Smoking cessation: pros and cons

It's hard to find an adult smoker who doesn't regret his first cigarette, dreaming of giving up his addiction. Unpleasant odor, discomfort during flights or at work, where they are punished for smoke breaks, condemning the views of passers-by and household members, damage to health, which is paid for with personal money (also significant) - this is notis a complete list that prompts you to part with the desired package. With all the disadvantages, people often wonder why it is impossible to quit smoking abruptly or it will be just a plus.

Inside the smoker

There are two camps among ordinary people and doctors that are fundamentally different in their approach to getting rid of nicotine addiction. Some believe that "the tail is not cut into pieces", others believe that if you suddenly quit smoking, the health consequences may 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. This is very dangerous for pregnant women, especially during the first and last trimester.
2. Immunity is increased. The body is regularly poisoned with nicotine, other harmful components of tobacco, gets used to defending itself.
3. The oral cavity is washed by saliva, which carries with it resins that have settled on the teeth, mucous membranes, in the stomach, provoking 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 is slowed down.
5. Smoking a cigarette stimulates an increase in adrenaline levels, which causes an increase in pressure, dilates blood vessels and makes the heart beat faster.
6. The brain produces dopamine in response to swelling. The hormone creates the illusion of pleasure, forms a habit. The longer and more a person smokes, the more tobacco smoke must pass through him to get a feeling of pleasure.
7. The blood thickens, the walls of the arteries become brittle. The number of strokes and heart attacks among those who like to lift is much higher than among non-smokers.

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

In addition to nicotine, cigarettes contain many harmful ingredients, the most dangerous are recognized:

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

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

In men, there is an early loss of sexual power, at a young age, a slow erection due to circulatory disorders. The quality of the semen suffers, the sperm are less active, which leads to complete or partial infertility.

Cigarettes often prevent women from getting pregnant quickly, the mechanism of follicle maturation is disrupted, the level of the main female sex hormones - estrogen falls, menopause in smokers comes faster, libido suffers. Often a woman continues to smoke while carrying a child, this provokes hypoxia in the fetus, the development of pathologies that can be detected at birth or later. There is a high risk of premature birth, stillbirth and severe toxicosis.

How the body reacts to abrupt cessation of smoking

It is important to know what will happen if a person suddenly decides to quit smoking, what the consequences will be. Abrupt failure is hard to bear, but recovery is faster. It should be understood that the longer the smoking, the more difficult the period of abstinence is usually tolerated:

• Day 1. Joy, inspiration, faith in success, the body has not yet understood anything.
• Day 2. The first signs of "withdrawal" begin, comes the realization of a change in lifestyle. Irritability occurs, I want to smoke.
• Day 3. All thoughts revolve around cigarettes, it's hard to fall asleep, the feeling of emptiness inside. Rash, peeling of the skin may occur.
• Day 4. The oxygen in the blood becomes more, it is easier to breathe, sleep can be light, periodic. Some people notice noise in the head, ears, slight swelling of the limbs.
Day 5. Peak period, the desire to smoke becomes unbearable, the probability of damage is high. There is a cough, mucus is difficult to get out, it has a dark color and an unpleasant odor. Aromas and flavors acquire new nuances, become brighter, richer.
• Day 6. Sleep is disturbed again, hands tremble, mood varies from aggressive to depressed.
• Day 7. The body gets rid of nicotine addiction. From that moment on, any desire to increase is associated only with habit, psychological attachment. It is worth eliminating everything that provokes the thirst for cigarettes, simulating familiar situations in different ways. Replace morning coffee with a cup of tea, collect the Rubik's cube for a phone call and more.

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

Immunity drops at first, one easily catches a cold. Against this background often appear bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, stomatitis. The voice can change the timbre, become hoarse, hoarse. You need to understand the cause of these phenomena and that it is related to the restructuring of the body to a nicotine-free regime. It is recommended to support yourself by taking vitamins, immunostimulants (ginseng, eleutherococci).

Whether to give up the habit or not

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

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

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

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

Fine moments

There are situations when people hesitate to quit smoking abruptly for fear of negative consequences:

1. Blood pressure disorder. Patients with hypertension and those suffering from low blood pressure are convinced that rejection can worsen their condition. The doctor will help you choose drugs that stop the body's reactions to failure and over time the situation will stabilize.
2. Overweight. Many girls and men are afraid to gain weight, smoking some really makes it harder to feel hungry, but cigarettes themselves do not contribute to 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 attractive. If you approach its use consciously, you will even be able to lose weight.
3. Pregnancy. The woman usually finds out about an interesting situation at 6-8 weeks, she must immediately rule out a harmful factor until there is no harm to her or the fetus.
4. Tuberculosis. It can be difficult for people to quit smoking, which puts them under stress and slows down their recovery. In any case, your doctor will tell you whether to do this during an illness or wait for treatment and forget about cigarettes forever.

It is believed that the use of weeds, hashish is useful in quitting smoking. The bronchi and lungs clear faster, the nervous system calms down and the process is easier. There is no objective evidence that smoking hashish, marijuana and other hemp products is no less harmful to humans than nicotine cigarettes.

To alleviate the psychological discomfort, attempts are being made to replace cigarettes with electronic counterparts, hookah, vape. Inhalation of steam saturated with substances of unknown origin (often there is no clear composition for mixtures and fillers for them), it is very harmful, it:

• Irritating to bronchi and lungs.
• Contains heavy metals, toxic substances.
• Provokes allergies.
• Steam provokes broncho-pulmonary diseases.

Hookah smoke exceeds cigarette smoke in terms of carbon monoxide content. All bandages have a pleasant aroma that encourages a person to breathe deeper, a large amount of substances contained in them enters the bloodstream. The WHO told a conference in 2008 that e-cigarettes had not proven effective as a substitute for smoking cessation.

Consequences of abrupt failure

The hardest part is going through the annulment period, for many people it is psychologically difficult to admit that they say goodbye to part of their life forever, although negatively, 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 may include:

1. Sleep and appetite disorders.
2. Rising temperature.
3. Pain, sore throat.
4. Onset of cough.
5. Headache, migraine.
6. Pressure drops.
7. Fast heartbeat.
8. Common respiratory diseases.

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

Summary

Quitting smoking is a step towards a new, free life. No cigarettes:

• health is improving;
• self-esteem increases;
• conflicts with non-smokers are smoothed out;
• saves money.

There are dozens of benefits to quitting addiction. Of the disadvantages of abrupt rejection of nicotine can be noted only temporary psychological inconveniences, withdrawal period and short-term deterioration of well-being caused by the restructuring of the body.