Table of contents:
- Why do you feel short of breath when you quit smoking?
- Tips for dealing with shortness of breath when quitting smoking
- 1. Drink lots of water
- 2. Increase intake of nutrient-rich foods
- 3. Be diligent in exercising
- 4. Stay away from cigarette smoke
Quitting smoking is the best step to improve quality of life. However, this action also causes side effects, one of which is shortness of breath. Do you know why ex-smokers experience this side effect? So, is there a way to deal with shortness of breath when quitting smoking? Come on, find the answer below.
Why do you feel short of breath when you quit smoking?
Cigarettes contain various cancer-triggering chemicals (carcinogens). When you smoke, you feed your body with chemicals, such as nicotine, tar or carbon monoxide. All the substances that the body does not need can actually trigger health problems later in life.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, the CDC reports that smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths in the United States each year. This can occur because smoking causes nearly 90% of lung cancer and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
This is the reason why smoking should be stopped. Unfortunately, quitting smoking is not easy. Former smokers may experience shortness of breath when quitting smoking.
Shortness of breath when quitting smoking is one of the symptoms of quitting smoking.
As long as you smoke, the chemicals in cigarettes have various reactions in the body. Now, when you stop this habit, your body needs to adjust itself so that you can cause various side effects.
So, why does shortness of breath arise after quitting smoking?
Cigarette smoke and other chemicals that enter the body can damage the lungs, which is to thicken the mucus in your breathing apparatus. When you quit smoking, your lungs will recover and the mucus will get less and less. Well, this recovery process can cause you to feel short of breath, keep coughing, or have a sore throat.
Even so, you should not underestimate shortness of breath when quitting smoking. This could be a sign that you are experiencing breathing problems when you start quitting this bad habit.
So, the best step is to check your health to the doctor. Your doctor will recommend a pulmonary function test to find out the cause of your shortness of breath.
In addition, the doctor will also consider several things, such as how long you smoke and how many cigarettes you usually spend in a day.
Tips for dealing with shortness of breath when quitting smoking
If you quit smoking, be prepared to detoxify your lungs. That way, the side effects of quitting smoking will be reduced and subside.
There are several steps you can take to help restore your lungs from toxins and carcinogens, such as:
1. Drink lots of water
Water can help thin the phlegm that lines your respiratory tract. This melted mucus will be easier for the body to expel by coughing. So, increase your water intake every day.
You can drink warm water or other warm drinks to relieve cough and sore throat symptoms.
2. Increase intake of nutrient-rich foods
To speed up the recovery process from shortness of breath when quitting smoking, your lungs need nutrients. You can get these nutrients from various types of food, from vegetables, fruit, nuts, to meat. However, reduce your intake of foods high in salt and sugar to reduce inflammation.
3. Be diligent in exercising
To improve your breathing rate, several types of exercise can help. You can choose yoga as a physical exercise. This exercise can train breathing which increases the work of the lungs so that you can breathe better.
4. Stay away from cigarette smoke
Even if you quit smoking, cigarette smoke can still be inhaled by you. Especially, if the people around you are smokers. So, it's good to avoid being around these people when they are smoking.
