Quitting smoking: pros and cons

It is difficult to find an adult smoker who would not regret his first cigarette, dreaming of giving up his addiction. An unpleasant smell, discomfort during flights or at work, where they are punished for smoking breaks, condemning the views of passers-by and family members, damage to health, which is paid for with personal money (moreover, considerable) - this is notit's a complete list that pushes you to part with the herd. With all the disadvantages, people often think about why it is impossible to quit smoking suddenly or whether this will only be an advantage.

Inside the smoker

Between ordinary people and doctors, there are two fields that are fundamentally different in their approach to getting rid of nicotine addiction. Some believe that "the tail is not cut into parts", others are of the opinion that if you stop smoking suddenly, the health consequences can be unexpected.

Under the constant influence of nicotine on the body, some 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 in a major tone. The body is regularly poisoned by nicotine, other harmful components of tobacco, it gets used to defending itself.
3. The oral cavity is washed by saliva, which carries the resins that have deposited on the teeth, mucous membranes into the stomach, causing gastritis, other digestive disorders and nausea.
4. The work of the central nervous system is disrupted, the brain constantly lacks 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 a rise in pressure, dilates blood vessels and makes the heart beat faster.
6. The brain produces dopamine in response to a murmur. The hormone creates the illusion of pleasure, forms a habit. The longer and more a person smokes, the more tobacco smoke he needs to go through himself to experience a sense of pleasure.
7. The blood thickens, the artery walls become brittle. The number of strokes and heart attacks among those who like to increase is much higher than among non-smokers.

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

In addition to nicotine, a cigarette contains many 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 there is an early loss of sexual potency, at a young age, a slow erection due to circulatory disturbances. The quality of the seminal fluid suffers, the spermatozoa are less active, which leads to complete or partial infertility.

Cigarettes often prevent women from getting pregnant quickly, the maturation mechanism of the follicles is disrupted, the level of the main female sex hormone - estrogen decreases, menopause in smokers comes faster, libido suffers. Often a woman continues to smoke while carrying a baby, 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 responds to sudden cessation of cigarettes

It is important to understand what will happen if a person decides to quit smoking suddenly, what the consequences will be. Outright rejection is difficult to bear, but recovery is faster. It should be understood that the longer the smoking experience, the more difficult the usually tolerated withdrawal period:

• Day 1. Joy, inspiration, confidence in success, the body has not yet understood anything.
• Day 2. The first signs of "withdrawal" begin, there comes the awareness of a change in lifestyle. Irritability appears, I want to smoke.
• Day 3. All thoughts revolve around cigarettes, it is difficult to fall asleep, the feeling of emptiness inside. Rashes, peeling of the skin may appear.
• Day 4. Oxygen in the blood becomes higher, it is easier to breathe, sleep can be light, intermittent. Some people notice noises in the head, ears, a 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 flavors acquire new shades, become brighter, richer.
• Day 6. Sleep is disturbed again, hands are shaking, mood swings from aggressive to depressed.
• Day 7. The body got rid of its addiction to nicotine. From this moment on, any desire to grow is associated only with a habit, a psychological attachment. It is worth removing everything that causes the craving for cigarettes, simulating familiar situations differently. Replace your morning coffee with a puff of tea, pick up the Rubik's cube for a phone conversation, etc.

Over time, the body will cleanse itself of decomposition products, remove all 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, learning ability will increase. Sleep will become deep, full, fatigue, mood swings will disappear.

At first immunity falls, a person easily catches a cold. Against this background, bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, stomatitis often occur. The voice can change timbre, become hoarse, hoarse. You should understand the reason for these phenomena and that it is associated with the restructuring of the body to a nicotine-free diet. It is advisable to support oneself by taking vitamins, immunostimulants (ginseng, eleutherococcus).

Whether or not to quit the habit

Quitting smoking is definitely worth it, the overall benefits far outweigh the temporary inconvenience. To reduce the negative consequences, you can:

1. Go sports. Physical activity accelerates metabolic processes, blood circulation, improves heart function, improves mood, promotes deep sleep and stabilizes blood pressure. Elderly and unprepared people need to increase the load gradually, starting with long active walks and gymnastics.
2. Review nutrition. Fill your diet with healthy, high-quality products, exclude fast food and other food waste.
3. In the first stage, drink a drug that dilutes sputum, facilitating its excretion.
4. Do not drink alcohol. Alcoholic beverages alone are not useful, under their influence you want to smoke more.
5. Instead of expectoration tablets a good result is obtained by taking a decoction of coltsfoot, calamus, nettle, elecampane grass.

Each organism is individual, an elderly person with a bouquet of chronic diseases should consult a doctor when and how to best plan to quit smoking.

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

Subtle moments

There are situations where people hesitate to quit smoking suddenly, fearing negative consequences:

1. Blood pressure disorder. Hypertensive patients and those with low blood pressure are confident that rejection will worsen their condition. The doctor will help you choose drugs that block the body's reactions to rejection, and over time the situation will stabilize.
2. Overweight. Many girls and men are afraid of gaining weight, smoking some really hinders the feeling of hunger, but cigarettes themselves do not contribute to weight loss. At first, food can compensate for the hollow feeling if you want to smoke. The taste is brighter and the food appears more attractive. If you consciously approach its use, you will even be able to lose weight.
3. Pregnancy. A woman usually discovers an interesting situation at 6-8 weeks, she should immediately rule out 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 any case, your doctor will tell you whether to do it during an illness or to wait for a cure and forget about cigarettes forever.

It is believed that the use of weed, hashish is useful for smoking cessation. 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 based products is no less harmful to humans than nicotine cigarettes.

In order to relieve psychological discomfort, an attempt is made to replace cigarettes with electronic counterparts, hookah, vaporizer. Inhalation of saturated vapors of substances of unknown origin (often there is no clear composition for mixtures and filling stations for them), is very harmful, it is:

• Irritating to bronchi and lungs.
• Contains heavy metals, toxic substances.
• Causes allergies.
• Steam causes bronchopulmonary diseases.

Hookah smoke outperforms cigarette smoke in carbon monoxide content. All dressings have a pleasant aroma, which encourages a person to inhale more deeply, a large amount of the substances contained in them enters the blood. The WHO said at a 2008 conference that e-cigarettes have not been shown to be effective as a smoking cessation replacement therapy.

Consequences of a sudden rejection

The hardest thing is going through the cancellation period, it is psychologically difficult for many people to admit that they say goodbye to a part of their life forever, even if it is negative, often this action is accompanied by:

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

Physiological reactions can include:

1. Disturbed sleep and appetite.
2. Increased temperature.
3. Pain, sore throat.
4. Onset of cough.
5. Headache, migraines.
6. Pressure drops.
7. Fast heart rate.
8. Frequent respiratory diseases.

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

In summary

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

• health improves;
• increases self-esteem;
• conflicts with non-smoking relatives are resolved;
• saves your finances.

There are dozens of benefits to giving up addiction. Among the disadvantages of a strong refusal of nicotine, only temporary psychological inconveniences, a period of abstinence and a short-term deterioration in well-being caused by the restructuring of the body can be noted.