what is the best way to get rid of congestion after quitting smoking?
85819
Drink lots of water. I quit 7 years ago and I had the same thing. Your body is trying to shed the dead cells in your lungs and get rid of the mucus in there. Cough, cough and know your on your way to a healthier life. You could take some drugs Im sure but why trade one vice for another?\n\nCONGRATULATIONS!!!!
985995
eat eat some more and drink some pop to get rid of cotton mouth then eat some more and dont smoke no more.
851944
Drink lots of water all the time.\nDrink orange juice.\nGargle with warm salt water.\nSuck on menthol drops.\nDrink a hot toddy at night.\nExercise & breathe deeply.\nBreathe fresh air.\nStay away from sick people.
539540
Don't take tips don't slow down don't cut back just throw them a way and get a inexpensive hobbies like weight lifting or running and if you don't have the will power to just quit this may sound weird but only smoke when it is humid outside and rid all smoke smell from your home and possessions but it would be much better if you just quit after a week you will find the smell of smoke repulsive
971031
use mouth wash, tic tac or whatever just use a lot, some axe spray or tag. cologne would be really effective. clear eyes definitly. hand sanitizer. the smell of smoke isnt that hard to take care of if you know how to take care if it. just blow the smoke in a different direction from yourself.
1037867
just breathe second hand smoke... that should do the trick
883572
When you've had a cold, the airways in your lungs get irritated and produce phlegm.  The phlegm you're getting now will decrease now your cold's gone.  \n\nThere is something you can do to help, get a big bowl of steaming water, put a towel over your head and bend over the bowl, the towel catches the steam and you inhale it through your mouth.  This will help loosen the phlegm so you can cough more of it up.  I have asthma and am more susceptible to phlegm when I get a cold and this works a treat for me.\n\nDrinking orange cordial can in fact increase phlegm production in some people, maybe this is the case with you.  If possible try to drink fresh orange, it also has more vitamin C in it anyway.
1131615
The absolute BEST way is quite honestly COLD TURKEY.  The reason is...it takes 72 hours or 3 days for all the nicotine to get out of your system and once you live through those three days then it's just mind over matter as your body's NEED for nicotine is gone.  The patches, gum etc. anything with nicotine in it and the "tapering off" just prolongs the agony of nicotine withdrawal.  \n\nYou have to replace that "bad habit" with a good one so be prepared BEFORE you quit....and know what you are going to do INSTEAD of smoking.  Remember the average 'craving' lasts 3 minutes.  \n\nI used whatever it took to get through the first 2 weeks, sugar free suckers, licorice root (you can buy at the bulk store usually) to chew on, sugar free gum, tic tacs, and believe it or not straws the extra tough ones that come in drinking boxes (I chewed through about 7 of them and just keep cutting off the chewed end) and you can also "inhale" through the straw and then slowly exhale.  Drink a ton of water, now instead of smokes and a lighter I carry bottles of water with me everywhere.\n\nI also learned how to knit to keep my hands busy, you could do crossword puzzles, circle words, Suduko puzzles, or some kind of manly crafty thing like leather working or wood burning I suppose....\n\nAlso I downloaded a little counter from the site I posted below....I was so determined not to have to reset my counter back to zeros I wouldn't have another smoke!\n\nGood luck, you'll need it.....but trust me when I say looking back from the other side it is SO WORTH IT!!\n\nIn three days you'll start to notice how bad smokers really smell and you'll think OMG I used to STINK like that too, in 2 weeks when you run your tongue over your teeth they won't feel like they have fuzzy slippers on them anymore....and if you can make the 3 week mark without slipping at all......I believe that the statistics for maintaining the smoke free lifestyle are about 60% for those that can make it to the 3 week mark!\n\nGOOD LUCK!\n\nOne year, ten months, four weeks, 8 hours, 28 minutes and 34 seconds. \n13947 cigarettes not smoked, \nSaving $4,602.53. \nLife saved: 6 weeks, 6 days, 10 hours, 15 minutes.
279719
Cold turkey.\n\nPlease visit http://www.whyquit.com and read about nicotine replacement therapy (gum, patch, etc.) to see why it doesn't work well.\n\nRead a few sections of "Why do people smoke?" and "How to quit smoking."  The site even tells you what to expect (accurately) during the surprisingly short physical withdrawal period and how to minimize the symptoms.\n\nVisit http://www.whyquit.com\n\nIt is really quite eye opening.
41563
spicy foods, salt water solution you can buy at the pharmacy to clean your nasal passage, also it is good not to eat tons of dairy foods. You can also try drinking fresh lemon juice with water for about a week. That helps clear you out.
778823
colds are caused by viruses, so the only way to get better is to rest.  try to stay home, get lots of sleep, drink lots of fluids like orange juice (the vitamin C will help with your immune system, as your body is healing, it will use more vitamin C than normal, so replenishing is important).  There's also some possible links with zinc, but I never bother.  Nor with any herbal remedies.  chicken soup has been shown to help, although most just suspect that it's the increased intake of fluids, which are warm (for the sinuses).  It won't hurt.  Try to eat enough as well - you need to again replace energy used in the healing process.  Mentholatum or Vicks Vapor rub can help with congestion.\n\nThere are two lines of thought with over the counter medications.  First is that all the mucus and discharge is caused by your body trying to get rid of the virus.  So stopping that completely may not be great.  At the same time, if you don't treat, then you're miserable and can't rest properly.  Addiitonally, you run the risk of the mucus getting into your lungs, where then it can develop further into a respiratory problem - not good if you need to blow your trumpet.  Use whatever you need to alleviate the symptoms, but just don't over treat.\n\nThe reason that you're coughing and have a sore throat is because the mucus is sliding down the back of your throat from your nasal passages.  This is caused by your body's histamine response.  Therefore using an antihistamine should help to decrease mucus production.  A decongestant will help you breath and decrease swelling of the nasal passages.  If it's already gotten into your lungs, you may want to get an expectorant which is supposed to help you cough up the mucus.  Don't waste your time with cough suppressants though.  recent studies have found that the dosage of OTC cough medicines are not enough to truly alleviate coughs.  Don't be afraid to try alternatives as well - if the Tylenol Cold isn't working, try an allergy medication like Claritin-D - which is essentially the same thing - a decongestant and anti-histamine.\n\nHope you feel better
90494
Agreeing with the rest, cold turkey is the best. If you have the will to quit, and really don't want to smoke......don't.
281374
try to get addicted to something less harmfull. Or if you want to just quit, ive heard that cold turkey is the easiest, interms of withdrawels. Or the patch, or the gum. But remember, if you have not been smoking for a VERY long time, when you quit, in time your lungs will be about as healthy as they were before you started smoking. Don't give up on it even if it is hard.
799325
I'm a graduate student in Biomedical Engineering, I study Emphysema (a disease people get when they smoke cigarettes). There are over 4000 toxins in cigarette smoke. Most of them are still unknown. Nicotine is probably the worst toxin as it stops and eventually kills the epithelial cells in the lining of the lung, these cells have tiny hairs that usually "beat" upwards causing the mucus to come up to your throat and get swalloed. With that not working, mucus accumulates in the lung. When you smoke your mucus in filled with those 4000 toxins and your body reacts by secreting an enzyme called "trypsin" into your lungs. Trypsin is the same enzyme that your stomach uses to digest steak. Think of how powerfull it is. After years of smoking, your lungs will have been exposed to so much trypsin that you will litterally have holes in your lung. That is the definition of emphysema. \nYou should tell your BF to stop smoking while he's still young. Maybe you should buy him some nicotine patches and gum for christas. it's going to be a very difficult time so be supportive.\nGood luck!\nAnnie
1098980
you can pull it out.  i had that done years ago for smoking.  it didn't work for me either!
1164548
YES! get some Zyban. Or bupropion that stuff really works, I smoked for 30 years and quit cold turkey with that stuff. No problems except a little irritability.
904656
-Try steam inhalation with a few drops of eucalyptus oil or vicks to clear a stuff nose. \n-Drink hot liquid such as herbal teas and clear soups.