What happens if you quit smoking and how does the body react?

The decision to give up cigarettes is stressful for a person. Everything that happens to the body after quitting smoking is manifested by severe symptoms from all internal organs. Such changes can scare anyone. The first days without nicotine are especially difficult, when an abstinence syndrome develops in response to the absence of the usual doping drug.

A smoker's diary can help patients cope with the situation, in which the addict himself describes in detail everything that happens to him in dynamics, understanding cause and effect.

Pros and cons of quitting smoking

Nature is so wise that it gave a person the possibility of compensatory recovery after illnesses, injuries, stresses. The regenerative potential of each is very high. Therefore, quitting smoking must be sure that, on their own or with the help of specialists, they can get rid of a bad habit, regardless of the duration of their addiction to tobacco smoke and the severity of damage to internal organs. The important thing is to want to do it.

Positive points

Complete rejection of tobacco significantly reduces the risk of numerous diseases: bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, asthma, pneumonia, destructive pathologies of the bronchi. Varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, obliterating endarteritis, diabetic foot will recede. The level of cholesterol is normalized, along with it, the development of atherosclerosis of large arteries that feed the brain and heart, kidneys and liver will slow down.

This will help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Tobacco smoke is a powerful intoxicant. Purification of organs and tissues from its metabolites will enable the body to start the process of self-healing. Clean blood flow will fill the cells with nutrients and oxygen, which will relieve headaches, fatigue, irritability, and balance blood pressure. Since there are about 90 carcinogens in cigarettes, their blocking and removal will become the prevention of cancer.

Surprisingly, such changes will begin in the first hours without nicotine. His trace reaction will still be present for some time, but for someone in a week, for someone in a month it will disappear without a trace. More difficult with psychological attachment to the pleasure of nightshade poison.

Stress must be dealt with consistently and wisely. You can not neglect anti-tobacco medicines, you need to organize rest, interesting leisure. Sometimes it's good to put your feelings on paper.

It's so nice to know that you "earned" a trip or a trip to the theater by giving up buying tobacco products. Saving can be very helpful.

Unpleasant details

It should be understood that it is very difficult to part with the nightshade alkaloid because of the following points:

• Pyridine poison increases the emotional background, which, in turn, helps to concentrate in difficult situations.
• The hormone of joy produced in response to nicotine intake relieves stress, helps to survive grief.
• Nightshade alkaloid creates the illusion of peace, gives self-confidence, causes moral satisfaction.

Such positive effects are hard to forget, even harder to part with them.

Acetylcholine receptors, which are accustomed to tobacco poison, require its presence. In protest, they trigger the withdrawal syndrome. If at the beginning of smoking the pleasure from a cigarette lasted for a couple of hours, then over time such an emotional upsurge lasts for half an hour. So, you need to increase the amount of doping.

Otherwise, the feeling of discomfort will significantly surpass the euphoria in strength and sharpness.

A sharp parting with a cigarette makes the discomfort unbearable. This is a real break. It is necessary to somehow compensate for the deficiency of nicotinic acid, a metabolite of tobacco poison, otherwise it is impossible to cope with irritability, which is transformed into aggression.

In addition, there is:

• Loss of attention.
• Craving for tobacco products.
• An intense feeling of hunger.
• Inability to sleep.
• Hyperhidrosis.

Only a specialist can help in stopping the withdrawal syndrome.

The reaction of the body to the gradual and abrupt cessation of tobacco products

Every person is different, as is their decision to quit smoking. Some prefer immediately, others need time. The body reacts differently to the chosen method of quitting tobacco.

If we are talking about a chronic consumer of the nightshade alkaloid, then saying goodbye to nicotine will not work quickly, it will be a slow and painful process. A novice tobacco lover has a chance to simply stop communicating with cigarettes, his self-healing system will cope.

However, most often the reaction to the absence of habitual doping is manifested by withdrawal syndrome or withdrawal.

In fact, this is a restructuring of the whole organism, accompanied by:

• Strong craving for tobacco.
• Unreasonable nervousness.
• Conditions close to fainting.
• Depression.
• Loss of strength.
• Minor mood.
• Anxiety with the development of phobias.
• Bradycardia.
• Skin rashes.
• Aphthous lesions of the oral mucosa.
• Constant discomfort of the upper respiratory tract: shortness of breath, cough, perspiration, rhinorrhea, lacrimation.
• Disorder of the digestive system up to colic.

Each of these symptoms may appear individually or as part of several disorders at once. The severity of symptoms varies from person to person.

Sometimes there is no abstinence.

Stages of cleansing

The process of release from nicotine metabolites is complex, but begins from the first minutes of giving up cigarettes, going through a series of stages.

Failure time	Changes in the body
Half an hour	Tachycardia passes, blood pressure begins to normalize, the kidneys work more intensively, preparing to remove toxins.
A couple of hours	The kidneys remove pyridine poison metabolites from the blood.
half day	The blood is saturated with oxygen, carbon monoxide is removed from the lungs. The kidneys continue to remove nicotine, and a withdrawal symptom develops.
Day	The nightshade alkaloid is completely removed, there is no replacement for it, and abstinence occurs.
In few days	The lungs begin to clear out the tar and toxins from the cigarette. A cough appears - a natural reaction to the accumulated soot.
On the third day	The lung cleansing continues. A strong feeling of hunger develops, since the tobacco poison has ceased to block the brain's satiety center, and it is restored, causing a person's appetite. In addition, blood pressure returned to normal, which causes, due to the saturation of neurons with oxygen and blood flow to the brain, tinnitus.
Fourth day	The circulation returns to normal. The mucous membrane of the digestive tract regenerates, the pancreas begins to work normally. Sticky sputum comes out.
Fifth day	An intense wet cough with rusty sputum from soot continues, the taste is restored.
Sixth day	An agonizing cough and irritation due to lack of nicotine. There is a desire to return to the cigarette.
A week	Metabolites and toxins are removed. Organs and tissues have partially recovered or are starting to do so. The liver again synthesizes endogenous nicotine, the physiological need for it is satisfied. Exhausting cough persists.
eighth day	Taste and olfactory receptors are also restored, food acquires meaning, becomes tasty. A person eats a lot and gets better. Vessels are not yet stable, jumps in blood pressure are disturbing. Nervousness gradually disappears.
Ninth day	The stomach restored the secretion. The intestines are in the process of this, soreness appears in the lower abdomen, problems with the stool. At this time, aphthous stomatitis, herpes, acute respiratory infections may develop.
Ten days	The cough continues. Immunity begins to recover. The emotional state is difficult. Need help and support from loved ones.
11-14 days	Vascular tone is restored, blood flow is normal, due to active oxygen saturation, dizziness and hand tremors occur. The lungs are being cleared. There are sleep problems.
Second half of the month	The mucous membranes of the bronchi are regenerated, the cough subsides, the immune system works at full capacity, the skin acquires a normal shade, the pressure is normal, there is no dyspepsia. Many people decide that everything is over and you can try a cigarette. If this happens, everything goes back to the first days of withdrawal.
next three months	Starting from the second month, the work of the body is leveled. The systems work in harmony. Toxins are eliminated in all natural ways. Hair, skin, nails become much better. The lungs continue to recover. Metabolism and blood pressure normalize, weight stabilizes. But abstinence still makes itself felt.
half a year	The hematopoietic system was completely restored. The cough stops. Sleep is normal. The liver has been regenerated. To speed up the cleansing of the lungs, physical exercises are connected.
ten months	This is a milestone when a breakdown is possible due to the fact that: smokers begin to dream of cigarettes, in the morning there is a strong desire to sip a tobacco product, sleep is disturbed. So there is a restructuring of brain activity without nicotine. Here, the ligaments are restored, the voice acquires its usual timbre. Teeth whiten, bad breath disappears.
Year	Almost all organs and tissues are updated. The lungs may still be in the process of recovery. Potency is excellent, reproductive function is normal. Almost no desire to smoke. "Tobacco diseases" disappear.
Two years	The lungs have recovered. The brain is eating well. The body is so pure that accidentally smoked a cigarette will be perceived as smoked for the first time. You can plan a pregnancy.
Five years	The risk of stroke is compared with non-smokers.
Decade	The likelihood of developing lung cancer is the same as that of those who have never taken a cigarette in their mouth.
Fifteen years	The risk of heart attack is compared with non-smokers.

Many changes in the body are not subject to restoration, and over time become triggers for cell malignancy.

These include:

• Destruction of the alveoli of the lungs, unable to get rid of resins and carcinogens.
• A long-term non-regenerating burn of the oral mucosa, capable of transforming into hyperplasia and cancer of the lip.
• Toxic damage to the oropharynx with outcome in cancer of the larynx, throat.

Warning: what not to do?

It is not recommended in the first three months of parting with a bad habit:

• Take medicines without vital necessity.
• Quit smoking during menstruation - a real weight gain is guaranteed.
• Leave the diet unchanged. The body needs vitamins and minerals.

Quit smoking calendar

To help everyone who decides to get rid of nicotine captivity, psychologists recommend keeping an appropriate diary of their feelings, emotions, thoughts.

The structure of these records consists of several sections:

• The first is devoted to the changes that occur in the body every day. It describes in detail the disappearing symptoms of tobacco poisoning related to each system: nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, pulmonary, endocrine, reproductive, genitourinary. In addition, the emergence of new symptoms, both negative and positive in dynamics, is noted.
• The second is for emotions, thoughts. Here, an analysis is carried out at the sensory level of everything that happens to the patient, self-hypnosis, self-control are used.
• The third section is physiology. What the patient is drawn to, what you want to eat, where it hurts, what kind of sleep, what the skin looks like, the degree of shortness of breath and the severity of the cough. Everything that worries at the level of physiological transformation.
• The fourth section is the recommendations of doctors and how they are implemented.
• Fifth - traditional medicine recipes and their use.
• The sixth is physical exercises, what works, what doesn’t, the result.
• The seventh section is the help of loved ones. Their advice, requests to them. Planning strategy and tactics of behavior for the future.

Many who have parted with a harmful addiction emphasize the usefulness and necessity of such a diary.

How to speed up the cleansing?

Although the body is a self-regulating system, there are ways to speed up the recovery process from nicotine intoxication:

• Sport. Movement is life, so metered physical activity is shown to smokers from the first day of parting with a bad habit. Running, for example, will strengthen the contractions of the diaphragm, stimulate the lymph flow, that is, it will help to remove poisons from the body. Cardio load will also affect the blood. Breathing exercises will saturate the lungs with oxygen and help them cleanse themselves of resins, carcinogens, and toxins. Feeling much better.
• Cleansing medicines. Ascorbic acid, B vitamins, folic acid compensate for the lack of trace elements and biologically active substances necessary for normal metabolic processes. Help them in this: chromium, zinc, nickel, selenium, manganese. Amino acids will support the synthesis of immunoglobulins. Vitamin A will act as an immunostimulant.
• Food products. Cranberries, ginger, spinach are natural stimulants of hematopoiesis and blood supply to the lungs in the process of their recovery.

Here are a lot of helpers who can facilitate the difficult process of saying goodbye to nicotine, restore health, and prolong life.