The 1st day
What goes on in the organism
The level of carbon monoxide in the blood decreases, the transport function of red blood cells improves. The level of oxygen in tissues grows.
Emotions, thoughts
Joy, pride and confidence. You are very proud of yourself, happy because of your strong wish for leaving off smoking and sure you make your intention come true.
You don’t have a longing for a cigarette, or may have just a slight desire, which can be easily removed by thoughts like “I gave up smoking!” You can be easily distracted from it by some work, and such longing is mostly connected with usual rituals.
Physical condition
The person may feel giddy, anorexia, weakness, medium anxiety. He may have difficulties with falling asleep, a bad sleep.
The 2nd day
What goes on in the organism
The lungs produce less mucus. Ciliated epithelium of the lungs begins functioning better. The first signs of nicotine starvation appear. Cells of intestinal mucosa are getting substituted by new ones.
Emotions, thoughts
Euphoria of the first day continues, but irritability and nervousness may take place. Self-suggestion helps to decrease the desire for smoking. Sleepiness, changed by the burst of energy, is a typical condition.
Physical condition
Anorexia or desire for eating food with the brick taste, breathlessness and severe cough appear. Average gastric distress and urinary frequency are possible. Difficulties with falling asleep, the sleep is superficial. Skin itch and tightness can take place.
The 3rd day
What goes on in the organism
The process of reparation (recovery) of ciliated epithelium and mucous membrane of bronchi begins. The level of alkaline fractions of pancreas increases, the secretion of tripsin falls, and at the same time decreases the production of mucus in stomach. The blood supply of the heart and brain grows. Vascular tone becomes stable. The physical attraction to nicotine comes down on a cell level.
Emotions, thoughts
Nervousness grows on. The symptoms of psychological dependence manifest themselves. The person doesn’t know, what to do, what to think about, how to draw his attention away from smoking. All these are the symptoms of abstinence syndrome. It is difficult to fall asleep; the sleep is anxious and interrupted.
Physical condition
The appetite gets stronger, especially for dessert. Heartburn and belching appear. Giddiness often takes place, especially during the trunk bending. The feeling of “heart compression” and ear noise are the next possible symptoms.
The skin may peel and cover with small dry papules.
The 4th day
What goes on in the organism
The level of blood circulation in the brain is close to its normal amount. The processes in stomach and pancreas go on. Intestine peristalsis may be changed – in most cases it comes down. The amount of antidiuretic hormone comes to normal. Reparation in lungs goes on, bronchial secretion gets normalized. Bronchial tone is low.
Emotions, thoughts
The person becomes less aggressive; his irritability can be terminated by medicine. Many admit their mood gets improved or becomes liable – from euphoria to depression. The former smoker is someway frustrated; his sleep is superficial.
Physical condition
Arterial pressure may be increased, ear noise may appear. Giddiness is weak or absent. Constipation. Urinary excretion comes to normal. The person has no appetite, or admits liking for particular food. Cough and the feeling of a viscous mucous lump in the throat appear. To the third or fourth day many admit their face, fingers and ears get slightly swollen.
The 5th day
What goes on in the organism
Microtraumas on the back of the tongue get healed. Vascular tone, changed without the influence of nicotine and its metabolites, becomes constant. Restoration gets started in distant segments of bronchopulmonary system. Intestinal tone is yet broken.
Emotions, thoughts
It is a hard day. Euphoria of the first days goes by, you feel much worse, and desire to have a smoke appears. This time and the next couple of days the probability of failure is very strong.
Physical condition
The taste of food becomes true (it concerns only the meal with brisk taste – citrus plants, cheese, smoked meat). There is a friable mucous lump in the throat or behind the breastbone, which makes breath complicated. When you try to clear your throat, the thick dark-colored mucus is coughed up.
The 6th day
What goes on in the organism
More mucus gets produced in lower lung segments. Bronchial cilia function well. Secretory function of stomach and duodenum comes to normal. Temporary dyskinesia of gallbladder and duodenum may appear due to the shortage of nicotine. All types of leukocytes (granulocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, phagocytes etc) are considered grown without nicotine influence this day.
Emotions, thoughts
Abstinence syndrome returns again, accompanied with irritability, tearfulness, sleep disturbance. Aggression increases, people are looking for cigarettes, they can hardly control themselves, but nevertheless it is possible.
Physical condition
Vegetative disorders get straightened: excessive sweating, hand tremor, hyporexia, sickness after fatting meals. The bitter taste can appear in the mouth. Sometimes the pain in right subcostal area takes place.
Excessive thirst resulted by frequent urination may appear. Many continue to cough up dark mucus (sometimes with bloodstreaks), the feeling of a lump in throat remains.
The 7th day
What goes on in the organism
The stage of physical addiction to nicotine is almost over. The organism is reorganized and functions without nicotine, the full recovery of the health is on. Vessels and lungs will be recovering longest of all, as well as the nervous system. The secretion of organs of gastrointestinal tract is increased yet. The gastrointestinal epithelium regenerates with new cells, unknown to nicotine influence.
Emotions, thoughts
Emptiness is the main emotion of this day. It becomes evident, that smoking is most likely a ritual, rather than some physical need. These days it is important to take away everything connected with smoking. Motivation and self-suggestion against smoking are effective again.
Physical condition
The cough with mucus and a lump in the throat still take place. Intestinal tonus comes to normal, but troubles with stool are possible sometimes. Appetite increases, fattening food causes heartburn.
The skin is dry and peeling.
The 2nd week. The 8th day
What goes on in the organism
Taste and olfactory receptors get activated. Pulmonary tissue continues to restore. Cerebral vascular tone is yet unstable.
Emotions, thoughts
No doubt the second week will be easier. Irritability, depression and aggression are less apparent. You can get rid of thoughts of smoking much easier. On the other hand the symptoms of psychological dependence remain and may be increasing in some cases. They are groundless melancholy, anonymity, sleep disturbance, mood lability, the feeling of a big loss.
Physical condition
Food has a taste and smell without nicotine touch, the appetite is increased (physiologically and as a remedy against stress). These days many admit first time they gain in weight. Former smokers may suffer from giddiness and low pressure.
The 9th day
What goes on in the organism
The condition of gastric mucosa comes to normal; producing of main enzymes and substances, including biermerin (Castle's intrinsic factor), is normalized. Reparative processes are started in mucosa of gastrointestinal tract and continue in bronchopulmonary system. Hematopoiesis improves; the function of formed elements of blood gets restored.
Emotions, thoughts
You may continue experiencing difficulties without a habitual pastime element – a cigarette. It is a hard time for those, who have to be side by smokers (at the work, in a café). Failures are possible this time because of some external influence.
Physical condition
At the beginning of the second week many admit, they have an aversion to tobacco smoke. Abdominal pains, heartburn, diarrhea and constipation alternate each other. Appetite is increased. Laboratory tests may reveal temporary changes in leukogram. These days people who stop smoking have risks of getting a cold, allergy, herpes. Giddiness is also possible.
The 10th day
What goes on in the organism
The processes, which began in lungs from the third day without smoking, will be continued during half a year and maybe longer (for the experienced smokers). The lungs and vessels continue to restore; the immune system starts restoring as well.
Emotions, thoughts
You don’t smoke and have no distressing thoughts about that. But you find it difficult - to stand smoking people by your side. As far as your inner self-motivation resources are almost over, the coming 10-15 days you need help from your close ones or some like-minded people.
Physical condition
The cough continues. It doesn’t depend on position of the body in bed, gets softer after hot meal or drink, and still contains mucus. Many admit small clots of light yellow or grey color with bad smell expectorated with cough. They are mucus plugs coming out of tonsils’ sinuses or cast-off bronchial epithelium. These days you are recommended to visit an otolaryngologist and have your lungs scanned to eliminate pathological processes in lungs.
The 11th day
What goes on in the organism
Within the next ten days without smoking the tonus of small vessels (arteriola), which bring arterial blood directly to tissues, normalizes. These days the effect of no smoking declares itself in hormone sphere and influences on metabolism. It influences on mental condition and may cause changes in weight (weight gain or weight loss).
Emotions, thoughts
High irritability takes place. Women are subjected to tearfulness, a sense of uselessness, emptiness. Men become more aggressive. A desire for smoking grows and appears under the mask of another desire - to check out whether you like the taste of cigarettes and smoke now.
Physical sensation
Giddiness, finger tremor, tension, often headache may appear. It is a mistake to think, these symptoms are caused by abstinence syndrome. They appear because the brain gets oversupplied by oxygen. The appetite is increased, especially in the evenings and under influence of some stressful factors.
The 12th day
What goes on in the organism
The vessels are functioning well, and it improves histotrophic nutrition, including the nutrition of skin. The chronic processes in lungs and gastrointestinal tract calm down. The second generation of white blood cells has grown up and functioning actively now. They are ready to protect the organism from bacteria and viruses.
Emotions, thoughts
Psycho-emotional condition is the same as a day before; the support of people around plays as usual a big role.
Physical condition
Those, who have been smoking for not very long, as well as young people aged less thirty, notice or will be told of their complexion got improved. The cough becomes not so severe; the intestinal function is totally restored.
The 13th day
What goes on in the organism
The cells of skin get actively renewed. The cells, which were built in times of smoking, are not yet appeared on the skin’s surface. But the cells from the deep layers of the skin are already not “familiar” to nicotine. Vascular tone is not stable.
Emotions, thoughts
Many have a fixed idea: they are waiting for some special day, the critical one, or the one they consider very significant. Usually it is the ending of second week – and among their emotions the most significant is a desire to reach these cherished 14 days without smoking. The wish for smoking now is connected mostly with curiosity.
Physical condition
Indisposition of indistinct localization, weakness, heaviness in the back of the head, pressure difference - all that is connected with neurohumoral regulation disorder because of not yet recovered nervous system.
The 14th day
What goes on in the organism
Bronchial mucosa is almost healed. Thrombocytes are renewed, erythrocytes are still “old” – those, which were built in conditions of nicotine aggression. Vascular walls receive enough nutrition; their tissues (first of all endothelium) are recovering.
Emotions, thoughts
This day and the next one are psychologically difficult – they are considered critical. Some people don’t get through this condition and try a cigarette. They motivate their behavior by thoughts they haven’t been smoking for ages, and one cigarette won’t do a lot of harm… and thus they come back to ranks of the smokers.
Physical condition
Cough calms down (excluding the cough of the people, who have been smoking for 20 and more years).
Yellow colored because of smoking fingers - become pale, the complexion improves. Vegetovascular disorder declares itself by weakness, sleepiness and sluggishness.
The 1st month
To the end of the first month the foundations of the following restoration of the body at the cellular level are laid down. Epithelium regenerated, the processes of absorption and synthesis of building materials for the new cells (those, which will function without nicotine and combustion products) are normalized.
Psychologically the month is rather difficult. If at the very beginning enthusiasm and necessity supported you and made you powerful, to the end of the month there are two scenarios possible. Some people enjoy the situation, because they managed to stop smoking and that fact gives them more power. Another ones count days without a cigarette and have to fight against strong desire to smoke almost every minute. Both scenarios can take place and in both cases we can’t be sure, if the attempt falls to the ground in the future or not.
The 2nd month
This month and the next three ones are the best for women, who gave up smoking. Skin cells passed through 3-4 cycles of regeneration, and unhealthy yellowing is noticeably decreased, as well as the dryness of the skin.
Couperosis (spider veins) still remains, because the vascular cells haven’t renewed yet. To the second month only the vascular endothelium consists of 50-70 percent of new cells, and the process of regeneration goes on.
The cells of lungs continue restoring, but the process hasn’t reached acini yet. They are the smallest parts of pulmonary tissue. It is the main reason why lung vital capacity doesn’t correspond to adult norms. Cough, dry throat, mucus and phlegm remain because of the same reason. Physical exercises cause severe cough and tiredness.
You have no desire to smoke, but some common rituals, habits and situations may provoke this desire. It is much easier to overcome the addiction now, but you still need your strength of will and support.
The 3rd month
From the third month the full restoration of blood vessels takes place. Until that time their tone can be easily violated by external cause and stress. From now vascular tone comes to normal thanks to reparative processes in endothelium and other layers of small vessels.
The critical period, when many may return to smoking, is over. Physical dependence of nicotine went long ago, psychological dependence decreases. However any attempt to try, remember or check smoking means a step to ranks of the smokers.
Giddiness and headaches don’t trouble (if the person doesn’t have any clinically significant diseases), the sleep came to normal, the appetite is usual or slightly increased.
The 4th month
Skin cells are renewed, and now you have a good complexion. Peeling and itching (worried you for the first two weeks) get over.
Stomach, pancreas and liver produce the normal amount of hydrochloric acid and enzymes; thanks to them the meal is well assimilated. Intestine works like a dream, there won’t be bowel disorders connected with nicotine starvation anymore.
Three critical months are over. You don’t need to eat any time you have a stress. The body weight, gained by many former smokers for the last three months, becomes stable; diets become effective. The organs of gastrointestinal tract let your body receive the sufficient number of nutrients from average ration.
The 5th month
Hepatic cells of a smoker suffered most of all. Only from the end of the fifth month some of them start to regenerate. Healthy cells perform a part of functions of dead hepatocytes.
Pulmonary tissue goes on restoring, the phlegm is not appeared, or coughed up in a very small amount, and it is no more dark-colored. From the fifth month you may start gradually doing physical exercises. Swimming and riding are the best ones for now. You’d better wait with jogging and muscle-strengthening exercises up to 8 or 9 months.
Sometimes you want to have a smoke, but you must resist it. The less is the number of situations provoking smoking, the easier you hold out till the next critical period – 9-10 months.
The 6th month
Half a year ago the last cigarette was smoked. The blood, circulating now in the organism, consists of cells, not influenced by nicotine and its metabolites. They function well and actively carry the oxygen. Laboratory tests of blood normalize.
Hepatic cells continue to regenerate – within the next 4-6 months they will be regenerating faster and faster, and thanks to that the liver will be functioning more effective.
Lung acini are getting renewed as well. Many admit they can breathe much easier now, as if the lungs broadened out.
With the help of spirometry we can see the visible increasing of lung vital capacity, which informs about active restoration and cleaning of bronchopulmonary system.
The weight became stable. The desire to eat instead of smoking appears seldom, and it won’t appear at all, if the person doesn’t think of smoking.
The 7th month
It is interesting, but after 7 months without cigarettes many start to recognize fine nuances of smells. It can be seen by intensified perception of lady’s perfume. If before they can be divided into light and heavy, now the nose can distinguish the grassy smell from the smell of white flowers. Taste perception gets better as well – as a rule all receptors are fully restored to that time.
The 8th month
Expectoration of the mucus is stopped, as admit many of the former smokers. The cough doesn’t worry them as well – the lungs have learned again how to solve such problems. Those, who thanks to smoking have gained chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, breathe with relief – the disease remits, and such firm remission may continue forever, if you follow medical advice.
The 9th month
The next critical period begins this month. You have already forgotten the difficulties connected with first days and weeks of leaving off smoking. The smell of cigarettes is not associated with anything, but the automatism in habits still remains. It is important now to start again controlling yourself and don’t allow yourself to have a smoke automatically. It can be done in a smoking room at your work, in a balcony or on a landing.
The 10th month
After 10 months without cigarettes many admit they see dreams, where they are smoking. To all that – now former smokers can easily live without cigarettes during a day (if they don’t provoke themselves). Smoking in dreams is imagined very real, and waking up is very distressful. Some people start smoking again automatically, exactly in the morning, but luckily not all of them come back to the world of smokers.
It is an interesting fact of the month: sing lovers notice, they can sing now much better, as vocal cords are easy to use.
The 11th month
Jogging, race walking, exercises in the gym, strength kinds of sport are permitted – now the lungs will manage with the exercise stress. Sure you should start it gradually - not to hinder a progress of a long restoration period.
Do you still want to smoke in a year? Many admit they want to. But it’s not an attraction to nicotine, but a feeling of loss of some elements of communication, work and everyday’s activity. To all that you have almost forgotten, how hard it was – to give up smoking.
A risk of failure is not great – about 25 percent - but still it is possible.
12 months.The year
The critical period. The hard working during the last year is worth to be praised: it is a big deal – to overcome a bad habit!
Now the risk of infarction is decreased by 50 percent in comparison to the same day a year ago. The risk of cerebrovascular accident is down by 30 percent. The risk of cancer is decreased either: if there are no other health hazard, the probability of lung cancer and liver cancer goes down by 80-90 percent; cancer of esophagus and stomach – by 60-70 percent; lip cancer – by 100 percent.
Is a failure possible? Yes, it may happen. The person may start smoking again – not because of nicotine addiction, but because of his mind. All problems of drug addiction originate from one’s mind. You must always work under bad wishes and habits — and success, longevity and health will be guaranteed.
