A Member of the University of Maryland Medical System | In Partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Email
Print
Home > Medical Reference > Patient Education
Smoking - Symptoms of Withdrawal
- Highlights
- Introduction
- Nicotine Addiction
- Health Risks
- Secondhand Smoke
- Smoking Bans
- Quitting Smoking
- Symptoms of Withdrawal
- Failure to Quit
- Lifestyle Changes
Description
An in-depth report on the health risks of smoking and how to quit.Lifestyle Changes:
Smokers and former smokers should immediately begin to implement a healthier lifestyle and change any other behaviors that might be damaging their health.
Healthy Diet
Everyone should maintain a healthy diet, with foods rich in whole grains and fruits and vegetables (particularly dark colored ones). Avoid saturated fats and instead choose monounsaturated fats, which are found in olive oil or fats from oily fish. Two Studies have indicated that eating fish more than twice a week might help limit the tobacco damage in people who do not smoke more than a pack and a half a day.
Vitamins and Supplements
Women who are pregnant and continue to smoke must be sure to take appropriate vitamins, particularly folic acid. In this way, they might reduce the increased risk of fetal injury and death, although they do not eliminate that risk.
Exercise
Regular exercise reduces a smoker's risk of heart disease (although still not to the level of a nonsmoker). Exercise does not lower a smoker's risk for lung cancer or emphysema.
Regular Check-Ups
If you smoke, you should be screened for any smoking-related disorders. Have your cholesterol and blood pressure checked regularly. Women should have annual Pap smears to detect cervical cancer. All older adults should be screened for colon cancer. Computed tomography (CT) screening programs, which are becoming increasingly available, may detect lung cancer at an early stage. Ask your health care provider if you should have this test, and if your insurance will cover it.
Resources
- www.cancer.org -- American Cancer Society
- www.lungusa.org -- The American Lung Association
References
Alati R, Al Mamun A, O'Callaghan M, et al. In utero and postnatal maternal smoking and asthma in adolescence. Epidemiology. 2006;17(2):138-144.
Boffetta P, Hecht S, Gray N, et al. Smokeless tobacco and cancer. Lancet Oncol. 2008;9(7):667-675.
Botteri E, Iodice S, Raimondi S, et al. Cigarette smoking and adenomatous polyps: a meta-analysis. Gastroenterology. 2008;134(2):388-395.
Botteri E, Iodice S, Bagnardi V, et al. Smoking and colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2008;300(23):2765-2778.
Burke MV, Ebbert JO, Hays JT. Treatment of tobacco dependence. Mayo Clin Proc. 2008;83(4):479-483.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cigarette Smoking Among Adults -- United States, 2007. MMWR. 2008;57(45):1221-1226.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Annual smoking-attributable mortality, years of potential life lost, and productivity losses -- United States, 1997-2001. MMWR. 2005;54:625-628.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). State Smoking Restrictions for Private-Sector Worksites, Restaurants, and Bars -- United States, 2004 and 2007. MMWR. 2008;57(20);549-552.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Health Interview Survey -- 2007: Early Release. 6/2008. Available online.
Eisenberg MJ, Filion KB, Yavin D, et al. Pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. CMAJ. 2008;179(2):135-144. Erratum in: CMAJ. 2008;179(8):802.
Li YF, Langholz B, Salam MT, Gilliland FD. Maternal and grandmaternal smoking patterns are associated with early childhood asthma. Chest. 2005;127(4):1232-1241.
Mennella JA, Yourshaw LM, Morgan LK. Breastfeeding and smoking: short-term effects on infant feeding and sleep. Pediatrics. 2007;120(3):497-502.
Nides M, Oncken C, Gonzales D, et al. Smoking cessation with varenicline, a selective alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptor partial agonist: results from a 7-week, randomized, placebo- and bupropion-controlled trial with 1-year follow-up. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(15):1561-1568.
Oncken C, Gonzales D, Nides M, Rennard S, Watsky E, Billing CB, Anziano R, Reeves K. Efficacy and safety of the novel selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, varenicline, for smoking cessation. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(15):1571-1577.
Ritz B, Ascherio A, Checkoway H, et al. Pooled analysis of tobacco use and risk of Parkinson disease. Arch Neurol. 2007;64(7):990-997.
Sargent JD, Stoolmiller M, Worth KA, et al. Exposure to smoking depictions in movies: its association with established adolescent smoking. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(9):849-56.
Wagena EJ, Knipschild P, Zeegers MP. Should nortriptyline be used as a first-line aid to help smokers quit? Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction. 2005;100:317-326.
- Reviewed last on: 2/3/2009
- Reviewed by: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).
Click to Print
Print Preview
© 2011 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). All rights reserved.
UMMC is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. TDD: 1-800-735-2258 or 1.866.408.6885
