The harm of abruptly quitting smoking. Reasons against abruptly quitting smoking

The question is often asked: “If you stop smoking abruptly, what consequences will this cause?” Their fears seem justified, since now you can find a lot of facts on the Internet confirming this: someone’s acquaintances gain weight after giving up “ bad habit”, someone suffers from depression due to the fact that they no longer go on smoke breaks with colleagues. Someone asks the question: “If you quit smoking, then what happens in the body of a man?” Everything will be fine - it will have a positive effect on potency. And for pregnant women, some doctors do not recommend giving up cigarettes, because if a woman quits smoking, it will cause stress for the fetus. What kind of tales we have not heard over the years of our work!

Despite the fact that we have already talked about the 10 benefits that a person gets by quitting smoking, many still believe that quitting cigarettes is a path of suffering. Let's think logically and see what happens if a person quit smoking, whether there will be consequences for the body, what they will be.

What can happen if a person stops supplying poisons to his body? That's right - nothing wrong!

Quit smoking: what happens in the body of a man?

As soon as the intake of nicotine in the body stops, the withdrawal phase begins. This substance is classified as a very light drug, so the refusal does not cause any "withdrawal". You will feel only a slight discomfort, like a feeling of slight hunger or feeling when there is nothing to do with your hands. This is something that smokers experience all their lives.

Heavy smokers are familiar with this problem. They know what will usually happen next: the hand itself reaches for the pack. In fact, there is nothing wrong with this discomfort. On the contrary, it indicates that your body is recovering, and we are talking not only about the body, but also about the brain, which remembers all the "beautiful" moments with a cigarette.

Similar processes occur with an increase in body temperature. Of course, in this state, a person feels unwell, but he knows that at this time the body is fighting infection. The same is true for quitting cigarettes. Only now weaning from nicotine is not even close to the usual runny nose.

Any sensations and any consequences for the body (including the discomfort that occurs after a person has quit smoking) are associated not only with nicotine. Unusual sensations due to the normalization of the work of the body, brain and body as a whole, which is completely natural for the human body.

Why do changes after quitting smoking often look like weight gain? Because a person who has abandoned the "bad habit" by the application of willpower is forced to somehow compensate for the lost "pleasure". The most accessible and simple source of joy is food.

What leads to depression when a smoker decides to quit? He is tormented by the desire to smoke, but this cannot be done. These mechanisms are the very psychological component nicotine addiction. All this has nothing to do with physical traction.

If you quit smoking abruptly, what will be the consequences for the body?

Usually people are interested physical consequences that may appear when quitting cigarettes. First of all, I would like to answer this, that a huge number of people who have taken a course at the Allen Carr Center do not experience any physical symptoms. Because the most of unpleasant sensations are created not by physical withdrawal, but by some mental process.

For a small percentage, the consequences after quitting smoking are reduced to weakness or slight malaise in the early days. This is explained simply: the body does not receive a powerful dose of a stimulant in the form of a toxic substance, addictive, - nicotine. The body needs time to get used to and restore the adrenaline production processes. So this is also normal.

Those who have quit smoking report such effects on the body as a strange sensation in the head and drowsiness. This is also easily explained. The body of the smoker has already "forgotten" what it means normal level oxygen, and now you need to restore it, as well as put in order the affected blood vessels.

Consequences of giving up cigarettes: what to do?

How to help the body? No way! The body itself knows what and how to do. Don't disturb him. Just live without the "bad habit". Soon you will notice that every cell of the body receives oxygen and the nutrients it needs, and your well-being has improved. First of all, it is noticeable in the muscles. They become more elastic, recover faster after exertion.

Consequences after quitting smoking also affect the central nervous system. Brain cells literally begin to "come to life" because the nicotine effect on them has stopped. What happens in the body of a man or woman? Improves memory and attention, increases mental and physical performance.

The consequences for the body after a person quit smoking are extremely positive. Without inhalation of carbon monoxide, capillaries and vessels cease to narrow. It also improves the supply of oxygen to the cells.

What happens in the body of a former smoker?

Sleep becomes full and refreshing. If a person abruptly quit smoking, then after stopping the intake toxic substances the brain begins to rest better and work more productively. The consequences of such a step for the body, no doubt, are positive.

The mood of the one who quit the “bad habit” rises. Usually smokers do not get enough sleep. What will their mood be like? The answer is obvious.

It does not matter whether a young woman has given up a “bad habit” or a man in old age has freed himself from nicotine - this makes the life of any person more harmonious. What problems leave him? Chronic lack of sleep constant fatigue, lack of energy - only a small part of them. Now all this is in the past.

Quit smoking: consequences for the body by day

In the first days after a person quit smoking, there may be Negative consequences for the body. For example, coughing will intensify, sputum will actively depart. It may seem to get worse. But this is not so: it’s just that a lot of tar has accumulated in the lungs during smoking, and now the body is actively getting rid of it.

But there are much more positive consequences for the body, and they appear literally every day after a person has quit smoking.

• First day: concentration decreases carbon monoxide in blood.
• Second day: the process of restoration of the intestinal mucosa starts.
• Third day: the tone of blood vessels returns to normal.
• Fourth day: blood flow to the brain normalizes.
• Fifth day: microtraumas heal in oral cavity.
• Sixth day: the process of blood purification starts.
• Seventh day: the body practically gets rid of the physical dependence on nicotine.

Recovery processes will continue for a long time, but main stage passed - the body embarked on the path of recovery.

We do not claim that miracles happen, that now there will be no stress and ailments in your life. But healthy person who got rid of addiction, there is more strength and energy to cope with life's adversities.

The life of someone who quit smoking at 15, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50 or even 60 years is not only brighter, but also longer!

If a person decides to quit smoking at 15, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50 or even 60 years of experience, the consequences for his health in any case will be positive, which scientists have repeatedly said and science confirms.

Within one article it is difficult to list all the positive changes after quitting smoking. It is important to understand how you can help yourself become healthy and active.

Do not be afraid that if a person abruptly quit smoking, negative consequences for the body will not keep you waiting. This is not true at all. Our body has natural wisdom, it just needs help to cleanse itself of poison. How to do it? Just follow the chosen path. Trust nature, and tomorrow you will feel pleasant changes!

about the author

Alexander Fomin, Trainer-Therapist at the Allen Carr Center in Russia

Alexander Fomin, a former smoker with 18 years of experience, the first licensed specialist and chief consultant of the Allen Carr Center in the Russian Federation. Helped more than 10,000 compatriots to quit smoking once and for all. He has 9 years of experience working with the Allen Carr method and has successfully trained several new therapists in this method. He took part in editing and voicing books of the series " Easy Way Publishing House "Kind Book".

The consequences of giving up cigarettes can initially have a negative connotation. However, they do not compare with those positive changes in the body that are already observed in the first couple of hours without tobacco. There are a lot of myths and opinions on this topic. Quitting an addiction can cause different reactions organism.

It all depends on the state of the psyche and physiological characteristics.

Anyway, but negative state the human body after giving up nicotine is temporary. This is a kind of psychological barrier that a person has to cope with. In this case, the so-called withdrawal syndrome is observed.

The most common side effects of quitting smoking include:

1. Pain and discomfort in different places.
2. Malfunctions in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, vomiting and nausea.
3. Reduced or heightened feeling appetite.
4. Colds, too heat weakening of the immune system.
5. poor coordination and low level performance.
6. Changeable mood, groundless nervousness and irritability, despondency.
7. The ever-changing pressure associated with withdrawal.

The following reasons can lead to the appearance of extra pounds after giving up a bad habit:

• slow metabolism;
• increased appetite due to stress;
• More time is spent on snacks that used to be spent on smoke breaks.

The most important thing is not to worry, because sports and proper diet help you say goodbye to excess weight. In addition, there will be many more positive changes. At first, the olfactory function will improve, the work of the respiratory system will begin to recover. In addition, the condition of the blood vessels will also improve, which will reduce the likelihood of developing a heart attack and stroke. However, the positive effects are not very noticeable, as they pass along with the temporary side effects of quitting smoking.

The consequences of failure depend on the characteristics of the organism. Every he chooses how to quit smoking. It is clear that the difficulty of quitting is directly dependent on the experience of the smoker.

Sometimes this can be dangerous for the body, so many prefer a gradual technique. For example, a decrease in the number begins with 20 cigarettes per day, then up to 10, then 4-6, and the last stage is 1 cigarette. In this case, the body will wean from the effects of nicotine gradually, and adverse effects will be perceived much easier.

At abrupt rejection there may be different consequences, which depend on the state of the smoker's immunity. At the same time, it is important to keep the right attitude, since it is impossible to get rid of this bad habit without discomfort.

When a person quits smoking, he falls into the so-called psychological abstinence, which will have to be fought for several days. The desire to smoke a cigarette may occur at the allotted time.

Given the presence chronic diseases and duration of smoking, abrupt cessation can easily cause the most various complications. Gradual quitting is a great solution for pregnant women, as tobacco has a bad effect on the development of the baby, causing the development of many diseases even before it is born. Therefore, experts do not advise abruptly quitting smoking for pregnant women.

The reaction of the body by day to the rejection of nicotine

Unpleasant consequences of refusal from nicotine are due to the fact that active recovery begins in the body:

1. Carbon monoxide is gradually removed from the blood, and the amount of oxygen in its composition increases. The traction on the first day is not very strong. Sleep problems are possible, however, this is more due to surging emotions and a surge of strength. Breathing becomes freer, slags and toxins are gradually removed from the body.
2. On the second day, nervousness and irritability appear. There are the first symptoms of the so-called nicotine hunger. IN next days markedly increased appetite. In this case, there may be malfunctions in the digestive tract, expressed as nausea and constipation. Other characteristics- sensation of a lump in the throat and a strong cough. When coughing, thick and dark sputum is excreted from the lungs. Withdrawal syndrome begins to appear. After a week, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is rehabilitated, the appetite continues to increase.
3. The first 7-8 days without cigarettes are the most difficult, since at this time the psyche is extremely tense, but in general the body begins to recover intensively. Nervousness, shortness of breath and coughing should not contribute to a return to a harmful addiction. Help with discomfort: good sleep, calm environment and communication with loved ones.
4. After 2-3 weeks, any reaction of the body to the absence of nicotine in it disappears. Cells are saturated with oxygen, the condition of the bronchi returns to normal, tissue repair begins. A cough usually stays with an ex-smoker for a long time. Expectorant sputum may be yellowish or dark in color. In this case, it is recommended to do a fluorography and consult with an ENT doctor. There is also a restoration of olfactory and taste buds.
5. A month later, a noticeable improvement in mood and strengthening of the psychological state is possible. There is also a transformation in appearance: skin covering becomes fresher and tighter. The tone of the blood vessels increases, but when playing sports, a cough can still manifest itself. Nicotine dependence is minimal, but trying to smoke can easily bring it back.

Every smoker is aware of the dangers of their habit, and many of them are willing to give it up. The man who made a firm decision once and for all say goodbye with smoking and take care of your health, you must definitely be motivated by something in order to overcome the consequences of quitting smoking. Understanding is extremely important specific purpose failure.

People who have not been able to say goodbye to the habit note a deterioration in their health, because quitting smoking is much more difficult than it might seem.

The body undergoes nicotine hunger and needs another portion of the toxic substance. The psychological dependence is much stronger than the physiological one.

During rejection, there is often a feeling of anxiety and psychological condition reminiscent of depression. On the day of giving up cigarettes, there should not be any stress or emotional experiences. You also need to remove from sight all objects that are related to harmful addiction. You need to walk more and do something interesting. When tension appears, try to relax and calm down by doing slow and deep breaths and exhale.

After giving up tobacco products, lungs can be cleaned and independently, using the following methods:

• inhalation;
• adjustment of the nutritional diet;
• exercises for the respiratory system;
• moderate physical activity;
• trips to saunas and baths.

Usage herbal decoctions with an expectorant effect and inhalations help to significantly speed up the rehabilitation of the lungs, that is, to eliminate coughing.

With regard to physical activity, its intensity depends on the physiology of the ex-smoker. But in any case, you should not overload the body too much in the first time after failure.

How to replace a habit

Physical exercise is the most the best remedy Helpful in quitting cigarettes. A person who is actively involved in sports will quit smoking much faster and easier. After physical activity, you want to smoke much less.

Many ex-smokers replace their addiction with chewing gum, candy, or e-cigarettes. But it is worth remembering that e-Sigs do not help to quit smoking, since nicotine in the body in this case still continues to flow. The same applies to nicotine patches.

A smoke break can be replaced with a glass of juice or a cup of aromatic tea. At work, instead of cigarettes, you can eat hazelnuts or nuts. For some, peppermints are great for rejection. They are also good because they contain much less sugar than sweets.

Side effects

Most smokers are just afraid unpleasant consequences. Gets worse at first the immune system, as the body begins to wean from regular portions of the toxin. Therefore, in the first weeks after the refusal, you can encounter colds.

The excretion of mucus is determined by the restoration of the lungs. Some people think that smoking helps them calm down, but this opinion is wrong. Cigarettes simply satisfy the body's formed need for nicotine intake.

As part of tobacco smoke there are substances that act as a kind of doping, so it is very difficult for the body to rebuild after the cessation of this process.

In heavy smokers, as a rule, the following negative consequences of quitting smoking are often observed:

• severe cough and copious excretion sputum;
• fast weight gain;
• excessive fatigue and nervousness;
• sadness and depression.

Sputum discharge is observed in almost all people who decide to say goodbye to a bad habit. Weight gain will not be very significant. This is largely due to increased appetite.

Depression involves mood swings and feelings of sadness. Willpower and motivation will help to cope with this condition. Do not forget that quitting smoking brings only temporary discomfort.

What are the best things to avoid when quitting smoking?

A person who wants to say goodbye to smoking needs to exclude fried and spicy foods from his diet. The body during this period is subject to severe stress, and to improve his condition, you need to consume as much liquid as possible. In this case, it may be useful herbal tinctures and teas, as well as ordinary mineral water. Cancellation of the intake of nicotine in the body also provokes an acute desire to replace the habit with all sorts of sweets. Do not abuse these products, otherwise you can acquire another bad habit. It is also recommended to give up coffee and alcohol, as they can only aggravate your situation.

Caffeine, which is present in coffee, has a stimulating effect on the body, provoking anxiety. And in a state of intoxication, it is difficult for a person to control his own actions, so he can smoke again. In that difficult period it is better to consume foods that contain a lot of antioxidants, as they contribute to the excretion harmful substances from the body and stabilize metabolism.

When quitting smoking, you need to be aware that discomfort have only temporary. You can reduce anxiety with interesting lesson. When you begin to notice positive changes, the desire to lead a healthy lifestyle will only become stronger, and you simply won’t have time for smoke breaks.

This drug stimulates the brain's reward system, which is activated during pleasurable activities in a manner similar to most other drugs. People smoke to maintain their nicotine addiction, but at the same time they inhale thousands of other components, including carcinogens, noxious gases and chemical additives that are included in the composition. cigarette smoke. It is these toxic compounds, not nicotine, that are responsible for the multiple health effects of smoking.

Epidemiology of smoking

Smoking. The percentage of people who smoke cigarettes has declined since 1964, when the Minister of Health first made public the relationship between smoking and poor health. However, about 20% of adults still smoke. Smoking is more common in men, people with less than a secondary education.

Children already at the age of 10 experiment with cigarettes. About 31% of people develop dependence under the age of 16 and more than half under the age of 18, and the age of initiation continues to decline. How younger age in which they start smoking, the more likely continuation of smoking. Risk factors for smoking initiation in childhood include:

• smoking by parents, peers and role models (eg celebrities);
• poor school performance;
• poor relationship with parents or incomplete families;
• behavior with a high degree risk (passion for excessive diets, especially among girls; fighting and drunk driving, especially among boys);
• availability of cigarettes;
• poor problem solving abilities.

Complications. Smoking harms almost every organ in the body and is the leading cause of preventable death, accounting for approximately 435,000 deaths/year, or about 20% of all deaths. About half of all smokers die prematurely from diseases directly caused by smoking, on average losing 10 to 14 years of life (7 min/cigarette). The majority (65%) of smoking-related deaths are due to coronary heart disease, lung cancer, cancer, and chronic lung disease; others are caused by extracardiac vascular disease (eg, stroke, aortic aneurysm), other cancers, pneumonia, and perinatal conditions. Smoking is a risk factor for other conditions that cause significant morbidity and disability, such as acute myeloid leukemia, frequent infections upper respiratory tract, cataracts, reproductive effects (eg, infertility, spontaneous abortions, ectopic pregnancy, premature menopause), peptic ulcer, osteoporosis and periodontitis.

quitting smoking. More than 70% of smokers annually require primary medical care However, only a minority of them receive counseling and drugs to help them quit the habit. Long-term follow-up surveys show that 73% of daily smokers in high school remain daily smokers 5-6 years later.

Passive smoking. Children affected by cigarette smoke miss more school days due to illness than children not exposed to cigarette smoke. passive smoking. Smoking-related fires kill 80 children each year and injure nearly 300 more.

Symptoms and signs

Quitting smoking often causes severe symptoms withdrawal symptoms, primarily cravings for cigarettes, but also anxiety, depression (mostly mild, sometimes severe), inability to concentrate, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, drowsiness, impatience, hunger, tremors, headaches. These symptoms are most severe in the first week (when most smokers are trying to fight off a relapse) and disappear within 3-4 weeks in most patients, but may last up to a month. As a rule, there is an average weight gain of 4-5 kg, which is another reason for relapse.

Smoking treatment

• Termination of counseling.
• Drug treatment (varenicline, bupropion, or nicotine product replacement) unless contraindicated.

Evidence-based drug addiction counseling and treatment are effective methods treatment; combining counseling and drug treatment more effective than any single intervention.

Dependency and withdrawal syndrome often powerful enough that, even with the knowledge of the many health risks, many smokers are reluctant to try to quit, and those who do try to quit often fail. Only a minority of smokers achieve long-term remission after their initial quit attempts, and many continue to smoke for a number of years, bypassing cyclical periods of relapse and remission. In general, counseling, drug treatment, or both can increase the success rate by up to 4 times that of smokers who attempt to quit on their own (abrupt cessation) without this treatment.

Smoking has many of the characteristics of a chronic disease. Thus, an evidence-based optimal approach to patients, especially those who do not want to quit or who have not yet considered quitting, should be guided by the same principles that govern treatment. chronic diseases, namely:

• ongoing assessment and monitoring of smoking status;
• using different evidence-based interventions for different patients and creating preferences on their previous experience and treatment;
• although emphasizing that abstinence is the most important goal, to encourage temporary abstinence for patients who have not succeeded in completely stopping smoking.

Although reducing consumption may increase motivation to quit, smokers should be reminded that reducing the number of cigarettes smoked may not improve health because smokers often inhale more smoke (and therefore more toxins) per cigarette to sustain their nicotine intake.

Identification of smokers. Effective measures require that smokers be identified first (eg, expanding vital signs to include the smoking status of all patients at each visit).

Evidence-Based Counseling. The consultation begins with 5 points:

• Ask at each visit if the patient smokes and record the response.
• Advise all smokers to quit in clear, confident language that they can understand.
• Assess the smoker's willingness to try not to smoke within the next 30 days.
• Help those who are ready to make a quit attempt by providing brief counseling and medication.
• Arrange for follow-up, preferably within the first week of quitting smoking.

For patients who want to quit smoking, clinicians should set a quit date, preferably within 2 weeks, and emphasize that total abstinence is better than cutting back. Past smoking cessation experiences can be reviewed to determine what has worked and what has not, and factors that trigger smoking or incentives to quit should be identified in advance. For example, alcohol use is associated with relapse, so limiting or total abstinence from alcohol should be discussed. In addition, it is more difficult to quit smoking if there is another smoker in the family; wives and households may be advised to quit smoking in company. In general, smokers should be instructed to develop social support among family and friends for their attempt to quit smoking, and physicians should provide ongoing public assistance to support their efforts.

In addition to the brief consultation provided by a doctor to patients, personal counseling programs can help. They typically use cognitive behavioral methods and are offered by various commercial and voluntary health programs. The success rate is higher than organized self-help programs.

Medications. Effective drugs for smoking cessation - varenicline, bupropion SR and 5 types of nicotine replacement therapy (in the form of chewing gum, lozenges, patch, inhaler and nasal spray). The mechanism of action of bupropion is to increase the synthesis of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. Varenicline works at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α-4β-2 subunits) where it acts as a partial agonist with some nicotine effect and as a partial antagonist, blocking the action of nicotine.

All 7 recommended smoking cessation drugs are effective as monotherapy, but new research shows that combination therapy, such as combining a nicotine patch with short-acting anti-nicotine drugs (such as pills, chewing gum, nasal sprays, inhalers), bupropion, or both are more effective than monotherapy. When used in combination, the patch helps to maintain a constant level, and the use of gum, lozenges, inhaler or nasal spray allows the patient to quickly increase the level of nicotine in response to a momentary craving. In addition, the combination of bupropion with nicotine-containing products may be more effective than any of the therapies, in particular the combination of bupropion with a nicotine patch and short-acting anti-nicotine preparations.

Smokers may worry that they will remain addicted to nicotine after using nicotine-containing products to stop smoking; however, this dependence rarely persists. When choosing a drug, the doctor is guided by his knowledge of drugs, patient preferences, previous experience and the presence of contraindications.

Despite proven efficacy, medications cessation aids are used by less than 25% of smokers who attempt to quit. The reasons for this are low insurance, doctors' concern about the safety of smoking at the same time.

Smoking cessation therapies currently being tested include a vaccine that traps nicotine before it reaches the brain, and the drugs selegiline, bromocriptine and topiramate.

Drug Safety. Contraindications to bupropion include convulsions, disorders eating behavior and the use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors for 2 weeks.

It is not clear whether bupropion and varenicline increase the risk of suicide. Varenicline and bupropion can increase the risk of serious neuropsychiatric disorders and accidents. In 2009, the FDA issued a warning that these drugs may cause side effects. However, most experts recommend varenicline for most smokers because the risks of smoking far outweigh any possible risks from taking medication. But varenicline should be avoided in smokers at risk of suicide, unstable mental disorders and possibly depression.

Nicotine replacement should be used with caution in patients at risk for cardiovascular disease (2 weeks after myocardial infarction, with severe arrhythmias or angina pectoris), but most data suggest that such use is safe. Nicotine chewing gum is contraindicated in patients with temporomandibular joint syndrome, anti-nicotine patches are contraindicated in patients with severe local sensitization.

Due to safety concerns, lack of efficacy of the data, or both, drugs are not recommended for the following categories of people:

• pregnant smokers;
• light smokers;
• teenagers (less than 18 years old);
• smokeless tobacco users.

Smoking cessation in children. Counseling children is similar to approaching adults; however, the drugs are not recommended for patients under 18 years of age.

Children should be protected from smoking and risk factors until the age of 10. Parents should be advised to refrain from smoking at home and inform their children of their expectation that they will remain non-smokers.

In children who smoke, cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in treating nicotine-dependent patients, including establishing awareness of tobacco use, providing motivation to stop smoking, preparation for quitting, and a post-cessation withdrawal support strategy.

Forecasting

Every year, about 20 million smokers try to quit smoking (nearly half of all smokers), usually by quitting abruptly or using other unscientific approaches, resulting in craving relapse with a long-term success rate of around 5%. In contrast, a success rate of 20-30% is achieved among smokers who have used evidence-based counseling and recommended medications to quit smoking.

Other types of tobacco

Smoking is the most harmful form of tobacco use. All tobacco products contain toxins and possible carcinogens, and even smokeless tobacco products are not safe alternatives smoking.

About 3.3% of the population over the age of 18 and about 7.9% of high school students use smokeless tobacco. The toxicity of smokeless tobacco varies by brand. Risks include cardiovascular diseases, oral diseases (eg, cancer, gingival recession, gingivitis, periodontitis), and teratogenicity.

Termination. Advice to smokeless tobacco users on how to quit using it has also shown to be effective among smokers. However, medications have shown to be ineffective among smokeless tobacco users.

The effectiveness of treating pipe and cigar smokers is poorly documented. In addition, cessation may be influenced by whether cigarettes were smoked at the same time and whether smokers inhaled the smoke.

Probably every smoker at least once thought about giving up this bad habit, and every second or third try to do it. But attempts to “tie up” are not always successful. Not everyone dares to stop smoking abruptly, and the consequences of abrupt quitting can be unpredictable. Is it true? Can simply give up cigarettes once and for all much easier? With the question of why it is impossible to abruptly quit smoking, we will deal with this article.

The destructive nicotine

Everyone knows that smoking is unsafe, besides, the Ministry of Health does not get tired of warning about it. But not everyone knows exactly what harm nicotine and its decay products can cause to the human body. What will happen to the body if you do not stop in time? What are the consequences of disrupting the usual way of life?

Tobacco smoking can be a trigger in the development systemic diseases, many of which end in death. A person who is addicted to nicotine has a shorter life expectancy by almost 10 years than his non-smoking peer. The harm of smoking is obvious:

1. The development of oncopathology. Smoking is practically the main cause of lung cancer. In addition, when swallowing saliva containing nicotine decay products, the risk of tumors of the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, and duodenum increases significantly.
2. Chronic lung diseases. The well-known "smoker's bronchitis" can be complicated by such serious conditions as emphysema, bronchiectasis, atelectasis.
3. Violation of cardio-vascular system. An increase in the load on the heart, under the influence of nicotine, leads to tachycardia, hypertension, heart attacks. There is a change in structure vascular walls, the number of atherosclerotic plaques increases, the risk of blood clots, blockage of blood vessels increases. Obliterating endarteritis develops, leading to amputation of the lower extremities.
4. Due to vasoconstriction in the pelvic organs, various disorders develop, and men experience premature impotence.
5. Because of pernicious influence nicotine gradually develops retinal dystrophy, suffers optic nerve, and the smoker runs the risk of permanently losing normal vision.
6. The same is true of defeat auditory nerve and detrimental effect on internal structures hearing aid. Taste and smell are also dulled.
7. Markedly spoiled appearance smoker, which is especially pronounced in women. The skin acquires a yellowish tint, premature wrinkles appear, lips turn blue. In the morning, you may notice that the skin of the face is swollen. All this is a characteristic "face of a smoker".

In addition, the teeth darken from nicotine, there is an unpleasant smell from the mouth.

What's the easiest way to throw?

The opinion of doctors about the abrupt cessation of smoking is also ambiguous. Yes, you can quit smoking abruptly, and it’s really much easier, but this is only if you are not a heavy smoker who replaces cigarette after cigarette.

People with a smoking experience of no more than five years can abruptly quit smoking. This is due to the fact that over such a period of time the body does not yet have time to acquire a “bouquet” of chronic diseases and the consequences of refusal will not be very pronounced.

If, however, a person who smokes for a long time and a lot decided to give up a bad habit and stop smoking cigarettes, it is still better to do it gradually, since this is a very serious stress for the body that can cause unwanted symptoms or exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Without nicotine constantly coming from the outside, the body must rebuild as quickly as possible in order to independently produce required amount acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that mediates neuromuscular transmission. A smoker received acetylcholine through cigarettes, and after a sharp refusal with a long smoking history, a lack of acetylcholine can lead to irritability, memory impairment, lethargy, fatigue, and depression. It is for this reason that many cannot quit smoking after a pause of no more than a week.

In addition, quitting smoking immediately and abruptly is very difficult psychologically, and morally unprepared people break down and buy cigarettes again.

The psychological side of refusing this addiction is of particular importance during pregnancy. The stress that the absence of nicotine causes is hard on a woman's morale, but the harm from smoking is much greater. Nicotine and its resins have a toxic effect on the child's body, can lead to pregnancy fading, congenital defects etc. Therefore, when a woman is responsible for another life, it is worth doing right choice and stop smoking abruptly, without stretching this process.

Testing willpower

Can you quit smoking abruptly? Stop smoking abruptly or gradually? What will happen to the body then? After quitting smoking abruptly, a person is more acutely aware of everything that happens to his body, and the health consequences can be very different. Unpleasant moments and symptoms appear in his life:

Morning cough gets worse. This is one of the first signals of restructuring - the body is trying to cleanse the lungs, get rid of the toxic and harmful components of cigarette smoke, and get used to a life free of smoking.

General weakness and lethargy are the consequences of nicotine withdrawal, which can be expressed in varying degrees at different people. But they are necessarily present in the life of a person who has given up smoking. In addition to weakness, feelings of confusion, inattention and forgetfulness can be expressed.

With a long smoking experience, nicotine is so easily accepted by the body that metabolic processes adapt to its constant supply. Therefore, with a sharp cessation of smoking, metabolic processes, returning to the "unaccustomed" habitual course, can cause feelings of lack of air, sweating, dizziness, nausea, and bradycardia.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU STOP SMOKING

How to quit smoking

When a smoker with a long experience abruptly quit smoking, he has psychological problem- there is a feeling of loss of something very personal and important. Therefore, it is important to have the right attitude, and if necessary, work with a psychologist.

The only advantage with a sharp throw is that after surviving the consequences in acute period, the person begins to intensively lose the desire to drag on a cigarette again. The opinion of people who have quit smoking has been determined on this matter - you need to quit smoking as soon as possible, and it is better to do this under the supervision of doctors. Even if at this moment you really want to smoke, you need to endure it after intrusive thoughts reach for a cigarette will appear less and less.

nicotine withdrawal

If you stop smoking abruptly, a stronger and younger organism will more easily endure a lack of nicotine, it will experience short-term manifestations of the symptoms indicated above. But you can not very abruptly quit smoking for the elderly, as defense mechanisms they are weakened and nicotine withdrawal may occur. Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal:

• increased anxiety;
• uncontrollable outbursts of anger;
• severe irritability, intolerance;
• abrupt mood swings with a predominance of bad;
• concentration disorders;
• insomnia;
• a constant feeling of hunger that cannot be satisfied.

The state of nicotine withdrawal can be dangerous for health, the stress experienced by the body is especially pronounced on the second or third day of withdrawal and, especially if the smoker is a core smoker, requires medical care. Therefore, it is harmful to quit smoking abruptly.

Slowly but surely

When quitting smoking gradually, there are no severe symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. The level of nicotine decreases gradually, by the day, cigarettes gradually fade into the background, and then disappear from life forever. This method of refusal is good for a long smoking experience, but it has a significant drawback - when quitting smoking cigarettes gradually, a person will still experience cravings for nicotine for a very long time, it will begin to weaken in months. In addition, if quitting smoking is not abrupt, all the above problems will not be relevant for you.

You can cope with the bad habit of smoking, the main thing is to have the desire and tune in to success. If you don’t have enough willpower to permanently put a pack of cigarettes aside, you can use a nicotine patch. To avoid the temptation to reach for a cigarette, remove all lighters and ashtrays from the house, put vases of candy in their place.

If your company smokes, and it is very difficult to cope with the desire to smoke, try to deceive your subconscious - drink any drink through a straw.

Drink more often green tea- it will help to quickly remove toxins from the body, which means that the period of "withdrawal" will be less pronounced.

And, of course, if you decide to quit smoking not abruptly, start playing sports. Active movements and sufficient muscle load weaken the craving for nicotine, will not allow you to gain excess weight, improve your well-being, and cheer up.

About 98% of smokers at least once think about quitting smoking. Quitting smoking has both negative and positive effects on the body. The negative ones are abrupt change moods, cravings for food, severe coughing, etc., as a result of which people stop there. After the experienced problems, a number of pluses come, which eliminates the health problems of a former smoker.

Which type of smoking cessation is better: abrupt or gradual?

There are two types of smoking cessation: abrupt and gradual. Which of them is the most effective, experts have not yet determined. Each aspect depends on the characteristics of the organism. Most often, with the gradual rejection of nicotine, smokers do not get rid of the bad habit. With a sharp refusal, the symptoms of negative consequences appear faster, and their transience is increased, the treatment is much more active.

Side effects of quitting smoking

They appear during the fight against a bad habit and are side effects due to giving up cigarettes. First by-effect- withdrawal syndrome. At this stage, there is:

• the appearance of stomatitis - sores on the mucous membrane of the mouth and lips;
• problems with gastrointestinal tract- indigestion, constipation, upset, etc.;
• psychological dependence - appearance negative symptoms, because of which the smoker has the impression that, as a result of giving up cigarettes, he has health problems, so he stops fighting smoking;
• pain in different parts of the body or in organs;
• depression;
• reduced immunity - nicotine is a kind of doping that improves the functioning of organs and systems for a while. When the body is deprived of doping, it is depleted. Often, after the first days after quitting, a smoker tends to catch viral and other diseases due to a malfunction of the immune system.

In the first week, a former smoker develops a strong craving for food, especially for sweets. This is due to the fact that nicotine slows down metabolism, and when you quit smoking, the metabolic rate increases, due to which the desire to eat becomes greater. Therefore, many smokers increase body weight. But this is not due to the fact that a person has refused cigarettes, but from overeating due to the struggle with the problem. The feeling of hunger is accompanied by headaches, distraction, dizziness, tinnitus.

Every cigarette you smoke constricts blood vessels, which are in a state of spasm for another 30 minutes. This limits the flow of oxygen to the organs and tissues, which causes oxygen starvation. Lack of oxygen leads to heart attacks, strokes, angina pectoris, etc.

The lack of habitual toxic substances in the body is the cause of a sharp change in mood. Ex-smokers at first become very irritable, sometimes they feel sick. A common occurrence for them is insomnia.

After quitting smoking, the mucous membranes of the mouth and nasopharynx, bronchi and lungs are the first to begin to recover. Recovery respiratory system accompanied strong cough With big amount sputum.

During coughing, toxic substances are excreted with sputum. The duration of the symptom is directly related to the duration of the smoker's experience.

Ex-smokers may develop skin problems after quitting cigarettes. This is due to the active production of hormones that the body lacked during the period of smoking. Smoking cessation can exacerbate allergic and skin diseases. Most often, acne appears due to the fact that the blood vessels dilate, and the glands begin to produce a large number of sebum. This leads to clogged pores and acne.

Negative effects are the symptoms that appear as a result of quitting nicotine. They disappear within 3 months. After this, the stage of improvement of the state of the body begins. Therefore, smokers must endure the lack of toxic substances in order to never smoke again.

Better health

The benefits of quitting smoking are manifested in the elimination of health problems and the improvement of the general condition of the body. Positive Consequences They are divided into early, which can appear already in the first hours after quitting smoking, and delayed, which occur after the withdrawal syndrome.

To early positive consequences should include:

• improving the condition of the skin, nails and teeth;
• elimination bad smell from mouth;
• improvement of the work of the heart;
• restoration of normal signal transmission from the brain to taste and olfactory receptors;
• normalization of breathing.

Long-term positive effects include improving the efficiency of the brain, increasing endurance. The ex-smoker becomes more energetic, and he has a desire to play sports. The risk of cancer is reduced several times. The tar in cigarettes is made up of carcinogens. They irritate the lungs and bronchi and provoke the formation of cancer cells.

An important plus is an increase in the tone of blood vessels, which is caused by the removal of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) from the body. These toxic substances destroy hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to organs and tissues. Getting rid of them provides deep breathing, and the air comes in easier.

Pros for women

Smoking cessation for women reduces the risk of thrombosis and stroke during the period of taking contraceptives. Pregnant women who give up bad habits ensure their own birth healthy child without slowing down in intellectual development.

Ex-smokers can prevent brittle bones. Nicotine reduces the production of the hormone estrogen, which opposes calcium leaching from the body.

Benefits for men

Smoking cessation in men increases potency. This is due to improved blood circulation and flow to the organs of the reproductive system enough oxygen.

Many argue that it is much easier for older people to give up bad habits. However, in old age, it is necessary to quit smoking only under the strict supervision of a doctor.

During smoking, changes occur in the body. It begins to function not on its own, but with the help of doping - nicotine, which increases the efficiency of the organs. A decrease in the concentration of a toxic substance depletes the body. This is the reason why smoking becomes a habit.

When quitting smoking, symptoms such as irritability, absent-mindedness, poor functioning of the body due to a lack of toxic substances appear. Begins defensive reaction which is called withdrawal syndrome. A frequent occurrence is the appearance of skin problems that manifest themselves in different ways. This is due to the active production of hormones, the secretion of subcutaneous fat, the manifestation of skin diseases.

Favorable changes appear after the smoker has experienced withdrawal symptoms. It varies from person to person depending on the length of service. If a person can survive all the negative consequences, then he will never smoke again. With a longer duration, the withdrawal syndrome lasts longer.

When quitting smoking, a person provides himself with an improvement in the state of health, good health and healthy offspring. The consequences of getting rid of a bad habit are individual and depend on factors such as age, psychological attitude, experience, general condition body, willpower, etc.