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Effects of Quitting Cigarettes

When you make the decision to quit smoking cigarettes, either by quitting cold turkey or by weaning yourself from the nicotine addiction, you are going to face both positive and negative effects. Unfortunately, the negative effects will come first, in the form of withdrawal symptoms. The positive effects will be more long-term and static.

  1. Reasons to Quit Cigarettes

    • When you smoke cigarettes, cigars, pipes or any other substance, you are not only damaging your own health, but also the health of those around you who are unknowingly inhaling the secondhand smoke you are releasing into the air from both your exhales and the smoking cigarette. Cigarette smoking can cause a variety of medical problems; besides cancer and emphysema, smoking can lead to impotence in men and can have devastating effects on pregnant women, causing them to potentially miscarry. This is only a sampling of the negative effects cigarettes can have on your body and those around you.

    Negative Effects of Quitting Cigarettes

    • The negative effects of quitting cigarettes, or withdrawal symptoms, are increased appetite, nausea, headaches, trouble sleeping, irritability, muscle aches and cramps, weight gain, sweating, coughing, depression and anxiety. Not everyone will experience the same combination of symptoms when quitting smoking. Some will experience headaches and depression while others will only be irritable and cough a lot.

    Positive Effects

    • The positive effects of quitting cigarettes may take longer to become noticeable than the negative ones. While the positive effects seem static and elusive, doctors insist that they do exist. One of the positive effects quitters will gain from kicking their addiction to cigarettes is a lowered risk of numerous diseases and infections linked to smoking. Eventually ex-smokers will begin to feel healthier and more capable of physical activity and exertion and potentially add months or years to their life.

    Misconceptions

    • One of the many reasons that some people continue to smoke, aside from the addiction, is the common misconception that the quitting process will result in major weight gain. This can be avoided if the smoker does not replace their old addiction with fatty snacks or unhealthy eating habits.

    Relapse

    • Once a person has completely quit smoking, the temptation to resume is everywhere. The toughest battle a quitter will face is resisting the temptation of friends and relatives carelessly offering cigarettes, and the temptation experienced each time a former smoker walks past a familiar smoking area. A way to combat the temptation of a relapse is to enlist all friends and co-workers, both smokers and non-smokers, to provide support and accountability.

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