World No Tobacco Day: What Happens When You Quit Smoking? Tips To Deal With Withdrawal Symptoms

World No Tobacco Day: Quitting smoking can improve your breathing while exercising

World No Tobacco Day 2019 is being observed on 31st of May. The day is meant to raise awareness about effects of tobacco and how usage of tobacco products can be fatal. The theme of World No Tobacco Day is "Tobacco and lung health", which focuses on how tobacco harms lungs and causes respiratory illnesses and cancer. People smoking tobacco products like hookah, cigarette and beedi is quite a common sight. Despite the ban in public places like cinema halls or public parks, one can still see people smoking in public spaces. Many people try to quit smoking once they sense addiction and experience health issues. However, they face difficulty in doing so as nicotine withdrawal can be quite difficult. It is because of initial withdrawal symptoms that people are unable to quit smoking and start smoking all over again.

World No Tobacco Day: What happens when you quit smoking?

Nicotine withdrawal is a difficult process. When you smoke a tobacco product, nicotine enters your bloodstream through the lining of mouth, nose and lungs. When it reaches the brain, it starts affecting levels of dopamine. This can also affect your appetite, memory, heartbeat and breathing rate. As a result, symptoms of nicotine withdrawal can be both psychological and physical. As nicotine leaves your body, physical symptoms usually last for few days while psychological symptoms can last longer.

Physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include:

1. Sleeping difficulties and constantly waking up at night.

2. Abdominal cramps

3. Increase in appetite

4. Frequent headaches

5. Sweating profusely

6. Restlessness

Initial withdrawal symptoms of quitting smoking include difficulty in sleeping
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: World No Tobacco Day: Focuses On Heart Diseases Caused By Tobacco Use

Psychological symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Mood swings
• Irritability and frustration.
• Difficulty in concentration
• Nicotine craving

Withdrawal symptoms might differ from person to person. Some people might experience mild symptoms for few days. Whereas for others, symptoms like craving might last for few weeks. Withdrawal symptoms can make you want smoke again.

Also read: World No Tobacco Day: Tobacco Use Causes One Death Every 6 Seconds

However, quitting smoking improves breathing rate while exercising. You tend to cough less and experience a better sense of taste and smell.

Following are some tips to quit smoking:

1. Exercise: Regular exercise can help in distracting your craving to smoke
2. Try to avoid triggers like visiting a specific smoking spot or drinking alcohol
3. Mentally prepare yourself with the reality of withdrawal symptoms
4. Prepare a list of benefits of quitting. Re-read them when cravings hit you
5. Be realistic. Know how long will the process of quitting might take
6. Spend more time with family and peers who do not use tobacco products

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.