Most smokers sooner or later make the conscious decision to say goodbye to addiction once and for all.
Quit smoking - health problems have started - a problem that ex-smokers often face.
For those who have been taking nicotine for a long time, the road to recovery will not be easy.
Adapting to life without artificial stimulants has its own side effects, which are medically called nicotine withdrawal.
Quitting a bad habit has many consequences.
Problems after quitting smoking
Quitting a cigarette leads to nicotine withdrawal symptoms. This is because 3 weeks after the last cigarette is smoked, toxic substances are released from the body.
Manifestations:
- Irresistible cravings for nicotine;
- Shaking of the limbs;
- Permanence in the mood;
- Manifestation of malice;
- Problem sleep;
- excessive consumption of sugary foods;
- Low performance.
There is a cough with sputum - a symptom of cleaning the respiratory system of toxic substances. The bronchi are involved in the process of cleansing the body. In case of strong addiction, the smoker's body temperature rises and sweating occurs.
Side effects associated with smoking cessation affect the nervous system.
When cigarettes cannot be smoked, depressive states occur. 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 bad habits.
Immunity decreases and infections appear. For a long time, the mucous membranes were covered with smoke (the so-called antiseptic), as a result of which the conditions for the formation of harmful microflora appeared.
Shortness of breath is an important problem. It occurs due to a lack of nicotine. It goes through a certain period of time.
Cessation of smoking results in intestinal dysfunction. Mobility is impaired. Consequences for the smoker:
- Problematic emptying.
- Formation of gases in large volumes.
- Persistent heartburn.
- Significant weight gain.
The increase in extra pounds is not directly related to the rejection of cigarettes. People simply start consuming unusual amounts of food to improve their mood, maintain their vitality.
Sweet foods help you cope with lasting stress. All of these conditions together lead to the appearance of being overweight. Control will play a big role in maintaining appearance and maintaining health.
Physical activity does not remain at the same level even after giving up the addiction. Weakness of the body can be felt, mobility is reduced, hand tremors can be observed, breathing can be confused with the breathing of a person with asthma.
Those who quit smoking experience difficulties in the intimate part of life due to depressed mood and constant tension.
Before you give up a bad habit, you need to make a final decision.
How to get rid of problems that arise
Recommendations for nicotine addicts:
- Introduction to standard sports exercises (helps to improve mood and shape);
- receiving vitamin complexes (to avoid cold infections);
- Proper care of the oral cavity and teeth;
- eating light meals containing vitamins and minerals;
- Introduction of low-caffeine foods into the diet (up to 2 cups of beverage per day);
- Frequent walking in the fresh air (helps to cope with shortness of breath).
The side effects occur one at a time. In many people, the symptoms are mild.
Quitting smoking - headache
It is difficult to quit the habit because any change in the body is stressful, even if it has a healing effect. When a person quits smoking, he began to suffer from headaches, tinnitus, dizziness, abdominal and chest pain, and nausea.
Headaches are accompanied by general weakness, sleep and loss of appetite. The entire vegetative system of the body suffers.
The listed symptoms are combined by professionals to include such a broad feature as "withdrawal syndrome", the manifestations of which lead to mental disorders. The ability to work decreases, the smoker becomes irritable, and aggression appears in his behavior.
At the onset of nicotine addiction, the primary symptoms appear, which involve clearing the cerebral vessels of harmful compounds from carcinogens, and oxygen levels rise rapidly, leading to unpleasant sensations. The condition of the heart and blood vessels changes, leading to an increase in blood pressure and pain in the temples and neck.
In addition to physiological causes, the pain of quitting nicotine has psychological causes:
- The smoker is not morally ready to quit the cigarette, the body becomes stressed;
- Giving up any addiction is accompanied by strong feelings;
- If one calms down with just one cigarette, after losing this opportunity, one will become angry, panic, causing pressure to rise, and feelings of pain appearing in the brain.
The headache of a smoker who has decided to quit his habit can be accompanied by more serious symptoms: inattention, shortness of breath and, oddly enough, coughing. If someone is just thinking it’s time to quit smoking, health problems can occur at this stage.
Refusing to use the nicotine drug will result in "withdrawal", with consequences.
The pain in the head of a nicotine addict who has decided to overcome his addiction will be different: the pain is aching, cutting, throbbing, alternating with seizures, worsening during physical activity. Some patients need to use painkillers to get rid of an obsessive headache, otherwise they will have to endure it for several days.
If you stop smoking and your chest hurts
Chest pain in people who quit smoking can be traced back to a number of reasons, some of which require treatment.
The main ones are:
- After smoking cessation, the lungs begin to function normally and a reparative process occurs.
- Lack of nicotine after a sudden cessation of its uptake into 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 is one of the common reasons, those who want to quit smoking look back on a long history. It takes the body a long time to remove the tobacco tar, soot and mucus that have accumulated over the years from the lungs.
The epithelial cells begin to regenerate, the protective functions of the cilia are restored, and the activity of the respiratory system normalizes. This leads to discomfort in the body. Tobacco has a bad effect on the condition of all organs.
During ingestion of smoke, the respiratory and digestive organs are exposed to toxins. As a result, the mucous membranes become irritated, leading to the development of an ulcer.
The active removal of toxins from the body increases the intensity of the heart. This leads to arterial hypertension, wear on the heart valves and muscles. Oxygen deficiency, increased toxin levels, and high levels of stress on the heart contribute to the onset of coronary heart disease and angina pectoris.
Correct medical diagnosis
To determine the origin of chest pain, the therapist examines the patient, listens to the heartbeat and respiratory rate, and measures blood pressure and heart rate. Based on all this, you will appoint an appropriate medical examination. You should have a computed tomography, ECG, X-ray, FGDS.
If the doctor has a suggestion for heart problems, he or she will send the patient for an ECG. It is used to determine the presence of angina pectoris, abnormal heart function, myocardial infarction. Chest X-rays are prescribed for lung and rib problems.
It refutes or confirms rib fracture or pneumonia. If the X-ray does not give a specific answer, ultrasound and computed tomography should be performed.
Gastrointestinal problems help determine FEGDS. A complete measure of the diagnosis of chest pain is a complete blood count. This indicates possible inflammation in the body.
What not to do
For those 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 thoughts of returning to smoking.
The cessation of the unpleasant feelings will not be permanent, they will return and the treatment cannot be avoided, the tobacco smoke has a harmful effect on the body. This leads to the progression of the old disease, the appearance of a new one.
There is no need to neglect going to the hospital and doing the test. With the help of a lung x-ray, we can get information about the appearance of malignant tumors at an early stage, and various examinations give a complete picture of the state of health.
You cannot refuse the treatment offered by your doctor. This has catastrophic 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 speeds up the heartbeat.
The consequences of smoking include weight gain, and the lack of nicotine slows down the metabolism.
This means that if you eat the same amount of food as before, you may be better off. In each person, these processes take place individually.
Effects on metabolism
Nicotine directly boosts metabolism, increasing the calories burned by the body - at rest, with direct exposure.
Most people can have a heartbeat of up to 20 beats per minute right after a cigarette.
The body gets a stimulating effect, which leads to heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attack.
When you stop smoking, the processes quickly return to normal activity. This problem occurs when smokers continue to eat more food than before while smoking.
Metabolism returns to normal, unable to cope with the number of calories - kilograms appear. The risk of weight gain is nothing compared to losing a bad habit. A person gains an average of 3-4 kg.
Some people need more. Most return to normal weight after a year.
It is impossible to say how many kilograms each smoker will eventually gain. 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 takes effort. For some, weight gain is a constant phenomenon.
Can you gain weight and why do you gain weight
When one stops smoking, the taste buds change, the food seems to have become tastier. The urge to eat occurs more often.
Smoking, smoking a box of cigarettes a day took 200 calories, which is equivalent to a sandwich or a glass of soft drink.
Many are better because they used to smoke after eating. Now cigarettes are being replaced by an increase in the amount of food.
You need to maintain your weight, not lose weight. There is a "withdrawal syndrome". They used to smoke a cigarette in a stressful situation, now the brain is asking you to replace the cigarette with something else - food.
Nicotine hunger is similar to natural hunger, a person eats everything he remembers without realizing it. Delicacies replace cigarettes.
Anger, frustration, depression, and stress are other withdrawal symptoms. Because of this, people eat more than usual.
How to replace the smoking habit
Seven out of 10 people who gain weight are because they eat 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 bites full of sugar and fat will increase your waist centimeter. Once you’ve decided to quit smoking, it’s important to make a plan for a full-day snack.
If you feel hungry, choose one of the following low-fat and low-calorie options:
- Fresh fruits / dried fruits;
- natural popcorn;
- Low fat yogurt;
- chopped carrots / peppers / celery;
- Diluted with water, natural juice;
- Oatmeal biscuits;
- Bakery products made from wholemeal flour.
Remember that 100 extra calories a day adds 0. 5 kg of fat per month.
Here are some ideas on how to reduce your meal intake by 100 calories at a time:
- Choose tuna preserved in brine or fresh water instead of oil;
- Put tomato slices, lettuce and pepper in the sandwich instead of mayonnaise;
- Switch from full-fat milk to less high-fat or skim milk;
- If you can’t give up the candy, eat a third of your usual portion after breakfast;
- Make low-fat salads;
- Make homemade smoothies from fruit and skim milk;
- Replace sugar with sweeteners;
- It’s better to eat more fruit than some chocolate or ice cream;
- Another way to reduce 100 calories is by exercising more.