Quitting smoking: advantages and disadvantages

It's hard to find an adult smoker who wouldn't regret their first cigarette, dreaming of quitting their addiction. An unpleasant smell, discomfort during flights or at work, where they are punished for smoke breaks, damning the views of passers-by and household members, damage to health, which is paid with personal money (besides considerable) - this is not a complete list that encourages parting with the coveted pack. With all the downsides, people often wonder why it is impossible to quit smoking abruptly or if it will only be an advantage.

Inside the smoker

Among ordinary people and doctors, there are two camps which are fundamentally different in their approach to getting rid of nicotine addiction. Some believe that “the tail is not cut in pieces”, others believe that if you stop smoking suddenly, the health consequences can be unexpected.

Under the constant influence of nicotine on the body, certain natural processes are modified:

1. Tissues experience constant hypoxia. Red blood cells combine with carbon monoxide and can no longer carry oxygen. It is very dangerous for pregnant women, especially in the first and last trimester.
2. Immunity is increased. The body is regularly poisoned by nicotine, other harmful components of tobacco, it gets used to defending itself.
3. The oral cavity is washed out by saliva, which carries with it resins that have deposited on the teeth, mucous tissues, in the stomach, causing gastritis, other digestive disorders and nausea.
4. The work of the central nervous system is disturbed, the brain is constantly lacking oxygen, the transmission of nerve impulses along the fibers slows down.
5. A smoked cigarette stimulates an increase in the level of adrenaline, which causes an increase in pressure, dilates the blood vessels and increases the heart rate.
6. The brain produces dopamine in response to a puff. The hormone creates the illusion of pleasure, forms a habit. The longer and longer a person smokes, the more tobacco smoke they need to pass through themselves in order to experience pleasure.
7. The blood thickens, the walls of the arteries become brittle. The number of strokes and heart attacks in those who like to breed is much higher than in non-smokers.

A particular danger is the simultaneous consumption of alcohol and tobacco. The heart and blood vessels are under double stress from these destructive components. The brain, which consumes most of the oxygen and nutrients supplied by the blood, is first affected by the effects of alcohol and carbon monoxide.

In addition to nicotine, a cigarette contains a lot of harmful ingredients, the most dangerous are recognized:

1. Benzene.
2. Chrome.
3. Cadmium.
4. Nickel.
5. Uranus.

These elements cause cancer of the lungs, esophagus, oral cavity, larynx, pancreas.

In men, early loss of sexual potency occurs, at a young age, slow erection due to circulatory disturbances. The quality of seminal fluid suffers, the sperm are less active, which leads to full or partial infertility.

Cigarettes often prevent women from getting pregnant quickly, the mechanism of maturation of follicles is disturbed, the level of the main female sex hormone - estrogen decreases, menopause in smokers accelerates, libido suffers. Often a woman continues to smoke while carrying a child, this causes hypoxia in the fetus, the development of pathologies that can be found at birth or later. There is a high risk of premature birth, stillbirth and severe toxicosis.

How the body reacts to suddenly quitting smoking

It is important to understand what will happen if a person decides to quit smoking suddenly, what the consequences will be. Abrupt refusal is hard to bear, but recovery is faster. It should be understood that the longer the experience of smoking, the more difficult the period of abstinence is generally to tolerate:

• Day 1. Joy, inspiration, belief in success, the body has not yet understood anything.
• Day 2. The first signs of "withdrawal" begin, awareness of a change in lifestyle arrives. Irritability appears, I want to smoke.
• Day 3. All thoughts revolve around smoking, it is difficult to fall asleep, the feeling of emptiness inside. Rashes, peeling of the skin may appear.
• Day 4. The oxygen in the blood becomes more, it is easier to breathe, sleep can be light, intermittent. Some people notice noises in the head, ears, slight swelling of the limbs.
• Day 5. Peak period, the urge to smoke becomes unbearable, the probability of a breakdown is high. A cough appears, the mucus comes out with difficulty, has a dark color and an unpleasant smell. Aromas and tastes acquire new nuances, become brighter, richer.
• Day 6. Sleep is disturbed again, hands shake, mood changes from aggressive to depressed.
• Day 7. The body is rid of the addiction to nicotine. From this moment, any desire to raise is associated only with a habit, a psychological attachment. It is worth removing anything that causes the urge to smoke, differently simulating familiar situations. Replace morning coffee with a puff of tea, collect Rubik's Cube for a phone conversation, and more.

Over time, the body will cleanse itself of the decay products, remove all the accumulated resins and toxins. The volume of the lungs will be restored, the brain will begin to work more productively, clarity of thought will appear, and the ability to learn will increase. Sleep will become deep, full, fatigue, mood swings will disappear.

Immunity drops off at first, a person easily gets a cold. Against this background, bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, stomatitis often occur. The voice can change tone, become hoarse, hoarse. You need to understand the reason for these phenomena and that they are associated with restructuring the body towards a nicotine free diet. It is advisable to meet his needs by taking vitamins, immunostimulants (ginseng, eleutherococcus).

Whether or not to stop this habit

Quitting smoking is definitely worth it, the overall benefit far outweighs the temporary inconveniences. To reduce the negative consequences, you can:

1. Play sports. Physical activity speeds up metabolic processes, blood circulation, improves heart function, improves mood, promotes restful sleep and stabilizes blood pressure. Elderly and unprepared people should increase the load gradually, starting with long active walks and gymnastics.
2. Review the nutrition. Fill your diet with high quality healthy products, exclude fast food and other food waste.
3. In the first stage, drink a medicine that dilutes the sputum, making it easier to pass.
4. Don't drink alcohol. Alcoholic beverages in themselves are not useful, under their influence you want to smoke more.
5. Instead of tablets for sputum, a good result is obtained by taking a decoction of coltsfoot grass, calamus, nettle, elecampane.

Every organism is individual, an elderly person with a bunch of chronic diseases should see a doctor when and how best to plan to quit smoking.

In some cases, doctors really recommend reducing the number of cigarettes, but not eliminating it completely.

Subtle moments

There are situations where people are reluctant to quit smoking suddenly for fear of negative consequences:

1. Blood pressure disorder. Hypertensive patients and those with low blood pressure are convinced that rejection can make their condition worse. The doctor will help you choose drugs that stop the body's reactions to refusal, and over time the situation will stabilize.
2. Overweight. Many girls and men are afraid of gaining weight, some smoking really annoys the feeling of hunger, but cigarettes themselves do not help in weight loss. At first, food can compensate for the feeling of emptiness if you want to smoke. The taste is brighter and the food looks more appealing. If you approach its use consciously, you may even be able to lose weight.
3. Pregnancy. A woman usually finds an interesting situation at 6-8 weeks, she must immediately exclude a harmful factor, while there will be no harm to her or the fetus.
4. Tuberculosis. It can be psychologically difficult for people to quit smoking, which puts them under stress and slows their recovery. In each case, the doctor will tell you whether you should do this during an illness or wait for recovery and forget about smoking forever.

The use of weed, hashish is believed to be helpful in quitting smoking. The bronchi and lungs are cleared faster, the nervous system calms down, and the process is easier. There is no objective evidence for this, smoking hashish, marijuana, and other hemp products are no less harmful to humans than nicotine cigarettes.

To relieve psychological discomfort, attempts are made to replace cigarettes with electronic equivalents, hookah, vape. Inhalation of vapor saturated with substances of unknown origin (often there is no clear composition for mixtures and refills for them), it is very harmful, it is:

• Irritating to bronchial tubes and lungs.
• Contains heavy metals, toxic substances.
• Causes allergies.
• Steam causes bronchopulmonary disease.

Hookah smoke exceeds cigarette smoke in carbon monoxide. All dressings have a pleasant aroma, which encourages a person to take a deeper breath, a large amount of the substances in them enters the blood. The WHO said at a 2008 conference that electronic cigarettes have not been shown to be effective as an alternative therapy for smoking cessation.

Consequences of a brutal refusal

The hardest part is going through the cancellation period, it is psychologically difficult for many people to admit that they always say goodbye to a part of their life, although negative, often this action is accompaniedfrom:

1. Irritability.
2. Feeling empty.
3. Decreased body tone.
4. Mood swings.
5. Deterioration of concentration, confusion.
6. Decreased performance.

Physiological reactions may include:

1. Sleep and appetite disturbances.
2. Increased temperature.
3. Pain, sore throat.
4. Onset of cough.
5. Headaches, migraines.
6. Pressure drops.
7. Fast heart rate.
8. Frequent respiratory illnesses.

Depending on the length of service, the number of cigarettes smoked daily, the age and state of health of a person, the symptoms disappear from a month to a year, gradually losing their severity.

Summary

Quitting smoking is a step towards a new free life. Without cigarettes:

• health improves;
• self-esteem increases;
• conflicts with non-smoking parents are reduced;
• save finances.

There are dozens of benefits of giving up addiction. Among the minuses of a sharp rejection of nicotine can be noted only temporary psychological inconvenience, a period of withdrawal and a short-term deterioration in well-being caused by the restructuring of the body.