How To Quit Smoking Tips

When you’re learning how to quit smoking, withdrawal is your initial transition from being a smoker to being an ex-smoker. It is the most difficult part of quitting smoking, and the first question you probably have is: when will it end? You may have heard various estimates – from two days to four weeks – but there is no one answer that applies to everybody,

First of all, it partly depends on how much you have smoked, and for how long. In general, if you have only smoked for five years you will experience less withdrawal than if you have smoked for 50. There are, however, individual variations and everybody experiences different nicotine withdrawal symptoms even with the best quit smoking tips.

How long withdrawal lasts when quitting smoking also depends on how you are coping mentally with the process of stopping. Quitting smoking side effects and symptoms coming from physical detoxification can become magnified and prolonged by your attitude, so what would have been a very temporary difficulty becomes a persistent threat to your ability to stay stopped.

The most convincing proof of this comes from studies of smokers who experience the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal even though they have nicotine in their systems. And, making the same point in another way, there’s a study of smokers whose withdrawal symptoms disappeared when they smoked, even though the cigarettes they were given were in fact nicotine-free.

Quitting Smoking Side Effects

Feeling light-headed, dizzy and disorientated. This is mostly due to the presence of a great deal more oxygen in your blood than you are used to, and it’s actually a sign that your circulation is improving. The carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke inhibits your blood’s ability to carry oxygen and the resulting increase in blood oxygen levels after you quit smoking is most noticeable in your brain.

Occasionally this may affect your ability to think and concentrate clearly. This effect is variable from person to person, but for most people it starts to improve after the first day or two. By then your brain has readjusted to the new levels of oxygen, resulting in increased mental alertness.

Excess hunger. For a great many smokers, their desire for a cigarette when they first quit smoking feels like an appetite for food. This is an important issue which I will cover in detail in a later article.

Tingling sensations. If your circulation has been badly affected by your smoking, you may feel tingling sensations, especially down your arms and legs, for a day or two after quitting smoking cigarettes. As nicotine constricts your blood vessels, your blood flows more freely when you stop smoking, and this change sometimes feels strange at first.

Constipation. This can be a serious and persistent problem for some ex-smokers. Nicotine artificially stimulates the action of the bowels, as many smokers know, and some people have come to rely on smoking as the way to ‘get them moving’. Over a long period of time, the bowels depend more and more on nicotine, so the ex-smoker can become constipated. By far the best remedy is a combination of water, exercise and the water-soluble fiber contained in vegetables and fruit.

Losing sleep. It’s fairly common for people to have interrupted sleep patterns when they are first quitting smoking. Be patient and this will correct itself. Understand that you have been using a stimulant drug and your body will take a bit of time to get back to its
natural daily rhythms of energy and sleep at the appropriate times.

Difficulty getting to sleep. Another physical effect of getting nicotine out of your system comes from the fact that caffeine has a stronger effect on you and stays in your body longer. If you feel tense after quitting smoking, try cutting down on your caffeine intake, and see if that makes a difference. If you have difficulty getting to sleep, try avoiding caffeinated drinks in the late afternoon and evening. Note that coffee, tea and many soft cola drinks all contain caffeine, and their ‘decaffeinated’ versions do as well. Many painkillers and premenstrual medications also contain high levels of caffeine.

Increased sensitivity to alcohol. Alcohol can also have a stronger effect on you, so that you get tipsy faster on less. Some ex-smokers report this effect to begin with, and a few report that it seems to be a permanent change.

Excess catarrh. Your nose can run because your sinuses are draining properly for the first time since you started smoking. Also, you may cough up nasty stuff from your lungs. Unpleasant as it seems, these are both signs of your improving health.

Bad taste. Some people experience a nasty taste in their mouth when they first quit smoking. This same taste was there when you smoked: when you stop smoking, your taste buds come back to life and so you become aware of it.

Sore throat. Your throat may feel sore when you first quit smoking. Smoking makes your throat sore, but as it also numbs your whole sinus area, you only begin to feel it after you have stopped.

Despite the obvious benefits of quitting smoking, if these kinds of symptoms are very persistent, they may indicate a more significant problem other than just the fact that you just quit smoking, so you should consult your doctor.