What to Expect When You Quit Smoking

On Thursday, May 24th, 2012

0 Comments | By Jane

Quit Smoking? Before we talk about the mental and physical challenges of quitting smoking cigarettes we will discuss whether you are really motivated enough to quit. Many people decide to quit cigarettes and alcohol only to go back on their word in a week’s time or at the first sign of aggravation.

So whether you smoke two packs a day or 10 cigarettes a day you need to first give yourself a concrete deadline; the day, the hour, down to the exact moment you plan to quit. This seems trivial but when you actually come down to it you will realize that you are always putting it off by smoking that one last cigarette.

Now that you have given yourself a deadline and are about to quit you need to realize that it is not very difficult. Yes it takes a while getting use to, the first couple of weeks can be mildly irritable or very nauseous depending on your nicotine addiction but many people have successfully quit smoking and so can you. So now that you are mentally prepared to expect the worse, here is what you need to know:

Withdrawal Symptoms

When we are smoking, nicotine transfers from the lungs into blood stream. Nicotine is a stimulant; it increases blood pressure, increases metabolism and peristalsis (bowel movements) among other things. Your body gets used to this stimulant in the blood and adjusts its chemistry accordingly overtime so a sudden absence of this chemical will causes the body to reboot and bring its processes to its original form. This process is what creates withdrawal symptoms. Here is what people may experience:

Dry mouth
Mood swings
Eating disorder
Sleeping disorder
Excessive sweating
Flu like symptoms

These are the symptoms seen in mild cases; however, in severe cases symptoms can also include:

Constipation
Diarrhea
Headaches
Itchy hands and feet
Dizziness

Positive Effects

But apart from the worst effects of these symptoms you will notice good things happening to you as well.

Your blood pressure will lower as the body gets rid of all the residual nicotine just 20 minutes after you have quit smoking.
The oxygen supply in the blood will increase eight hours after quitting. This is due to the drop in carbon monoxide level in the blood.
For those who experience a chronic breathing problem may find that it is getting better.
Over all your risk of suffering a heart attack decreases by about a day after quitting.

In all probability, you will require some form of help and that is nothing to feel embarrassed about. If these symptoms last for more then a week you might want to consult a doctor. A doctor can prescribe a withdrawal program, ask you to use a nicotine patch or gum.

About author : Allan is a not a medical practitioner but he enjoys blogging about health. He has contributed several articles in various online publications. His favourite topics include health covers,healthy living and home remedies.