There is a widespread myth among smokers that quitting smoking is harmful and has serious consequences for the body. Many people prefer to prolong this process by gradually reducing the number of cigarettes smoked per day. In fact, not everything is so terrible, and doctors give an unequivocal answer to the question of whether it is possible to quit smoking suddenly. Let's understand.
Nicotine as a medicine
Nicotine belongs to the category of "fast" drugs - this addiction occurs only after a few months of use, but is quickly abandoned. It can take an average of three to seven days to eliminate a bad habit at the physiological level.
Tobacco smoke contains about 4, 000 chemical compounds, 250 of which are toxic. An organism accustomed to nicotine requires a new dose every half hour, after two hours of stagnation, blood pressure may rise, the person will feel nervous. However, if you overcome yourself and do not smoke for at least three days, things will be much easier.
Experience has shown that quitting smoking is a dead end. More often, the smoker still breaks down and returns to his previous dose of nicotine. But giving up nicotine all of a sudden can really work.
What happens in the body
If you quit the daily part of nicotine, the following changes will take place in the human body:
- Increased blood flow. Blood begins to flow more actively to the brain and heart. After a while, blood pressure will stabilize and begin to repair damaged blood vessels during addiction.
- Normalize bowel function. The gastrointestinal microflora is greatly affected by the carcinogens inhaled by smokers. With a sharp rejection of nicotine, intestinal function is stabilized, vitamins and nutrients are better absorbed.
- Restoration of immunity. In people addicted to nicotine, the immune system is weakened and unable to perform its functions. You've probably seen that smokers get sick more often than non-smokers.
- Oxygenation of the body. Thanks to improved ventilation of the lungs, more oxygen begins to enter the body. Fatigue disappears, the feeling of weakness during the working day decreases and sleep improves.
Side effects
Remember that nicotine is a drug and smoking is an addiction. Like any other drug addiction, it does not go away without a trace, and in the first days a person will not feel very comfortable. The following side effects can occur if you suddenly quit smoking:
- Anxiety and nervousness. The first effect a smoker will feel. It can be seen after two or three hours of hesitation.
- Mild dizziness. The reason for this is oxygen starvation - vascular tone normalizes and it takes time. It happens on average per day.
- The beginning of dyspnea. Another consequence of oxygen starvation, but the reason here is the regeneration of the lungs. After a maximum of one month, it usually disappears completely after a week or two.
- Decreased appetite. It is most pronounced in the first days of not leaving. Appetite returns in a week. In addition, a person begins to feel the fullness of the taste of food that he did not even know before.
- Cough. Toxins that accumulate in the smoker's lungs are expelled from the body, causing a cough. Cough is often accompanied by sputum and mucus. It decreases after a month and disappears completely after six months.
- Insomnia. Emotional depression from nicotine deficiency makes it difficult for a person to fall asleep. In some cases, there may be insomnia. It goes away on its own after three or four days, but you can use medications to suppress anxiety and sleep better.
As we have seen, there are no serious side effects that can cause serious damage to the body. Of course, a sharp cessation of smoking, especially in the first days, will require a lot of willpower, but nothing will endanger your health. On the contrary, after only a week of abstinence, a person begins to feel better than all periods of nicotine consumption.
Psychological factor
For many smokers, overcoming physiological side effects is easier than fighting psychological dependence. Smoking is a whole ritual, everyone is unique. Someone smokes before breakfast, someone has no idea how you can wait and smoke on public transport, and smoked coffee is generally sacred. It can be extremely difficult to give up such small habits and rebuild your life completely.
If you don't have enough willpower to quit smoking, you can contact your family and friends. Let them distract from bad thoughts and give maximum support. Another option is to seek help from a psychologist, there is nothing to be ashamed of.
Smoking and women
There is a separate myth in this category for women - how harmful is it for them to suddenly quit smoking? For example, it is believed that pregnant women should not suddenly give up nicotine. It is said that this will cause stress that will negatively affect the baby. In fact, doctors recommend giving up addiction immediately in such a situation. Each cigarette smoked will affect the development of the fetus.
The situation is the same with the myth that you can't quit smoking during the situation. In fact you can. At the physiological level, there will be nothing negative for the body, difficulties can only arise at the psychological level. Another misconception is that the sudden cessation of smoking affects the effectiveness of medications. However, there is no scientifically proven situation when drugs change their pharmacological properties due to abrupt cessation of nicotine intake.
Buffs
The positive changes in the body are described above, now we will describe the most noticeable effects for a former smoker:
- The skin looks fresher. The yellowish color of the epidermis disappears as more minerals, vitamins and oxygen begin to enter the bloodstream. Healthy skin color will return about six months after quitting smoking.
- Increases sensitivity to taste and smell. The smoker's sense of smell and taste buds do not work at full capacity, and the more a person smokes, the more boring he becomes. If you give up addiction, you can feel the fullness of taste and smell.
- The tone is improved. Lack of strength, increased activity, fatigue. A former smoker feels it all. You can forget about illness and feelings of apathy.
In summary - you can suddenly quit smoking! And even necessary. There will be no serious negative consequences for the body.