Smokers should be warned they face higher risks of developing mouth ulcers and colds when they quit, according to experts, quoted by BBC. Doctors found smokers developed the unpleasant side effects up to two weeks after quitting. And they say many ex-smokers could be deterred from staying the course unless they are told what to expect.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal's Tobacco Control, studied 174 smokers at one, two and six weeks.

After one or two weeks' abstinence the quitters were more likely to have cold symptoms, including sore throats, coughing and sneezing. During the first week of stopping around a third of those studied had three or more symptoms.

They found mouth ulcers were significantly more likely during the first fortnight. After six weeks all the symptoms had subsided.

The authors say the increase in mouth ulcers could be related to the loss of the antibacterial effect of smoking and the rise in cold symptoms could be linked to a short-term depression in the immune system.

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