Quitting Smoking: Side Effects of Quitting Smoking

'Smoking is injurious to Health', it's a statement that I have known since school. Almost all of us know it and yet we practice smoking on a regular basis. Do you know that when you smoke a single cigarette, you consume more than 4000 chemicals. These life-threatening chemicals enter our body and cause various cardiovascular diseases and respiratory complications. In addition, a smoker also affects the people standing next to him/her. A person standing next to a smoker is at a higher risk of getting affected by smoking. Millions of dollars are spent on advertisements to stop smoking. Yet the number of smokers is on the rise. If you smoke, you may have to face a lot of problems now or in the future, that's certain. However, once a chain smoker stops smoking, he suffers from a lot of quitting smoking side effects.

Quitting Smoking Side Effects

Once you go clean, the first week is the most difficult to handle, because the impact of side effects of quitting smoking is the highest. Although life gets easy in 8 to 12 weeks when you're non-smoking lifestyle takes control over your smoking lifestyle. When you become a non-smoker from a heavy smoker, you have to deal with the side effects of quitting smoking. The main ingredient in smoking is nicotine which is a highly addictive drug, and withdrawals can be intense. You can suffer from uneasiness, anxiety, severe headaches and sometimes panic attacks. The worst quitting smoking side effects is the craving for tobacco which is chemical addiction. The body is so used to tobacco and suddenly the supply is shut down, the side effects are stressful and not pleasant. Once you decide to go sober, the first 2 weeks are the most critical. In this time, support from family and friends is a must. As you have just kicked your last stick, quitting smoking side effects are going to be at the peak for 3 to 4 days. Smoking withdrawal symptoms generally take at least 6 months to fade out.

Physical Side Effects of Quitting Smoking

Now that we have seen the psychological side effects of quitting smoking, let's also have a look at physical quit smoking side effects.

• Impatience, restlessness and anger are some of the common physical side effects of quitting smoking. After 72 hours without a single smoke, the withdrawal symptoms lose their effect and become mild. Anger is very common in the initial days. Make sure your anger doesn't spoil your relations with your family members.
• You may find trouble sleeping or may get no sleep at all. Nicotine is a powerful stimulant which affects brain cells, sleep quality and sleep pattern and sometimes even dreams.
• You may not be able to concentrate entirely on a given situation. Crippled concentration is one of the few side effects which non-smokers feel. Nicotine releases high amounts of fatty sugars in our blood when consumed, as you have stopped smoking, sugar levels in blood go down and hence concentration gets affected. To overcome this situation, spend time alone with yourself, read books and exercise regularly which gives you a healthy immune system.
• Consume lots of water to flush out the various toxins from your lungs, throat, nasal and mouth tissues caused by cigarette smoking. Once you have stopped smoking, your normal sense of taste and smell start coming back.
• For a long time, we have eliminated activities that don't go well with smoking. Try to be happy and cheerful, fix a proper exercise program and try to go for long walks and camping trips, to have a positive and fresh outlook towards life.
• When you quit smoking, food serves as an alternative which has better taste. It is good to have a variety of foods in your diet, but make sure you don't overeat. You may gain weight, though it is not difficult to lose weight. But why wait for that time where you have 20 pounds extra. So it is better to have a balanced diet for a healthy living.

Depression is also one of the most common quitting smoking side effects. To boost your morale in these tough times, make sure you have a card which has all the reasons for quitting smoking. I know all these side effects sound very terrible, but the good news is they only last for some months. After that you can lead a life which is free from smoke and nicotine.