When a smoker tries to quit, the absence of nicotine leads to different withdrawal symptoms, both psychological and physical. Physical withdrawal is your body’s reaction to the absence of nicotine. Psychological withdrawal on the other hand is the smoker’s resolve to quit the habit, which requires major changes in his or her behavior. But aside from these withdrawal symptoms, there are other concerns a smoker has to deal with after he or she quit smoking, which includes:
Weight Gain. Some smokers would gain weight after they quit smoking. The average weight gain for a smoker is less than 10 pounds. This is true even the smoker didn’t eat more after quitting. This can affect a smoker’s decision to quit, especially among female smokers. But the small increase in weight is nothing compared to the harmful effects of smoking.
It is best that you deal with the quit first, then later you can take steps to shed off some weight. While quitting, keep your focus on how to keep yourself healthy by eating fruits and vegetables and limiting your calorie or fat intake. Make sure that you also drink plenty of water, and that you get enough and quality sleep.
Increasing you physical activities will also help lessen your cravings and other physical withdrawal symptoms, cope with stress, and most importantly help control your weight gain.
Stress Management. It is a common excuse for some smokers to get back to smoking because of stress. But if you’ll only look closer, stress is part of our day-to-day existence whether you’re a smoker or not. Maybe the only difference between smokers and nonsmokers is that, the former have to use nicotine to help them cope with stress and other unwanted emotions. When quitting, it will be very helpful if you can find some other ways or new ways to cope with stress.
As mentioned in the preceding paragraph, physical activities or exercise can help lessen your stress. A simple walk in the park or to the grocery store can greatly improve your mood. There are also self-help books and stress-management classes that are available to help you manage stress.
Health Care. Smoking cause different changes in your body, and some of these changes can be life threatening. It will be very helpful if you’ll have a regular appointment with your doctor to monitor important changes in your body associated with smoking. For instance, having your dentist to check on your mouth can help prevent or detect oral cancer at an earlier time. Leukoplakia or the white patches on the mouth tissue can be a sign of oral cancer.
You also have to check for the following changes:
- Trouble in breathing,
- Wheezing,
- Persisting cough or change in cough,
- Bloody cough,
- Headaches,
- Hoarseness,
- Chest pain,
- Weight loss,
- Fatigue, and
- Recurring lung or bronchial infections
These can be signs of a lung cancer or several other lung conditions that must be referred to your doctor immediately.
If you have any health problems that may be connected to your tobacco use, don’t hesitate to see your doctor the soonest time possible. Getting the appropriate treatment early on gives you a great chance for a successful treatment. The best approach, however, is to take care of yourself and quit smoking now.
