If a person quits smoking, the consequences for the body can be dire. WHO classifies smoking as one of the most serious threats to human life and health. Each year, around 7 million people die from tobacco-related causes. Researchers say that a smoker dies every 5 to 7 seconds in the world. If the rate of tobacco use does not decrease, by 2030, researchers say, 9 million people will die from cigarettes each year.
The effect of smoking on the body
Carcinogens that enter the body with smoke affect almost all human organs and increase the chances of developing:
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease);
- cancer (lung, larynx, colon, pancreas);
- cardiovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke);
- impotence and infertility;
- damage to the nervous system (multiple sclerosis).
The paradox of the current situation is that smoking is a preventable cause of death! It remains only to forget the bad habit.
But if it's that simple, why do the WHO figures seem so intimidating?
Not just a habit
The point is that smoking is not just a bad habit, but a psychological and physiological addiction of the body.
The first time, as a rule, the desire to try a cigarette arises in a smoking business. Everyone around smokes, the desire to stand out from a potential smoker is not respected. A hand reaches out for a cigarette, and now you are no longer sitting in the merry company of a black sheep: you are like everyone else.
It is psychological dependence. It forms first. In the future, smoking is delayed and becomes a certain ritual: smoking over coffee or in the morning. Smoking in a stressful situation, calming down, smoking while working, solving problems - all this is psychological addiction, which is the most difficult to eliminate. Or completely impossible. A person quits smoking, does not keep a cigarette for several years, but does not feel relaxed in a smoking business. A former smoker must constantly control his cravings and keep himself in control.
Over time, physiological dependence adds to psychological dependence.
A person who is not addicted to tobacco will feel bad after smoking two cigarettes in a row. The smoker will not smell anything. The body, used to tobacco, works differently, it is addicted to nicotine and already knows how to react to its intake. Nicotine is supplied and the brain releases the hormone dopamine to neutralize it, resulting in a feeling of satisfaction.
Ways to Treat a Cigarette
Only about 5% of smokers are able to quit on their own. 80% want to quit smoking, but cannot get by without the help of a doctor. Modern medicine uses a variety of means to help addicts:
- Psychotherapeutic methods. The doctor helps to cope with the withdrawal syndrome and to find pleasures in life that replace cigarettes.
- Gum or patches containing nicotine. They help overcome the unpleasant symptoms associated with smoking cessation by gradually releasing nicotine into the body. The correct use of this therapy is very important, otherwise you will not be able to achieve the desired result.
- Reflexology (acupuncture, electropuncture, moxibustion, acupressure). Methods that are not recognized by evidence-based medicine, but, according to former smokers, are significant and beneficial.
- Medications. Prescribed only by a doctor.
There is still a chance to fend for yourself. At least, it is with her that the difficult road to quitting smoking begins. Those who have successfully quit smoking share various recommendations. They advise you to make a partner, because together it's always more fun; tell everyone your intention - then it's a shame to retreat; if you wish, take a whiff of drinking water, chewing gum, carrots.
If you decide to fix the problem yourself, try the following tips:
- Decide on a specific day to quit smoking.
- Find something to do for the first time - sport is perfect.
- Remove anything reminiscent of tobacco: matches, ashtrays, lighters. Do not store any cigarettes in the house.
- Get enough sleep. Limit your television viewing. This will help relieve fatigue and irritability.
- Water helps relieve withdrawal symptoms. Start and end your day with a hot shower.
Rupture or withdrawal syndrome
Quitting smoking leads to nicotine withdrawal or withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine has been incorporated into all vital processes over the years and has an effect on most human organs. It is clear that the process of restructuring the body in a new way causes a number of various negative sensations.
Let's take a look at the main issues that literally every tobacco user faces.
- Weakness, dizziness, decreased performance. They occur in the first weeks after nicotine withdrawal. Surveys of former smokers show that these symptoms go away within the first two weeks.
- Weight gain. Nicotine slows down the metabolism. If you stop smoking, you run the risk of putting on weight. Stop smoking? Start watching your diet and increase your physical activity. Sport also helps to get rid of obsessive thoughts.
- Shortness of breath, increased production of sputum, cough. Tobacco smoke irritates the respiratory tract and increases the production of phlegm. After nicotine withdrawal, stimulation of the airways stops and it is difficult for the person to spit up. This condition can be regulated by physical activity, which is also able to naturally stimulate the bronchi and clear phlegm. If this condition lasts longer, it makes sense to see a doctor.
- Constipation. Nicotine stimulates the digestive tract. Without nicotine, your gut takes time and proper nutrition to keep it functioning.
Practice shows that an integrated approach to getting rid of addiction can yield positive results.
Consequences for the body
There is no easy way in this matter. Strength, patience, and complete confidence in your own righteousness ensure the success of what you have started. Improvements in the body will not be long in coming:
- On the first day, the level of carbon monoxide in the blood decreases, it is saturated with oxygen.
- By the end of the first week, the nicotine is completely eliminated from the body. Physical addiction has been overcome.
- By the end of the first year, the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases is reduced by 2 times.
- In 10 years there is a complete recovery of the body.
It's worth it. To be in a good health!