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Stopping smoking effectsDecreased heart rateWhile you smoked, your heart had a hard time getting sufficient oxygen to everywhere you needed it, because your red blood cells were flooded with carbon monoxide. Once you stop smoking, and the carbon monoxide clears from your bloodstream, your blood will be much better at carrying oxygen around the body, and so your heart will not have so beat so hard or fast, to achieve the same result. Depression / feeling ‘down’ after stopping smokingMany people feel ‘down’ when they give up smoking. This can often be to do with a feeling of ‘loss’. Maybe the person has had to stop for health or family reasons, but really didn’t want to stop for ‘themselves’. So, two things can help under a situation such as this. Exercise can help, because it releases the bodies natural ‘feel good’ chemicals (endorphins), and hypnosis / hypnotherapy to stop smoking can also help, as it can replace feelings of ‘loss’, with feelings of pride in becoming, and staying, a non-smoker. DizzinessWhen a person smokes, their body is exposed to large amounts of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is absorbed into the red blood cells much easier than oxygen, and so a shortage of oxygen to the brain often occurs. This is why smokers often find exercise so difficult, often reporting that they get very short of breath. When you stop smoking, your red blood cells are no longer flooded with carbon monoxide, and the oxygen can be carried more easily to the brain. It is this return to near-normal oxygen levels that can sometimes produce dizziness or light-headedness, and is a sign that your body is regaining its normal functions, and is unlikely to last for more than a day or two. Dry throat after stopping smokingWhen someone smokes, their body does all it can to prevent the poisonous toxins from reaching the lungs. One of the ways it does this, is by producing more mucous in their airways, to try to catch the particles of smoke. When the person stops smoking, their body no longer needs to produce the excess mucous. Until their mucus production stabilises, they may experience a drier than usual throat. So, until things get back to normal, many people find having a glass of water, or keeping some boiled sweets handy, really useful. FatigueThis is short term. Nicotine is a stimulant, and smokers will often report that they smoke to get a burst of energy. Without this harmful stimulant, temporary fatigue may set in. This effect will lessen over a short while, and before long, you will find that you actually have MORE energy, as the result of your body working more efficiently and more oxygen becoming available to your body and muscles. Be careful not to eat too many sugary foods during this time, in an effort to try and help with your fatigue. But, if you crave those sugary foods, eat plenty of fruit, instead, and drink plenty of sugar-free drinks. HeadachesThe lack of oxygen in the blood when you were smoking, would have affected your brain just as much as any other part of your body. Now that you have stopped smoking, your brain may be experiencing a return to normal levels of blood oxygen, and this may cause a headache. This is a good sign that the blood is beginning to perform efficiently again. Obviously, if it persists, or you're worried, seek medical help. Hunger after stopping smokingYou may find that once you stop smoking, your body may crave sugars, or more food in general. Your body could be trying to get the same stimulant ‘hit’ that nicotine is no longer giving. Another reason why you may feel hungry, is that because your body can now burn more energy, it needs to receive more energy too! But, if you eat sweets and such like, your body will receive only a very temporary ‘hit’ from the sugars they contain. As fruits and vegetables contain sugars that take much longer for the body to metabolise, the benefit to the body if you eat these instead, will not only be healthier, but also longer-lasting. Drink plenty of water as well, to fill your stomach. Don't Be Afraid To Ask.... I'm Here to Help!If you'd like any more information about anything that I talk about on my website, don't be afraid to ask... get in touch, and I'll get back to you as soon as I possibly can! :O)
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