Physical Symptoms of Stopping Smoking
I stopped smoking about a month ago, and even though it has brought so many positive things in my life, I feel that my body is still suffering from physical symptoms caused by stopping smoking. Luckily, I am aware that these symptoms are a sign that my body is recovering from Nicotine addiction. It gives me some strength to deal with these symptoms even though I am feeling physically beaten by them. I decided to write this entry to describe symptoms experienced by me, and to provide information to all persons, who are either considering of stopping smoking or have already done so.
Sore throat. Ever since I stopped smoking, my throat has been sore. It feels almost like I had been smoking over two packs of cigarettes and getting drunk in a nightclub last night. The problem is that the feeling has been almost the same for a month now, and to be honest, I am tired of it. I have no idea, what is going on inside my throat. I tried to find some answers by using Google, but I was unable to find medical explanation for this. I believe that there are two possible causes for my sore throat:
- My throat has become irritated, because the damaged throat tissue is healing itself.
- Smoking was damaging my throat tissue, but it was killing other invaders as well. Now that I am not smoking anymore, germs are having a feast inside my throat.
Oh well, at least I can drink cool liquids and suck throat pastilles. They make my throat feel a little bit better.
Chest pain and tightness of chest. Soon after I stopped smoking I was having minor chest pains and my chest felt tight when I was breathing. The chest pains disappeared rather quickly, but I am still feeling tightness of chest when I inhale. The feeling is no longer so strong than in the beginning, but it is still causing me minor discomfort in certain situations. I was unable to find a definite explanation for this symptom, but it is presumable related to the cleaning up process of my lungs, which was started after I stopped smoking. I found a blog entry from a blog providing tips for stopping smoking, which implies that chest tightness is caused by the fact that my body is getting more air than usual. According to this entry, my lungs feel tighter, because the extra air makes them larger than before. I have to admit that this makes sense to me.
Cough and mucus production. It is almost ironic that after I stopped smoking, I have been coughing up some mucus. It is true that I used to have bad coughs sometimes when I was smoking, but I never coughed up mucus. Luckily, this symptom is a good sign. It means that the tar built-up is being cleaned up from my lungs. These symptoms were the strongest during the first week after I had stopped smoking, but I am still randomly coughing up mucus. Fortunately, the color of the mucus is no longer dark. I think that this might be a sign that the worst is over.
Weight gain. I have gained 5 kilograms after I stopped smoking. It feels quite weird, because I have not changed my eating habits in any way and I am working out five times a week. I have also been counting calories and I know that I have been eating less than I am consuming. The weirdest thing is that I can still fit in to my jeans without problems and use the same hole in my belt than before. To be honest, this makes me very confused. I was also surprised to find out that Nicotine’s effects to metabolism are not so large than I originally thought. This means that my weight gain is most likely temporarily as long as I maintain a healthy diet and continue exercising.
Digestion problems. Stopping smoking has really messed up my stomach and digestion. I am having stomach pain and at the same time I feel that my stomach is full of air. Unfortunately, the air is not staying in my stomach, if you know what I mean… I did manage to find out some information about the connection between stomach pain and stopping smoking, and it seems that at least I am doing the right thing. I am drinking about 2.5 liters of water in a day, eating a lot of vegetables and trying to eat food, which has got a lot of fiber. All I can do now is to continue my life in the same manner.
I have now described the physical symptoms, which I have experienced after I stopped smoking. It is very reassuring to know that all of these symptoms should be temporary, and as long as I do not start smoking again, they will eventually disappear. I would be interested to hear from your experiences, and tips for dealing with physical symptoms you have experienced after quitting smoking. Care to share your tips and tricks with me and other ex smokers?
