What Happens When You Quit Smoking?

The World Health Organization reports a mere 4% of all tobacco users who attempt to quit will succeed without a cessation plan. This displays the increasing need for users to enlist professional help and tested cessation medications to successfully stop a smoking habit. The recovery is not without its obstacles as you will experience symptoms of withdrawal and cravings. However, don’t allow doubts to plague you. Quitting is definitely attainable if you cultivate the right mindset and determination to pursue it.

Aftermath of quitting

Steering clear of cigarettes is daunting at first glance. However, understanding the positive health effects quitting will bring can empower you on your cessation journey. Here are just a few you should know about:

• Lower blood pressure: Smoking can damage the walls of your blood vessels and increase the chances of blood clots, resulting in a rise in blood pressure. In extreme cases, it can also lead to cardiovascular diseases. Upon quitting, though, expect to see your pulse and blood pressure normalize as the inflammation in your blood vessels decreases.

• Reduced chances of chronic diseases: As mentioned, smoking can invoke serious heart problems like coronary heart disease. Neither your lungs nor other parts of your respiratory system will remain unscathed when you smoke, with diseases such as emphysema or tuberculosis. Quitting can help strengthen your body against developing these harmful illnesses.

• Longer life expectancy: As we reported in our article ‘The Cons of Smoking Cigarettes for Smokers’, smoking is one of the leading causes of deaths in the world, with 480,000 deaths annually making up for one in every five deaths. By quitting, you will not only improve your health status, but you can also reduce your risk of premature death due to lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Get started on your smoking cessation journey

A smoking cessation journey is neither linear nor similar for everyone. However, these are definitely a few important things you should factor in.

Seeing a medical professional to plan your cessation program

As quitting smoking can aggravate your cravings, it’s no surprise if you find yourself struggling to stay accountable for your cessation plan. This is why external help from medical professionals such as a certified counselor or a licensed psychologist is important. These professionals function as a long-term support and are able to hold interventions using quitlines, provide counseling and meditation, and suggest a combination of medications that’ll be most effective for you.

Switching to non-smoking nicotine alternatives

To relieve cravings and lessen withdrawal symptoms, consider switching to non-smoking nicotine alternatives. In fact, the FDA strongly suggests utilizing nicotine replacement therapy since it can increase your chances of quitting. This method entails the use of FDA-approved alternatives such as nicotine skin patches, pouches, and gums.

Today, nicotine pouches are some of the top non-smoking nicotine products on the market. In the case of tobacco giant Swedish Match, they have come up with ZYN pouches which are 100% tobacco-free. And since pouches are non-combustible, this means that there aren't any vapors going directly to your lungs. The quality differs from regular cigarettes since the nicotine these pouches contain is carefully extracted, purified, and distilled, unlike Marlboro cigarettes that use pure tobacco as its primary ingredient. Do note that these cigarettes also include humectants, so if you’re sensitive, that’s all the more reason to switch as humectants can cause nausea and diarrhea.

Finding a strong support network

Similar to reaching out to medical professionals to help ensure your progress, being accountable for yourself extends to telling your family and friends as well. This should help take pressure off you as having a strong support network can provide the encouragement and enthusiasm you need to commit to your program.

For your support system, the acknowledgment that you’re quitting can help them assess which situations can tempt you to fall back into your smoking habits. This will also allow them to help you avoid stressful environments. Inversely, you can filter out relationships that aren’t mindful of your journey.

Quitting smoking can be rife with struggles. Fortunately, the ways we’ve listed here can assist you in achieving a happier, healthier, and longer life.