Can Your Body Recover After You Quit Smoking?

Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health. Smoking kills, but still there are thousands of people who can not or will not quit. Most people use the excuse that the negative side effects of quitting outweigh the benefits.

In this article, I will try to explain the benefits and side effects that occur when you quit smoking and refute myths that you hear all the time. So if you are thinking of quitting, you can learn more about the pros and cons you will experience.

The benefits of quitting smoking

When you quit smoking, many changes will occur in your body, and your health will begin to improve within minutes of quitting. These benefits increase with each passing year as you go without smoking.

• Minutes after you stop, your blood pressure and heart rate will drop, increasing blood flow and improving blood circulation.

• About 8 hours after you quit, the level of carbon monoxide in your blood decreases and your oxygen level returns to normal.
• In the first 24-48 hours without smoking , the senses of smell and taste begin to return to normal. Bad breath caused by smoking disappears, and so do the yellowish spots on your fingers.
• After 2-3 weeks, the circulation increases, and walking is easier because lung function increases by approx. 5%. Physical withdrawal symptoms begin to disappear and you can walk for hours without thinking about smoking.

• After 1-9 months, symptoms such as cough, stuffy nose, fatigue and difficulty breathing will improve. Colds and asthma attacks will also occur less frequently.

• One year after you quit, the risk of heart disease is half that of those who still smoke.
• After 5 years without smoking, the risk of suffering from cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, cervix and bladder is reduced by half. After 10 years, the risk of dying from lung cancer is almost half of what it is in smokers.
• The skin also improves because the aging process slows down. Sperm quality increases, and recovery after surgery takes less time thanks to the improvement in blood circulation and oxygenation of the tissue.

On top of all these health benefits, there are also financial benefits, both because of the money you save from not buying cigarettes, as well as the money you save on medication and other secondary expenses related to your health.

Negative side effects of quitting

Yet, like any addictive substance, there are also secondary effects and withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting, both physically and psychologically, that make the process uncomfortable. Let’s explore them.

An increase in anxiety is one of the symptoms that causes the most concern.  Smokers tend to say that smoking makes them relax, but this is actually not true, because the main substance found in cigarettes is nicotine, which is a stimulant.

So why is smoking relaxing? Because smoking involves deep breathing similar to the type used in various relaxation techniques. So if you do not want to feel anxious, practice relaxation techniques after you quit.

Another side effect is the fear of weight gain.  Quitting smoking does not necessarily mean gaining weight. People tend to gain weight for three reasons:

• Because they feel anxiety, which can be solved by using breathing techniques
• Because they tend to smoke after each meal, so when they quit, they eat more because they have not established another afternoon habit.
• Because the metabolism slows down in the absence of the stimulus from nicotine.

The third side effect is related to mood swings. Mood swings and irritability are very common in the closing process. These symptoms are temporary and are only present for a maximum of 3 months after quitting smoking.

The fourth effect involves a number of physical symptoms. These include constipation, nausea, cough and headache. These symptoms are temporary and manifest most in the first month. They occur because the body cleanses itself of the toxins introduced by smoking.

Coughing and nausea tend to occur in the morning and are part of cleansing the airways. Constipation and headaches occur because digestive function decreases as metabolism decreases and blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain increase.

If you think about it, the benefits of quitting outweigh the negative side effects, which are temporary and can even be avoided with proper diet and psychological techniques such as deep breathing, problem solving and social skills. So do not wait any longer, your health is in danger!