If you smoke cigarettes, it can damage just about every organ in your body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cigarette smoke also is harmful to the people around you, especially babies and youngsters. Nonsmokers can suffer from secondhand smoke when they inhale the smoke you exhale. Smoking cessation is the best solution. However, you should understand the facts about quitting cigarettes so you know what to expect.
Withdrawal
Keep in mind that giving up cigarettes is no simple task--it takes perseverance. The nicotine in cigarettes is addictive. The majority of quitters start smoking again after one week of abstinence. If you are trying to quit smoking, you often will have a craving for a cigarette. However, the craving shouldn't last long most of the time. People often replace their cigarette habit with food, which leads to weight gain. You also may experience irritability, sadness and lethargy, as well as insomnia.
Medications
Talk to your doctor about taking a medication to help you quit smoking. Discuss the side effects. Consider medications that contain a small amount of nicotine to help wean yourself off cigarettes. Medications that include nicotine are available in different forms, such as chewing gum, lozenges, patches, inhalers and nasal sprays.
Decide whether you would prefer to take a medication without nicotine in it. Medications without nicotine can curb your desire for a cigarette and lessen withdrawal symptoms. Such medications increase "the level of dopamine, the chemical that's also boosted by nicotine, in the brain," according to the Mayo Clinic. Know that while drugs will help, the withdrawal symptoms will not be completely eliminated.
Benefits
Keep the health benefits in mind when you're tempted to start smoking again. Give up cigarettes to lower your risk of experiencing a heart attack, a stroke and such lung diseases as cancer. You'll also appear healthier. You should be able to exert yourself and not lose your breath, your energy level will increase and you won't have a smoker's cough when you wake up in the mornings. You, your home and your clothes will no longer smell of smoke. Think about the money you'll save that you used to spend on cigarettes.
