Smokers likely to develop mouth ulcers and cold symptoms up to two weeks after quittingFebruary 21, 2003Smokers develop mouth ulcers and cold symptoms for up to two weeks after giving up their habit, reveals research in Tobacco Control. The body's backlash could deter many ex-smokers from staying the course, unless they know what to expect, suggest the authors. One hundred and seventy four smokers were assessed one week before giving up smoking and then at one, two, and six weeks afterwards to find out what symptoms they developed. The average age of the quitters was 43, and almost two thirds were women. All of them had been smoking for at least three years and the average number of cigarettes smoked was a pack a day. Almost three quarters managed to resist the temptation to smoke after one week, but by six weeks only around half (45%) were still managing to fight off the urge, despite attending smoking cessation clinics and using nicotine patches. After one and two weeks of abstinence, the quitters were significantly more likely to report cold symptoms, including sore throat, coughing, and sneezing. During the first week of stopping around a third of the quitters developed three or more symptoms. Mouth ulcers were also significantly more likely among the quitters for up to two weeks after giving up. After six weeks all the symptoms subsided. An increase in mouth ulcers could be related to the loss of the antibacterial effect of smoking, and the cold symptoms might be due to a transient depression in immune function after kicking the habit. The authors did not fully study the impact of symptoms on the quitters' relapse rates, but say that these symptoms might very well convince people to take up the habit again, especially if they are not prepared for them. "Smokers need to be informed that they have an increased chance of experiencing an elevation in cold symptoms and mouth ulcers on stopping smoking. Being psychologically prepared for these effects is likely to mitigate their impact on the cessation attempt," they conclude. British Medical Journal (BMJ) |
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