What Happens When You Quit Smoking?

What happens when you quit smoking? Imagine this scenario: You are cleaning your entire house. You have to move furniture around, vacuum the carpets, clean off dust, apply furniture polish, and the list goes on. You may feel uncomfortable, feel lazy, feel tired, or even get hurt during the process but you think about the end product or how you’ll feel when you finally see a spotless and immaculate looking home. That vision in your head makes you forget about the fatigue and you continue with your cleaning. Quitting smoking somewhat works in a similar way. Roadblocks or withdrawal symptoms may push you back to the bad habit or interfere with your desire to stop, but you have to keep in mind the benefits of upholding that resolution. 

Smoking is an addictive drug, and as a result, quitting is difficult. The exact answer of what happens when you quit smoking varies as withdrawal symptoms will differ among smokers. These symptoms can vary from being mild to severe. If you focus on the health benefits of quitting smoking, it will greatly help you go through the withdrawal symptoms in your stride.

Major Withdrawal Symptoms

Answering the question of what happens when you quit smoking involves a look at all the withdrawal symptoms you may face. These include:

• Dizziness – When you quit smoking, you may experience dizziness. This is the result of the increased levels of oxygen in the blood along with the normalizing of your blood pressure. To alleviate this, get some fresh air and take your time when changing positions. Dizziness may last for several days.
• Runny nose, sore throat, and coughing – After quitting, your respiratory system will attempt to clean and restore itself. In effect, this may lead to a runny nose or excessive coughing. To cope with this, drink lots of liquids in order to aid in your body cleansing.
• You may also experience a sore throat. This is a sign that your throat is cleaning itself from the nicotine and tar, or is growing new tissues. Taking throat lozenges or honey may help alleviate the discomfort.

Constipation, Headaches and Chest Tightness

Constipation, headaches, flatulence, and tightness of the chest are all common. These are just your body’s attempts to recover from the tar, nicotine, and other toxins brought about by smoking.

• Tightness of chest is a side effect of coughing. Chest muscles also be sore as you cough repeatedly, so try some deep breathing exercises to relax the muscles.
• Movements and processes in your intestines may temporarily slow down. This causes constipation and flatulence. For relief, drink lots of liquids and eat fiber-rich foods.
• Headaches on the other hand are results of the increase in blood flow to the brain. For relief, drink lots of fluids and do relaxation exercises.

Mood Issues

• Mood swings, fatigue, and problems in concentration are all common. Most quitters will feel angry or irritable. Your body is just desperate to have its dose of that addictive nicotine. Again, some relaxation exercises will help.
• You may also experience difficulty in focusing or concentrating. This is again the result of the increase in blood flow to the brain. Your brain is simply adjusting to the changes it is encountering. It will take a few weeks for the brain to remember how to function without the influence of nicotine.

• Boredom is also common after quitting. You are simply missing your habit. If you have become accustomed to the routine of lighting and smoking cigarettes, you may feel you have nothing worthwhile to do once you don't have the habit to fall back on. Try to find new activities, especially activities you enjoy doing. You can try swimming, running, riding a bike, painting, gardening, cooking, writing on a journal, or any other activity you’ve always wanted to try. Also, surround yourself with friends and family who will support you.

Coping

Never be intimidated by these withdrawal symptoms. Keep your eye on the prize: a healthier and stronger you. Your family and friends will be tremendously happy for you as well. You will also save lots of money as smoking too since smoking is such an expensive habit to keep. You will become happier and more confident that you’ve made the right decision. Experiencing a healthier life is absolutely well worth it.