Can i quit smoking

Symptoms when you quit smoking Common symptoms you may experience during your recovery include: Cravings — these may be strong at first, but they usually only last a few minutes. If you resist each one they will get less powerful in time. Restlessness and trouble concentrating or sleeping — these will pass as your body gets used to not smoking. Relaxation and deep breathing can help.

Just accept that you will be emotional for a while and that it will pass. Increase in appetite and weight gain — this may last several weeks. Planning ahead can help. Better Health Channel has tips on managing weight gain when you quit. Less common symptoms you may experience — which will also pass — include: Cold symptoms such as coughing, sore throat and sneezing.

Dizziness or light-headedness. Mouth ulcers. Feeling emotional when you quit In the first days and weeks when you quit smoking, the emotional ups and downs could feel like a rollercoaster ride. Knowing how quickly you will recover with quitting can help: Within six hours your heart rate will slow and your blood pressure will become more stable.

Within one day your bloodstream will be almost nicotine free, the level of carbon monoxide in your blood will have dropped, and oxygen will be reaching your heart and muscles more easily. Within one week your sense of taste and smell may have improved. Within three months you will be coughing and wheezing less, your immune function and circulation to your hands and feet will be improving, and your lungs will be getting better at removing mucus, tar and dust.

Within six months your stress levels are likely to have dropped, and you are less likely to be coughing up phlegm. Within two to five years your risk of heart disease will have dropped significantly and will continue to do so over time.

After 10 years your risk of lung cancer will be lower than if you had kept smoking. After 15 years your risk of heart attack and stroke will be similar to that of someone who has never smoked.

Weight gain and quitting smoking Weight gain is not always part of quitting smoking but it is common. Make plans and stay busy. Engage friends and family to help distract you from your cravings and keep you motivated. Remember the four Ds : delay acting on the craving for five minutes and it will usually pass do some deep breathing drink water, or do something else.

Routines to help you manage cravings One of the biggest challenges many people face in the early days of quitting is the regular cravings. Here are some ideas for activities to do instead of smoking at those times you usually reach for the cigarettes: First thing in the morning — have a shower.

With coffee or tea — change to a different drink, a different cup, or change where you drink it. At morning tea — sit in a different place or with different people, read a magazine or take a scroll through your social media. At the computer at home — move your desk or redecorate to change the look. After a meal — go for a walk. After work — exercise or meditate. Before dinner — make your dinner time earlier. With alcohol — change to a different type of drink or hold your drink in your smoking hand.

As you plan your next task — breathe deeply. As a reward — listen to music or have a piece of fruit. In front of the television — move the furniture around, hold a stress ball, do some easy stretches. Before bed — have a warm drink or read a book. Here are a few more ideas you can try at any time: Sip a glass of water slowly.

Play with a pet. Call a friend. Play a game on your phone. Ask your partner or a friend for a shoulder massage. Try some gardening. Put on some hand cream. Do a jigsaw puzzle or crossword. Did you know that you're up to 4 times more likely to quit successfully with their expert help and advice?

A review of scientific studies has proved exercise, even a 5-minute walk or stretch, cuts cravings and may help your brain produce anti-craving chemicals.

Nicotine replacement therapy NRT can double your chances of success. As well as patches, there are tablets, lozenges, gum and a nasal spray. And if you like holding a cigarette, there are handheld products like the inhalator or e-cigarettes.

When you're out, try putting your drink in the hand that usually holds a cigarette, or drink from a straw to keep your mouth busy.

Keep reminding yourself why you made the decision to give up. Make a list of the reasons and read it when you need support. Ex-smoker Chris, 28, says: "I used to take a picture of my baby daughter with me when I went out.

If I was tempted, I'd look at that. Read more about the stop smoking treatments available on the NHS. Page last reviewed: 25 October Next review due: 25 October NHS stop smoking services Take steps NOW to stop smoking 10 self-help tips to stop smoking Stop smoking without putting on weight What to do if you relapse after quitting Coping with cravings. Think positive You might have tried to quit smoking before and not managed it, but don't let that put you off.

The risk of stroke will continue to reduce over the next 10 years as the body heals more and more. The likelihood of developing mouth, throat, or pancreatic cancer has significantly reduced.

After 15 years of having quit smoking, the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease is the equivalent of a non-smoker.

Similarly, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer has reduced to the same level as a non-smoker. After 20 years, the risk of death from smoking-related causes, including both lung disease and cancer, drops to the level of a person who has never smoked in their life.

Also, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer has reduced to that of someone who has never smoked. Smoking is a harmful habit that can lead to severe health complications and death.

When a person quits smoking, the body will start to naturally heal and regain the vitality of a non-smoker over time. Some effects, such as lowered blood pressure, are seen almost immediately. Other effects, such as risks of developing lung cancer, heart disease, and lung disease, take years to drop down to the levels of a non-smoker. However, each year of not smoking decreases risks and improves overall health, making quitting smoking an excellent choice for anyone who started the habit.

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