdrawal syndrome", the manifestations of which lead to mental disorders. Work capacity decreases, the smoker becomes irritable, aggressiveness appears in his behavior.
At the very beginning of abandoning nicotine addiction, primary symptoms appear, associated with the process of cleansing the cerebral vessels from harmful compounds of carcinogens, the level of oxygen rises rapidly, which leads to unpleasant sensations. The condition of the heart and blood vessels changes, which leads to increased blood pressure and pain in the temples and neck.
In addition to physiological causes, 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 state of stress;
- The renunciation of all dependence is accompanied by strong feelings;
- If a person calmed down only with the help of a cigarette, then, having lost this opportunity, he begins to get angry, panic, from which the pressure increases and pain sensations appearin the brain.
Headaches in a smoker who has decided to quit his habit can be accompanied by more serious symptoms: distraction, shortness of breath and, curiously, cough. If a person has just thought that it is time for him to quit smoking, then at this stage he may begin to show health problems.
Nicotine is a drug, the refusal to use it will be accompanied by "withdrawal" with the consequences that flow from it.
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 pulling, cutting, throbbing, alternating with seizures, aggravated during physical activity. Some patients, in order to get rid of obsessive headaches, have to use painkillers, otherwise they will have to endure it for several days.
If you quit smoking and your chest hurts
Chest pain in people who have quit smoking has many causes, some of which require 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 a sudden cessation 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 is logical that the first reason belongs to the common reason, people who want to quit smoking have a long history. It will take a long time for the body to eliminate the tobacco tar, soot and mucus accumulated over the years in the lungs.
Epithelial cells begin to renew themselves, the protective functions of the cilia are restored, and the activity of the respiratory system is normalized. This leads to discomfort in the body. Tobacco has a detrimental effect on the condition of all organs.
When ingesting smoke, the respiratory and digestive organs are affected by toxins. Due to 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 and tear on heart valves and muscles. Lack of oxygen, increased levels of toxins, high stress on the heart contribute to the onset of coronary heart disease and angina pectoris.
Good medical diagnosis
To determine the origin of pain in the chest, the therapist will examine the patient, listen to heartbeat and respiratory rate, measure blood pressure and pulse. Based on all this, he will appoint an appropriate medical examination. You will need to undergo a CT scan, ECG, X-ray, FGDS.
If the doctor has any suggestions regarding heart problems, he will refer the patient for an ECG. With its help, the presence of angina, abnormal heart activity, myocardial infarction is determined. For problems with the lungs and ribs, a chest X-ray is prescribed.
He will refute or confirm a broken rib or pneumonia. If the X-ray does not give a definite answer, you will need to undergo an ultrasound and a CT scan.
Problems in the gastrointestinal tract will help determine FEGDS. A mandatory measurement 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 quit smoking, the appearance of pain is an unpleasant consequence, especially for those who have not experienced it in the past. This leads to thoughts of returning to smoking.
The disappearance of unpleasant sensations will not be final, 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, the emergence of a new one.
No need to neglect going to the hospital and getting an exam. With the help of an X-ray of the lungs, one can find out 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 cigarette addiction, 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 the habit 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 get better. For each person, these processes occur individually.
Implications for metabolism
Nicotine directly increases metabolism, increases 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 gets a stimulating effect, which leads to heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks.
When quitting smoking, the processes quickly return to normal activity. This problem occurs when smokers continue to eat a lot of food, as they did before, while smoking.
Metabolism returns to normal, cannot cope with the number of calories - kilograms appear. The risk of weight gain is nothing compared to breaking a bad habit. On average, a person gains 3-4 kg.
Some may take more. Most return to normal weight after a year.
It is impossible to say how many kilograms each smoker will end up gaining. It depends on gender, age, activity level, nutrition and genetic predisposition.
Most people lose weight as the body adjusts to a life without nicotine. For others, it will take effort. For some, weight gain is a lifelong event.
Is it possible to gain weight and why it gains weight
When a person quits smoking, the taste buds change, it seems that the food has become tastier. The urge 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 are 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 maintain your weight, 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 whatever comes to mind. Sweets will replace 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 who gain weight, the reason is eating more calories. The feeling of hunger increases as the appetite grows and the taste buds recover. This will pass after the first 3-4 weeks.
Eating unhealthy snacks filled with sugar and fat will be accompanied by an increase in centimeters in the waist. After deciding to quit smoking, it is important to plan snacks throughout the day.
When hungry, choose one of the following low-fat, low-calorie options:
- Fresh fruits/dried fruits;
- natural popcorn;
- low-fat yogurt;
- Chopped carrots/peppers/celery;
- Diluted with water, natural fruit juice;
- Oatmeal cookies/crackers;
- Baked goods made from whole grain flour.
Remember that 100 extra calories per day will add 0. 5 kg 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, bell pepper to the sandwich;
- Switch from whole milk to skimmed or skimmed milk;
- If you can't give up sweets, eat a third of the usual portion after breakfast;
- Prepare low-fat salads;
- Prepare homemade smoothies with fruit and skimmed 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.