What happens when you stop smoking

Positive effects of quitting smoking

When a person decides the effects of quitting the habit are psychological and physiological. These are more evident during the first days, decreasing over the weeks but what is known as dependence remains on “ smoking habit"That is, the need to have a cigarette in certain everyday situations that are often more difficult to overcome, but taking advantage of a long cold or another illness such as the flu can help.

It is true that one of the substances in tobacco, nicotine, causes dependency, but this usually does not last more than a week. Although withdrawal symptoms can be bothersome and significant, they do not pose any health risk. These effects include anxiety, irritability, increased appetite, trouble sleeping, discouragement, among others. We must be aware that they are transitory and focus our objective on both the short and long term.

Physical effects when we stop smoking

• A few minutes later: decrease in blood pressure and heart rate.
• Within a few hours: decrease in the levels of carbon monoxide in the blood and increase in the level of oxygen.
• After 2-3 days : progressive normalization of the senses of smell and taste
• Disappearance of halitosis (bad breath) and the smell of tobacco in clothes and hair.
• Loss of yellow color in fingers and nails.
• Economic savings.

Progressively cEvery month and year without using tobacco has a positive impact in our health, thus in the longer term the:

• Lower your risk of the different types of cancer associated (such as the airway, cervix, bladder and pancreas).
• Significantly reduces the risk of suffering respiratory tract diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, and other chronic diseases (emphysema and chronic bronchitis). In addition, the smoker's family environment will also benefit from it (in homes where people smoke there is an increase in children with asthma).
• Decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• The risk of allergies and diseases of the ENT area is also reduced.
• The skin is the great beneficiary since tobacco favors the skin aging and worse wound healing.
• Lower risk of periodontal disease, cavities and improvement of dental stains.

Psychological and medical help

Psychological and medical help during the first weeks of the can be very useful. The positive behavior changes (like exercising, taking a walk, cooking healthy ...) when you feel anxiety and the urge to smoke will also benefit us during this period.

Policyholders have free access to the service of Medical Guidance and Psychological Guidance. You can also use MAPFRE's digital health platform that allows you to chat for free with a doctor to help you quit smoking.

• • Symptoms of abstinence They can include anxiety, irritability, more appetite ... but they are transitory and should not make us give up the goal of giving up the habit.
  • Within a few minutes there are already benefits: blood pressure and heart rate are lowered.
  • Over time, the risk of cancer is reduced, as well as that of suffering from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Dra. Eva Ormaechea Alegre Intensive Medicine Specialist