Stopping Smoking - Your Questions Answered

How will I cope with cravings for a cigarette?

Dealing with the urge to smoke can be difficult. Strategies your pharmacist may suggest are:

  • Wait until the craving passes - you may find that the urge to smoke only lasts for about 5 minutes
  • Start doing an activity and keep busy until the urge goes
  • Think about something else e.g. concentrate on work or think about something positive
  • Do not try to justify having 'just one cigarette' - talk yourself out of i

How do I stop smoking without putting on weight?

It is a fact that some, but not all ex-smokers put on some weight. In most cases the amount of weight gained is relatively small. Here are some ways to avoid gaining weight:

  • Eat regular, well-balanced meals
  • Eat slowly and enjoy your meals - food will taste better now you have stopped smoking
  • >drink a glass of water when you feel like snacking
  • Increasing your daily activity and exercise helps to control weight
  • stock up on low calorie snacks and drinks e.g. fresh fruit and vegetables.
  • When you have a snack, ask yourself: Are you really hungry?
  • Click here to find you All About Health pharmacist can help you keep an eye on your weight while you're quitting

What should I do to relieve stress and tension?

Stress and tension are a part of everyday life and everyone handles them in different ways. Find your All About Healthpharmacist for ways to cope without reaching for a cigarette. In the meantime, consider exercise in the form of walking, cycling, swimming or dancing to help to ease stress and tension; and relax by meditating, doing yoga or even just talking things through with a friend.

But I like smoking?

Many people say that they smoke for pleasure and fint it enjoyable. When stopping smoking, it is important to focus on the positive aspects of not smoking. It can help to make a list of the benefits of not smoking and look at these when you feel an urge to smoke. Here are some examples:

  • You feel and smell fresher
  • Your breath will be fresher
  • food tastes better
  • Your health will benefit almost immediately
  • You don't want to age prematurely
  • Your children will benefit from having a smoke-free parent
  • You can treat yourself withi the money that you are saving
  • You won't have to waste time looking for places where you're allowed to smoke

For more information and your questions answered, speak to your local All About Health pharmacist. You can find your nearest one here

It’s never too late to give up smoking – whatever your age. Giving up drastically reduces the risk of a heart attack – within five years your risk is half that of a smokers and after ten years it is the same as a non-smokers.

There are other advantages too – you reduce your risk of lung cancer and lung diseases such as emphysema. You will be able to breather more easily, have a better sense of taste and smell, and generally feel much fitter. Not only that but your complexion will improve and you’ll have a lot more money in your pocket!

Top tips
Dealing with the urge to smoke can of course be difficult but there are some useful tips to getting through this:

- Wait until the craving passes – you may find the urge only lasts a few minutes
- Drink some water – helps avoid smoking and takes your mind of smoking
- Distract yourself – do not try and justify ‘just one cigarette’
- Remind yourself why you wanted to quit
- Avoid social situations where you would normally smoke until you are ready
- Watch out for signs of stress and try and diffuse them eg through a brisk walk, a chat with a friend
- Seek support from your local pharmacist who will have lots of practical advice around managing your weight, cholesterol and blood pressure as you give up – as well as helping you monitor the positive results!

Will I have any side effects when I quit?
Giving up smoking is difficult because the body is addicted to nicotine. When you give up you may become irritable, depressed or restless and have difficult concentrating. These feelings will pass though and it is important to persevere, as the benefits will last a lifetime.

Will I gain weight when I give up smoking?
This is not inevitable but many quitters do gain a little extra weight. Don’t replace your cigarettes with lots of sweets or fatty snacks – choose fruit instead. It’s not worth smoking to keep your weight down – eating healthily and exercising can easily lose a few extra pounds!

What are the health benefits of stopping smoking?
After 20 minutes: Blood pressure returns to normal
After 8 hours: Carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal
After 24 hours: The risk of heart attack begins to fall
After 1 week: The sense of taste and smell starts to improve
After 1 year: The risk of developing heart disease is reduced to about half that of a smoker

How can my pharmacist help?
By stopping smoking it is well know that you can drastically improve your health. Smokers are at risk of suffering not only from cancer related illness but also from high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. In fact one quarter of deaths from coronary heart disease are smoking related. Your pharmacist can give advice on managing these effects from weight management through to cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes it’s worth seeking advice.