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Most people who smoke want to learn how to stop, but many are afraid that it will be a painful process. Unfortunately their fears are correct: quitting smoking doesn’t feel good.
Nearly everyone is familiar with the saying “no pain no gain” and this phrase rings true of smoking cessation. Quitting smoking often engenders a litany of side effects as the body heals from the constant barrage of chemicals and toxins from cigarettes.
One particularly painful aspect of quitting smoking is the pain in the chest and lungs. The lungs of a smoker take the biggest hit in terms of cigarette damage. Smoking often leads to lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other throat infections. Thus, it is easy to see why their recovery can be the longest and the most painful.
When a smoker quits smoking, the lungs begin to clear but this process does not feel good. There is a lot of backed up junk, gunk and mucus in the lungs and respiratory tract that will loosen and cause irritation. This can last from a few weeks to months and years depending on the duration and intensity of the smoking.
The best way to cope with lung pain after quitting smoking is to treat the body as if it has a cold. Try
- Tea: warm teas coat and soothe the throat and make lung pain more bearable. Herbal teas are the best, especially licorice root, marshmallow root or slippery elm.
- Antioxidants: antioxidants fight free radicals and boost the body’s immune system. They can be found in many fruits and vegetables, so eating a variety of colorful fruits and veggies can help heal the body faster.
- Steam: Steam can help loosen mucus and soothe discomfort. People can either visit a steam room or simply make one in the own bathroom by running the shower and closing the door and all the windows.
Quitting smoking is uncomfortable and even painful initially. However with patience and dedication the pain begins to fade and health begins to return. The lungs and respiratory track take a special beating from tobacco smoke, so their healing process make take a longer time than other parts of the body. Hang in there, as eventually, with perseverance, it will happen.
Smoking cessation is the best way to get the body back on the right track to health and wellness. It is important that people who want to know how to quit smoking learn that the key is willpower: a mind over matter attitude is the best way to conquer the smoking psychosocial habit.
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