Smoking does not Relieve Stress,But Quitting does.

AFRIKUPDATE

HEALTHNEWS

             

Researchers, from Oxford University and King’s College London, said: ‘The belief that smoking is stress-relieving is pervasive but almost certainly wrong.

‘The reverse is true: smoking probably causes anxiety and smokers deserve to know this and understand how their own experience may be misleading.’

Researchers believe the confusion has arisen because one of the withdrawal effects of nicotine is edginess.

Smokers in need of a top-up will repeatedly suffer this feeling throughout the day and find it eases when they have a cigarette. But while smoking may take the edge off stress related to lack of nicotine, it probably does nothing to ease the pressures of  everyday life.

The researchers are less sure why stress levels rose in those who failed to quit. But it may be that their failure – and thoughts of the damage their habit was doing to their health – made them worry more.

This increase in stress levels was particularly high in those with depression and other psychiatric problems and the researchers said doctors should be aware of this.