Smoking is an addictive habit which can cause harmful
consequences to an individual's health. Once a person has started, his
health begins to deteriorate. Although it is not impossible, it may be
difficult to start once a person has started to smoke.
Nicotine is
the addictive agent that is found in cigarettes. Those who become
dependent on this drug will need a dose of it on a daily basis to feel
"normal". Nicotine is only one of the many dangerous components that
cigarettes are made of.
Cigarettes contain different metal and
even radioactive compounds that are carcinogenic. A dangerous gas called
carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream and replaces the oxygen. This
means that less oxygen is able to reach the brain.
The effects of
smoking are definitely harmful and can even be dangerous to the people
around. As mentioned, it is not impossible to stop smoking. A person can
make a drastic decision to change his life and quit smoking. He can
either do it slowly or completely stop smoking. Once the individual
decides to stop, his quit smoking timeline begins.
The quit
smoking timeline was devised to inform people of the effects of the
cessation of cigarettes. It lets them know what to expect and the
effects of it.
As soon as a person stops smoking, his body begins
to change and transition. Even in a just a single day, it begins to
adjust to healthier lifestyle. The quit smoking timeline begins with
these adjustments which include: blood pressure and pulse rate begins to
become normal, the nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in the person's
body begins to decrease, and oxygen levels in the bloodstream begin to
increase.
The next few days are critical to the adjustments
because this is when the cravings come to play and anxiety levels begin
to increase. After forty-eight hours, nerve endings that were damaged
begin to repair and the person has a renewed sense of smell and taste.
However, at this point, irritability and anger will have reached its
maximum level due to the cessation.
Even after two weeks, the
cessation continues and may even result in insomnia and restlessness.
Risks of heart failure begin to decrease and the function of the lungs
begins to become normal.
After a few months, simple tasks such as
walking become easier because the circulation of blood in the body has
considerably improved. At this point, chronic cough will have also
disappeared. Shortness of breath and fatigue due to smoking will have
decreased and energy levels will have increased.
After a year or
more of not smoking, an individual has lowered risks of coronary heart
disease and stroke. These levels are now equal to those of a non-smoker.
Chances of getting cancer have drastically declined.
Smoking may
cause up to 5 teeth to fall out around the age of seventy-five. For
those who have stopped smoking, this risk has been reduced to a level
equal to those who have never smoked at all.
Although it maybe a
long and even difficult process, the effects on the body and on one's
health is considerable. In the long run, the cessation of smoking will
lead to a longer and more productive life.
We have created a program called Quit Smoking Timeline. This program has been designed to help any one that is suffering from addiction & needs support to get rid of smoking
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