Šalje: QuitSmokingTips [bwprice@quitsmokingsupport.com] Poslano: 2. listopad 2000 12:07 Prima: List Member Predmet: QuitSmokingTips: Volume 2 Number 35 QuitSmokingTips - http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com Sunday Monday October 2, 2000 The purpose of this newsletter is to provide you with advice and encouragement to help you to quit smoking. Support is an important ingredient in the quitting process and can never be overlooked. If you feel the material in this newsletter may benefit anyone you know, please pass it on! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsor Advertisement: Make sure you visit http://www.quitsmoking.com Excellent Information and Products to Help Smokers Quit! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsor Advertisement: TRYING TO QUIT SMOKING? Using the Nicotrol Inhaler? * Harris Interactive invites you to participate in a research study designed to learn more about your experiences using the NicotrolŽ Inhaler. * Participation involves completing up to six short surveys over the next seven months, either by phone or internet. * Qualified participants will receive payment for each interview completed, totaling up to $60. * You must be over the age of 18 and using the NicotrolŽ Inhaler to enroll in this study. * For more Information Call: 1-877-889-8593 OR, go to: http://survey.harrispollonline.com/11662f.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~Withdrawal Symptoms~ You can expect to feel nicotine withdrawal symptoms after you quit smoking. However, they usually improve after the first three or four days, depending on your level of nicotine addiction. Each smoker has different withdrawal symptoms - yours will be unique. Although they may be unpleasant, they do pass. When you experience any withdrawal symptom, remind yourself that each of these symptoms is a sign of recovery - your body is healing itself. If you have a symptom that persists or seems worse than you expected, you should consult a doctor. It is possible that your smoking has been masking the symptoms of some illness, and when you stop smoking the symptoms abruptly become noticeable. Here are some of the bodily feelings that you can expect when you quit smoking, and why these symptoms happen: Occasional dizziness: You are now absorbing more oxygen through your lungs than your body has been accustomed to. The dizziness may come once or twice a day for a few days. It usually lasts only one or two seconds, and is gone before you have time to do anything about it. How long will this last? The first few days after quitting. Tips to help: Take extra caution in the things that you do, such as standing up slowly. Headaches: About one quarter of smokers report a mild headache at some time during the process of quitting. A headache may last a day, go away, and return a week later. How long will this last? These headaches may occur during the first week to two weeks after quitting. Tips to help: Take a warm bath or shower. Cut down on caffeine and colas. Try relaxation or meditation techniques. Hunger: Almost all smokers notice this. You may tend to eat more than you used to. Your body's absorption of food is improved as well, so you will gain more nourishment (even if you don't eat more). How long will this last? The first few weeks after quitting. Tips to help: Try low calorie snacks or beverages. Constipation: The movement of your bowels may decrease for three or four days when you reduce your cigarette consumption. How long will this last? Could occur in the first few weeks after quitting and last three to four days. Tips to help: Eat lots of roughage, like raw fruits, vegetables, bran and cereal. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day and try to exercise regularly. Tremor and Perspiration: Your hands and fingers may tremble slightly. However, the tremor is usually minor, and will subside as your body gets used to not smoking. You may also experience increased perspiration. How long will this last? The first few weeks after quitting. Tips to help: Frequent warm baths or showers can help dispel both the perspiration and the tremor. If you are concerned, consult your doctor to determine whether it is severe enough to warrant medication. Coughing: As the "Cilia" (the little 'hairs' in your lungs) come back to life and rebuild, they start to clean the bronchial tubes and remove the mucous, often resulting in occasional "coughs". This cleaning improves your breathing and helps get rid of your "smoker's cough". How long will this last? The first few weeks after quitting. Tips to help: Try drinking cold water, fruit juice, chew sugar-free gum, or use cough drops or hard sugar-free candy. Sleep pattern disturbances: Some smokers complain that they find it difficult to sleep as long as they used to when they quit or cut down their smoking. Two things can cause this. First, as a smoker your sleep may have been interrupted by constant coughing and/or difficulty breathing. When you stop smoking, your body gets healthier and the sleep you get is more restful. So if you wake up suddenly at 5:00 a.m., you may think you are a victim of insomnia. You're probably not! Your body has probably had all the sleep it needs. Second, smoking drains your body's energy. When you quit smoking you regain this energy. You may need fewer hours of sleep. Sore or dry throat: When you quit smoking you may experience a sore or dry throat. This is a sign that your body is getting used to having less mucous. When you smoked, your body produced lots of mucous to protect the airways from the toxins in smoke. Now, your body doesn't need it anymore. How long will this last? First few weeks after quitting. Tips to help: Sip ice-cold water or fruit juice, chew sugar-free gum or have cough drops or hard sugar-free candy. Mouth sores or blisters: A small number of smoker's experience mouth irritations when they cut down or quit smoking. The cause is related to chemical adjustments that are taking place in your mouth. For years your mouth has had to withstand repeated assaults with hot cigarette smoke. Your tissues are adjusting and healing. How long will this last? First few weeks after quitting. Tips to help: Use topical treatment for mouth sores. If you experience sores for longer than a few weeks, consult your doctor. Sore scalp: Some people find the surface of the scalp is very sensitive for a few days. Even touching or combing hair can be painful. This can be attributed to the blood pressure change as general circulation improves. How long will this last? First few weeks after quitting. Feeling "spaced out": This indistinct but annoying symptom is linked with carbon monoxide withdrawal. It gives a sense of being in "another dimension." It can include changes in distance and space perception, a floating feeling, and a total lack of concentration. Remember that carbon monoxide is a deadly poison - it is a good thing to get out of your system. How long will this last? First few weeks after quitting. Tips to help: Plan your workload to account for your temporary lack of concentration. Avoid additional stress during the first few weeks. Nervousness: Chemicals in tobacco smoke affect your entire central nervous system. Because these chemicals have been messing with your nervous system, quitting can cause a feeling of nervousness, which sometimes lasts for a few days. And, when your central nervous system gets back in line, you may find that you have a keener sense of smell, taste, hearing, colour and depth perception. How long will this last? The first few days. Tips to help: Try relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and exercise. Sources: Ottawa-Carleton Health Department (1997).Withdrawal Symptoms - What to Expect. Fact Sheet. Centretown Community Health Centre (1984). Healthstyles. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Take care and have a great week! Blair support@quitsmokingsupport.com QuitSmokingSupport.com http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to quitsmokingtips-unsubscribe@listbot.com Get on EqualFooting and get $25 back! Find everything your office will ever need-and get $25 back on your first purchase of $50 or more! 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