the skin became dry and cool;
the fingers took on a bluish-purple hue.
The blood supply has already been disrupted, and only a visit to the doctor will save the situation.
Feeling of coldness in the feet.
Constant swelling and numbness.
Paleness of the skin of the lower extremities.
The appearance of ulcers. The next stage will be the development of foci of necrosis and gangrene.
Discoloration of nails to bluish-violet, brittleness and deformation.
Inability to feel the pulse in the legs. In the later stages of endarteritis, the pulse is practically not detected.
Pain and cramps when walking. As the disease progresses, discomfort also occurs at rest. Intermittent claudication develops, in which every step a person takes is associated with pain and spasms in the muscles of the lower extremities.
Ischemic, characterized by deterioration of blood flow. Heaviness in the legs, numbness and intermittent claudication begins to develop. The pulse is weakening, but is still palpable. This is the last date for starting treatment and maintaining all functions of the lower extremities in full.
Trophic, in which the symptoms of the disease intensify. The tissues do not receive the required amount of oxygen and nutrients, hair falls out, and nails turn blue. The pulse is almost absent. Treatment is fraught with serious difficulties, since the pathology at this stage is considered advanced.
Gangrene, developing as a result of ulcers and necrosis. The only way to treat endarteritis at this stage is amputation of the limb. In this case, the pathology begins to spread to the vessels throughout the body, and a general deterioration in the patient’s condition is noted.
The initial symptoms of the diseases are similar in their manifestations, but the following signs will help distinguish pathologies:
With atherosclerosis, symmetrical lesions of the extremities are noted; with endarteritis, they can appear only on one leg.
In the first case, large vessels and arteries are immediately affected, veins are not affected. With endarteritis, small vessels and veins are first blocked, then the pathology spreads to the arteries.
Atherosclerosis manifests itself only in the lower extremities; endarteritis, especially in the later stages, affects blood vessels throughout the body.
control blood glucose levels and prevent the development of diabetes;
control blood pressure at a level not higher than 140/90 mmHg. Art.;
dosed physical activity: walking, swimming, gym exercises, etc.;
quitting smoking and drinking alcohol;
eating foods low in animal fats and cholesterol;
I feel like after smoking my legs hurt and burn a little... I don’t understand what’s wrong? vessels?
Smoking can make everything hurt.
People also die from smoking, didn’t you know? thought smoking was vitamins and nothing would happen to you?
Yes. I have problems with blood vessels, my legs ached and hurt when smoking. The doctor said that smoking in any form is generally contraindicated for me, be it a cigarette or a hookah. Just like that!
Smoking makes the blood thicker and makes it harder for blood to pass through the vessels.
One famous actor. Which in one famous film said, “I’m offended for the state,” was even amputated. He was so addicted that he smoked even when he was banned.
Stop smoking, otherwise your legs will be amputated ahead of time.
Yes, my limbs hurt and were constantly cold. I quit and everything went away, I haven’t smoked for half a year - I feel great. So you quit too, and at the same time be sure to take a course of fish oil and ascorutin.
Did you have any problems with digestion?
Andryukha, well, maybe you need a couple of weeks to rebuild your body, you’re getting hungry, etc. The main thing in the morning is oatmeal with prunes and dried apricots and black natural coffee - all problems will be solved)) and if you also eat vinaigrette or just boiled beets, then a blush will appear)))))))
Nicotine spasms blood vessels and thickens the blood.
Easily! Vascular spasms often occur from nicotine. Yes, it also affects your legs.
Look online for the photo “Gangrene of a smoker’s legs.” You'll quit.
I smoked for 12 years, for the last year I had a very hard time walking and couldn’t get up in the morning. I went to the doctor, he said that I urgently need to quit. I gave up on the 3rd try, after a month I could walk through the park, and after another month I went to the pool.
I just came back from vacation and started smoking again. I smoked for a week or so. And again my legs began to hurt. I was scared. I threw away the pack.
I wish you to quit...
I quit smoking and didn’t restrict myself in food. A. then, putting on a swimsuit and seeing myself in the mirror, I understood. That I just became ugly. On the sides there are straps from swimming trunks, which are simply not visible in the side folds. The belly, one might say, is not the belly of a thirty-year-old woman. And the beer belly of a man. Now I started running in the mornings and working out on the horizontal bars. But there is no result. In the first case, the age is already such that it is very difficult to take it all away, and in the second case, even though I have given up smoking. But the shortness of breath remained terrible.
if you don’t want to quit smoking and look beautiful and be healthy at the same time, then visit the gym, and not 1-2 times a week, BUT EVERY day. get tired, sweat, take fish oil/olive oil/green tea with lemon and propolis, this will prolong your smoking beauty and youth for 10 years.
Yes, that’s right, they really hurt, and it’s from smoking, I only realized this after I gave birth, I don’t smoke, they don’t hurt, I only need to smoke 2 cigarettes, and the next morning, as soon as I get out of bed, my legs give way from pain. quit smoking. I just quit, I’m 29, I’ve been smoking since I was 17, or rather I have been smoking. and how much money you will save. Wow! By the way, heparin ointment helps with such pain.
Yeah. You probably already knew how to do it by now.
I've been smoking for 15 years. Now I’m 31 years old and my legs don’t just hurt, I just feel sick because of what’s happening to them. Many may say that this is most likely due to high heels. But the question is that I have never worn high heels, the largest heel for a holiday is 3 centimeters. My legs began to swell constantly and very badly. The thumb, the very tip of it, has lost half its sensitivity. It feels like I froze him. The tips of the fingers and hands and feet are constantly cold. For a long time I had low blood pressure, but now pressure surges are becoming more and more frequent. But a vascular network appeared in the skin. These small capillaries ruptured and covered the skin of my legs with an unsightly blue cobweb. I went to see a doctor, where he firmly told me that if I don’t want to turn into something like a hundred-year-old granny by the age of 35, then I should immediately give up the habit of smoking and forget the cigarette. For me this turned out to be the most difficult task. Now I'm looking for an easy and effective way to quit smoking. All sorts of advice, take it and leave it, have no effect on me, they only infuriate and irritate me.
Lately, many smokers have been complaining of unpleasant discomfort in their legs. Most often, legs hurt due to nicotine, which poisons the body. Bad habits are quite harmful to health, because of them a person suffers from various vascular pathologies. Arterial atherosclerosis, as well as endarteritis, are especially dangerous. Pathologies lead to disability, which is why it is so important to consult a specialist in a timely manner.
Cardiologists say that every cigarette is practically a nail that is driven into the human heart. The damage to health is quite large. First of all, problems arise with the vessels of the legs; they bear a huge burden.
As a rule, unpleasant sensations are provoked by obliterating atherosclerosis. At first, the disease is generally harmless, many do not associate it with smoking. Many people attribute slight pain in the calves and legs to physical activity or overexertion. Of course, rest helps get rid of discomfort.
Then discomfort appears in the feet. Painful sensations can also bother you when playing sports. At the same time, people smoke for a long time, are in no hurry to see a doctor, and then it all ends with problems with walking.
Many people develop lameness, in which a person cannot move normally and is constantly bothered by discomfort in the legs. As a rule, the problem is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle and the negative effects of nicotine.
Tobacco contains a substance that narrows the vascular walls. Plaques of atherosclerosis quickly clog them. In this case, the arteries do not allow blood to pass through at all, so the lower extremities lack oxygen and nutrition. Gradually they die off.
Important! Even a minor injury - a cut, abrasion, scratch - leads to a trophic ulcer, which can only be healed with the help of a potent drug. It is dangerous when a limb is amputated due to illness and a person dies.
The first thing you need to do is quit smoking. It is also recommended to carefully monitor your limbs and immediately consult a doctor if you experience the following symptoms:
These symptoms indicate impaired blood supply.
With a prolonged inflammatory process in the arteries of the legs, they become blocked. Subsequently, everything ends in gangrene. In this case, the tissues of the legs are severely damaged, the ligaments and muscles do not function.
According to statistics, the most affected are men over 30 who are constantly addicted to nicotine. The substance has a negative effect on the immune system.
A number of factors aggravate the disease: prolonged stress, constant hypothermia, frostbite of the extremities.
If you begin to complain of these symptoms, consult a doctor immediately:
As the disease progresses, a feeling of discomfort appears even in a calm state. Intermittent claudication and spasms in the leg muscles may develop.
The disease has several stages of development. At the initial stage, the arteries narrow greatly, but blood flow is not impaired.
The ischemic stage is characterized by the fact that blood flow deteriorates, severe heaviness appears in the legs, and they go numb. At the same time, the pulse noticeably weakens.
The trophic stage is especially dangerous, in which the tissues are not supplied with oxygen and nutritional components, the nails turn very blue, and hair falls out.
Ulcerative-necrotic, in which the vascular lumen is clogged. The pulse is not felt at all, the pain constantly bothers me. After some time, the muscles atrophy and trophic ulcers appear.
The only treatment is amputation of the affected legs. In this case, the pathology begins to affect the vessels of the entire body.
When a person does not give up smoking, the pathology becomes more complicated, and everything ends in trophic disorders, for which surgery cannot be avoided.
A minimally invasive operation can be used, during which a special contrast is introduced, then a stent is installed, expanding the vascular lumen, preventing the development of gangrene.
In acute thrombosis, open surgery is performed. A vascular surgeon opens the arterial lumen and removes the blood clot.
Treating smoker's feet is quite difficult. Why? First of all, you need to stop smoking, otherwise the disease will continue to progress.
But atherosclerosis is characteristic of endarteritis of the lower extremities, especially at a late stage.
It is also very important for diabetics to control their blood sugar levels. Everyone else should constantly monitor their blood pressure. Be careful with physical activity: swimming, walking, working out in the gym.
In addition, be sure to give up smoking and alcohol. Try to eat foods that are low in fat and cholesterol.
So, smoking is a rather dangerous habit. Everyone should analyze everything and understand that the best way to protect your health is to completely abandon it. Value your life!
Smoking is a well-known bad habit. Everyone knows about the harmful effects of cigarettes on the upper respiratory tract and lung tissue. But few people think that every cigarette smoked negatively affects the functioning of the heart muscle and the patency of arterial vessels. Smoking and legs, or more precisely, the condition of the peripheral arteries of the legs are strongly interrelated.
Cigarette smoking is one of the most significant risk factors for such a disease as obliterating atherosclerosis of the lower extremities. The essence of the disease is the excessive deposition of cholesterol or atherosclerotic plaques on the inner surface of the arteries of the legs. If you smoke for a long time and constantly, a gradual narrowing of the arterial lumen occurs.
Arteries are muscular vessels that carry blood rich in oxygen and nutrients to all organs. As the diameter of their lumen decreases, the legs begin to receive less and less oxygen from smoking. The process is gradual, the legs become numb and may be moderately painful. But patients do not pay due attention to such symptoms, attributing them to age-related changes or simple fatigue.
Gradually, more and more significant symptoms appear, the limbs begin to ache, the person goes to the doctor and there he learns that smoking is the cause of his leg problems. But even realizing that the final stage of the disease is gangrene, not all patients give up cigarettes and are ready to quit smoking. In modern medicine, there is even such a thing as smoker’s feet. The arteries of any part of the body can potentially undergo atherosclerotic narrowing as a result of smoking, sometimes the arms or intestinal vessels are involved, for example.
Symptoms of obliterating atherosclerosis of the legs, provoked by cigarette smoking, are caused by oxygen deficiency or muscle ischemia. Of course, gangrene does not appear immediately, but only in untreated, advanced cases. The very first and most typical symptom of atherosclerotic narrowing of the lumen of the arteries of the legs is pain. Sometimes the legs may hurt or become numb; patients characterize this condition as “twisting the muscles,” which results in an unpleasant feeling of discomfort and aches.
The occurrence of pain in the legs is due to the fact that while walking, active muscle work takes place, which requires increased oxygen consumption. The reduced lumen of the vessels simply cannot allow more oxygen-rich blood to pass through, which causes the symptoms.
There are other equally common symptoms of cigarette-related leg damage. The main ones will be listed below:
If left untreated, symptoms tend to progress, complications develop, such as trophic ulcers that do not heal for a long time or gangrene of the affected leg. The appearance of trophic ulcers is reflected in the photo. Unfortunately, even such a frightening prospect does not stop many people from smoking another cigarette. Although it would be much healthier for your health to quit.
Some patients say that they quit smoking and their legs hurt, just as they hurt before. Quitting cigarettes cannot eliminate existing symptoms. But if you quit smoking as early as possible, you can prevent the development of complications such as trophic disorders and gangrene of the leg.
Sooner or later, cigarette lovers whose legs have suffered greatly because of this find themselves in a surgeon’s office. Some, unfortunately, only after a detailed consultation begin to understand that it is smoking that causes their legs to hurt and that it is simply necessary to quit this habit. Only a person who quits smoking puts himself on the path to recovery, while a smoker, on the contrary, aggravates his problems.
Treatment should be started immediately, because advanced cases lead to gangrene and other serious complications. Conservative treatment includes:
If a person continues to smoke for a very long time, and the pathological process in the legs is at the stage of trophic disorders, the need for surgical treatment arises. It implies:
Treating leg problems resulting from long-term smoking is not an easy process. First of all, you need to quit smoking. Failure to take this serious step means provoking further development of the disease. Many are motivated by frightening photos of complications that can be easily found on the Internet. Following your doctor's treatment recommendations helps stop the progression of the disease.
Many avid and convinced tobacco users with “experience” sooner or later face the fact that their legs hurt from smoking. True, most often, when such trouble arises, they are at first not inclined to associate it with their long-term commitment to this addiction, but simply “attribute” the pain to overload and, as a consequence, chronic fatigue of their lower extremities. In fact, any phlebologist will say: if a smoker’s legs really hurt, then the reason for this is smoking. Why are they so sure of this?
As experienced and highly qualified specialists, phlebologists are well aware of the harmful effects smoking has on the blood vessels of the legs. They are well aware that the substances contained in tobacco smoke provoke the formation of so-called “plaques” on the walls of veins and arteries located in the lower extremities - durable and extremely resistant to destruction, by any means, formations.
They form on the inner surface of the blood vessels of the legs, thereby reducing their diameter. As a result, the tissues of the lower extremities experience a deficiency of the substances they need, supplied by the blood. The muscles begin to ache at first, and then, as the situation worsens, they can atrophy.
Thus, a person becomes ill with obliterating endarthritis or obliterating atherosclerosis - ailments that, for smokers, unfortunately, are the main answer to the question: why do my legs hurt? The main thing - but not the only one, because, as popular wisdom says, “trouble does not come alone.” Substances contained in tobacco smoke bind calcium, which enters the body and is the main “building material” for bones. As a result, problems begin with them too, so another answer to the question of why legs begin to hurt from smoking lies in this.
However, that's not all. Smoking also has an adverse effect on the nervous system of the body, including, of course, the part of it that is located in the lower extremities. This further compounds the already complex and complex problem of smoker's feet. It should also be noted that tobacco is insidious, and has a destructive effect on the legs gradually but steadily, and therefore, the more and longer a person smokes, the more serious consequences it threatens for them (including amputation).
Smoking has an extremely negative effect on the consumer's body. For the vascular system, it is expressed in the fact that the “passage diameter” of arteries and veins is seriously narrowed, as a result of which they become like steel water pipes that have served for decades without replacement and allow only thin streams of life-giving moisture into apartments.
As a result, the tissues of the legs do not receive a huge amount of substances necessary for their normal functioning, including vitamins: under the influence of compounds contained in the combustion products of tobacco, they are simply destroyed. Nerve endings also suffer from smoking and become unable to fully perform the functions assigned to them by Mother Nature. On top of that, the joints do not receive enough calcium for restoration, and from healthy functional systems they turn into something like Stalingrad during the Great Patriotic War.
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Often smokers with an impressive amount of experience are faced with strange and unpleasant consequences of a bad habit, for example, they notice that their legs or teeth hurt from smoking. It is at this moment that a person begins to understand that nicotine addiction is harmful to health and it is necessary to get rid of it as soon as possible.
However, after quitting smoking, instead of immediately feeling improvements, the person begins to feel even worse. I quit smoking, everything hurts - it’s confusing, alarming, scary, people often don’t understand what to do in this situation and end up putting a cigarette in their mouth again. It becomes a vicious circle. Why is this happening?
In this article we will look at how the body reacts to quitting smoking, why your health worsens when you quit smoking, what unpleasant side effects a former smoker may experience, and what can be done about it.
Every smoker should understand that without cigarettes the body finds itself in a stressful situation. Over many months and years of smoking, he gets used to regular consumption of nicotine and other substances from tobacco smoke. And without doping, a smoker can really feel bad at first.
Nicotine is addictive, just like alcohol or drugs. And after quitting tobacco, a person feels a very real withdrawal.
At this time, global changes occur in the body, including hormonal changes. Unpleasant side effects and poor health are only temporary while adaptation to new conditions takes place. Let's consider what stages the human body goes through without cigarettes:
It would seem that you just quit smoking - but a whole restructuring takes place in the body, almost a revolution. Therefore, possible health problems are understandable. Every person who quits smoking should keep in mind that the body will need time to adapt to life without nicotine. And be prepared to face the side effects of quitting your addiction.
Immediately after making the decision to quit smoking, a person feels incredible pride in himself. Of course, this is such an important step! But the euphoria passes rather quickly, since the former smoker experiences not at all pleasant symptoms. We list the most common of them:
People, of course, are frightened by the fact that from the moment they gave up cigarettes, problems began that were even more unpleasant than those caused by smoking. However, all of the above symptoms that a person feels have a logical explanation.
Nicotine deficiency, as a psychoactive substance, is a common cause of irritability during the period of smoking cessation. In addition, the ritual of smoking a cigarette for many is a way to relax and relieve tension. It's no wonder that former smokers become nervous without their favorite way to relax.
When a person quits smoking, he strives to get rid of the annoying cough that appeared as a result of the habit. But often, after quitting cigarettes, the cough gets worse. This occurs due to the fact that the epithelium of the bronchi begins to recover, and the mucus that has accumulated during smoking is pushed out. Therefore, coughing is absolutely normal.
Appetite in former smokers may increase for several reasons. Firstly, some people use food to eat away stress and cope with nervousness. Secondly, nicotine has the ability to speed up metabolism and suppress appetite. Accordingly, in its absence, you want to eat more, which is where excess weight appears.
An increase or decrease in blood pressure and dizziness are also explained by the dilation of blood vessels after quitting smoking. You just need to wait out these unpleasant symptoms, but under no circumstances take up a cigarette to improve your condition.
Against the backdrop of weakened immunity, the situation when a person quits smoking and gets sick is quite understandable. Tobacco smoke has an antimicrobial effect, so after quitting smoking a person can get sick almost immediately.
In addition to the described troubles, the following symptoms may appear after quitting cigarettes:
As we have already mentioned, in the first week after quitting smoking, a decrease in intestinal tone may be observed. This leads to problems with stool - constipation, sometimes diarrhea, increased gas formation, and bloating. You should not be afraid of these problems - very soon the body will get used to the new way of life and digestion will return to normal.
Also, former smokers often experience heartburn, belching, and bad breath. Sometimes there is a bitterness in the mouth. Here again, nicotine is to blame, or rather, its absence. As you know, nicotine has a vasoconstrictor effect, and after quitting, the vessels dilate, including in the esophagus and stomach.
However, doctors advise to pay attention to such side effects. If heartburn, bitterness in the mouth or bad breath haunt you for several days, and they are accompanied by stomach pain, this is a reason to visit a gastroenterologist. In this case, it may smell like gastritis or an ulcer, the symptoms of which have been successfully dulled by nicotine for a long time.
Peeling and dry skin, and even acne - all this can also be a consequence of quitting smoking. Skin problems can begin against the backdrop of a general restructuring of the body, since quitting nicotine makes changes in the functioning of the immune system and endocrine glands. In addition, acne can appear due to digestive problems.
Bleeding gums occurs, again, due to a lack of nicotine and vasodilation. But at the same time, the problems can be more serious. If bleeding continues for a long time, it would be better to consult a doctor.
I quit smoking and my legs hurt. The symptom is less common, but still quite frightening for former smokers. Pain in the legs can begin for the same reason as vasodilation in conditions of nicotine deficiency. Blood accumulates in the legs, causing swelling and pain.
Finally, increased sweating is mainly associated with increased nervousness after quitting the habit. As you know, when a person is nervous, he begins to sweat more. Therefore, former smokers may notice excessive sweating at times.
It is difficult to predict how a particular person will feel after quitting nicotine addiction. It happens that a former smoker feels virtually no changes in the body. It happens that only one or two symptoms appear. Unfortunately, some people are “lucky” to get the whole bunch of symptoms at once.
But there is no need to be afraid of this - all these troubles only mean that the process of restructuring the body has begun. Within a month, the side effects will gradually disappear and you will finally be able to live a new life.
The first few weeks of quitting cigarettes are the most difficult, and against the backdrop of unpleasant side effects, the chance of relapse greatly increases. However, you can take some steps to make this period much easier for yourself:
Now you will be ready to face the side effects of quitting smoking. The main thing is not to be afraid and stand firm in your decision to live without cigarettes. Remember that these troubles are only temporary. Everything that does not kill us makes us stronger. And having survived this difficult period, you will definitely feel better and be convinced that the decision to quit smoking was not made in vain!
Today it is almost impossible to meet a person over 40-50 years old who does not suffer from one or another disease of the lower extremities. Constant stress on the legs, a sedentary lifestyle, excess weight and, of course, smoking, cause the appearance of such serious diseases as obliterating endarthritis, gonarthrosis or varicose veins.
Full treatment of all these diseases is impossible without giving up nicotine, but sometimes it happens that if you quit smoking, your legs hurt and then former smokers are perplexed: why does this situation arise and what to do about it?
What can happen to a former smoker if he quit smoking and his legs hurt? Sometimes he grabs a cigarette again, explaining that he has only gotten worse, but, more often than not, the pain in the limbs after a repeated nicotine attack intensifies several times, so the patient has to urgently seek medical help.
Less commonly, quitting smoking causes:
If, after a smoker quits smoking, his legs hurt, then you can use the advice of experts to quickly deal with this problem:
There is often more harm from improper treatment than from its absence. If you have pain in your legs after quitting smoking, then you should not do the following:
Pain in the legs occurs not due to quitting smoking, but due to systematic poisoning of the body with nicotine, so their appearance is a signal making it clear that the decision to quit smoking was made at the right time, since the body could no longer cope with nicotine.
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