Cravings
One of the first things that happens after quitting is you get cravings. These cravings are for nicotine which is the addictive substance found in cigarettes. They can be quite severe for the first few days, but they will taper off over time. But it is not out of the question for a craving to still pop up once in a while even months down the road.
Hacking
Smoking causes toxins and tar to build up on the lungs. This is the main reason that lung cancer develops. After cessation of smoking, the lungs go into clean up mode and this gunk that has built up on them gets coughed up and expelled. This is actually a good thing. It is at this time that the lungs actually start to regenerate.
Off Balance
When you are smoking, you are robbing your body of oxygen. This is felt when doing simple things like walking to the mail box or walking up a flight of stairs. However, once you quit smoking, your body starts to get higher amounts of oxygen; the amount that it should be getting. This is a good thing because you are now going to be breathing with no obstructions. But since your body is not used to this extra volume of oxygen, you may have dizzy spells from time to time. This will only occur until your body adapts to the change in oxygen levels.
Detoxes
There are a host of symptoms that take place through the recovery process of smoking cessation. This is basically your body's way of detoxing. Some of these symptoms include hunger, weight gain, irritability, head aches, fatigue, mood swings and irregularity. These symptoms can be quite severe the first few days after quitting, but they will gradually subside as time goes on.
Benefits
There are a number of health benefits that are also associated with smoking cessation. Some of them happen within 20 minutes after your last cigarette. Blood pressure goes back down to normal levels, the bronchial tubes relax and lung capacity, circulation and energy levels increase as well. Also, after about a year, risk factors for heart attacks, strokes and cancer will reduce to the point where they will be the same as someone who has never smoked.
Tags: your body, they will, after quitting, first days, good thing