“I really want to quit smoking man, but I fail every time I try.” The smoker is tired of trying and we are tired of hearing this from them. When you can’t stop yourself from inflicting damage to yourself despite knowing the disadvantages of smoking But will knowing how fast your body is capable of adapting and help you quit drive you to try harder?
Here is how the physiology works based on the time of your last cigarette:
20 minutes later
Your body goes into recovery phase as quick as 20 minutes. Blood pressure and heart rate begin to normalise as the nicotine starts to leave your system.
2 hours later
Your hands and feet may turn warm indicating the circulation has improved.
12 hours later
Smoking deprives every organ in our body of oxygen. Quitting smoking cause the carbon monoxide in your blood to drop to normal levels. Now this change ensures that blood is carrying oxygen efficiently to all the organs in your body.
24 hours later
The risk of a heart attack has already started to fall by this time and it continues to fall over the following weeks and months. The claim is supported by CDC.
Awful moments you experience will turn fruitful.
I won’t you keep you in dark. In order to reap the benefits of quitting smoking you will have to go through “Nicotine Withdrawal” and it is hard. You will crave, feel irritable and restless. The period of uneasiness is temporary but what lies ahead, a good health is permanent. The discomfort is a sign that your body is repairing and it won’t last forever. Allow your body to fight while you fight your mind that will constantly drift you towards trying it once again during this process.
How do you help your patients quit smoking? If you have succeeded in helping them even a tad bit, please share how did they do it?
MBH/PS