For thousands of years, people have smoked or chewed the leaves of the tobacco plant, Nicotiana tabacum. Tobacco was first found and cultivated in the Americas, perhaps as early as 6000 B.C. Following the discovery and colonization of North and South America, the tobacco plant was exported widely, to continental Europe and the rest of the civilized world. Even in its early days, tobacco use was controversial. Some hailed its medicinal properties.
For example, tobacco was supposed to be protective against the ravages of the Plague! As early as the 1600s, people speculated that there might be a link between diseases, like cancer, and tobacco use. Since then, modern research methods have provided evidence of this link, and public service announcements that warn of tobacco's health risks and addictive nature are seen regularly on TV. What is it about tobacco that makes people so compelled to use it despite all of the admonitions? Smoking or chewing tobacco makes people feel good, even mildly euphoric. While there are thousands of chemicals in the tobacco plant (not to mention those added by cigarette manufacturers), one, nicotine, produces all the good feelings that draw people back for another cigarette or plug of tobacco. In this article, we'll examine nicotine and how it affects the human body
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
what
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Smoking and Dental Health Are More Intimately Connected Than You Would Imagine
Imagine losing a portion of your cheek at the age of 18? Medical research indicates that smokers are six times more likely than nonsmokers to develop oral cancers. Even those addicted to smokeless tobacco (snuff or chewing tobacco) can develop cancers of the cheek, gums and lining of the lips, increasing the risk by about 50 times. Oral cancer is in fact one of the most devastating effects of smoking. In fact, the death rate from oral cancers (which includes cancers of the tongue, mouth, gums, tonsils and pharynx) exceeds the death rate from cervical cancer, according to experts.
Find Help To Stop Smoking Cigarettes
If you are in need of support to halt smoking cigarettes, there are a assortment of different places you can turn. From natural cease smoking cigarettes goods to stop smoking cigarettes antidepressant medications, there are numerous different ways to quit smoking. You may also join a quit smoking help association to get aid to stop smoking cigarettes, and multitudinous non-profit organizations also offer smoking free videos to supply additional quit smoking tips. No matter which process you choose, the most important aspect of trying to stop smoking cigarettes is the truthful desire to be smoke-free and well again.
A focused mind is one of the most powerful forces in the universe.
There are many prescription medicines that provide aid to stop smoking cigarettes. Quit smoking cigarettes antidepressant medications are becoming more and more popular as doctors realize that smokers tend to be more depressive than the rest of the general population. By treating these depressive symptoms while also reducing nicotine cravings, medication smoking stop treatment has proven to be highly productive in helping individuals to stop smoking cigarettes.
If you are wary of medication to assist stop smoking cigarettes, you might consider one of the natural stop smoking cigarettes products on the market today. There is a growing market for laser smoking cessation treatments and acupuncture cessation smoking methods. Both of these stop smoking cigarettes aids work to boost your endorphin levels, giving you a high of sorts that blocks some of the nicotine cravings that make people begin smoking again. These additional stop smoking cigarettes methods do not have much scientific research to back them up, but there are many individual reports that state that the laser smoking stop therapy worked in one or two treatment sessions.
A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood. General George S Patton
In addition to these commodities, you can also find aid to stop smoking cigarettes at your local grocery store or drugstore. Nicotine replacement stop smoking cigarettes aids provide smokers with a means to manage their cravings and to gradually diminish their dependence on nicotine. These stop smoking cigarettes products come in the forms of nicotine gum, the patch and a smoking cessation shot. All of these methods help to cut down a person’s dependency on nicotine, and they also lend a hand to reduce the symptoms connected with the nicotine withdrawal process. These symptoms can be somewhat severe if a individual stops smoking cold turkey. However, there are a variety of stop smoking cigarettes methods that make the process easier than it has ever been.
A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided. Anthony Robbins
Even if you try to quit without the aid of medication or nicotine supplements, you will even need help to stop smoking cigarettes. This help can come in the form of quit smoking support groups, friends, family or co-workers. The more people you have supporting you on you voyage toward superior health, the better off you will be. You can also turn to any number of non-profit organizations to receive the help you need.
Thanks for taking the time to read this quit smoking article. You should continue researching for additional information to help you down the road to a smoke free life.
by: Steve Hill
4 Tips For Smoking Cessation
Tip 1: Rise above the cravings
Imagine the cigarettes as crutches. You’ve always had these crutches to lean on and soon, it becomes impossible to walk without them. The important thing to learn is that as soon as you walk on your feet again, they’ll quickly regain strength. It may be a little known fact, but about half of what a smoker inhales from his cigarette is pure air. The next time you’re hit with a craving, take some deep breaths and relax. You will soon be able to rise above the craving, feel refreshed, and move on.
Tip 2: All the reasons to quit
Why do you want to quit? Do you have children? Do you want to live to see your grandchildren? Are you sick of the smell? Whatever your reasons are, write them down. Keep a daily journal of how you feel and in the very first entry list in bold letters every reason you have for quitting. List things like health reasons, expense, inconvenience, bad breath, or other reasons and make the list as long as possible. Also be sure to list how you WILL feel when you’ve kicked the habit.
Why do you want to quit? Do you have children? Do you want to live to see your grandchildren? Are you sick of the smell? Whatever your reasons are, write them down. Keep a daily journal of how you feel and in the very first entry list in bold letters every reason you have for quitting. List things like health reasons, expense, inconvenience, bad breath, or other reasons and make the list as long as possible. Also be sure to list how you WILL feel when you’ve kicked the habit.
Tip 3: The good, the bad and the ugly
After you complete your lists of reasons you want to quit and how you’ll feel after you’ve quit, make a list of the consequences of not quitting. Have other smokers in your family gotten cancer? Have they died? Do they have to speak through a hole in their neck? Will you be unable to pay off debt because you’re always buying cigarettes? Whatever you consequences, be sure to list all of them. As above, be sure to list the consequences (good consequences, of course) of quitting. Keep them to look forward to.
After you complete your lists of reasons you want to quit and how you’ll feel after you’ve quit, make a list of the consequences of not quitting. Have other smokers in your family gotten cancer? Have they died? Do they have to speak through a hole in their neck? Will you be unable to pay off debt because you’re always buying cigarettes? Whatever you consequences, be sure to list all of them. As above, be sure to list the consequences (good consequences, of course) of quitting. Keep them to look forward to.
Tip 4: Break time!
Most smokers agree: a cigarette is a break. When quitting, give yourself breaks, but do something. Go for walk, eat a piece of fruit or drink some juice. This is critical because the body will be going through changes expelling all the accumulated poisons. The fruit will aid this process in many ways.
Most smokers agree: a cigarette is a break. When quitting, give yourself breaks, but do something. Go for walk, eat a piece of fruit or drink some juice. This is critical because the body will be going through changes expelling all the accumulated poisons. The fruit will aid this process in many ways.
by: Dana Goldberg
Why is it hard to quit smoking?
Foremost, this is because most smokers become addicted to the nicotine contained in tobacco products. Nicotine has a deadly addictive power. When a person smokes a cigarette, nicotine particles find their way to the lungs through inhalation. From there, nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream just like the oxygen people breathe. It travels with the blood to the brain where it locks onto certain receptor areas. Dopamine is then released into the brain. This is the chemical that makes the smoker feel a euphoric sensation. Smokers find it difficult to quit smoking because they come to be dependent on this good feeling. And, this leads to dependence – addiction.
A person who attempts to quit smoking may experience withdrawal symptoms. Topping the bill of withdrawal symptoms is depression. With the absence of the chemical that produces the relaxing feeling, the brain becomes distressed without it. Other withdrawal symptoms from smoking include:
Headaches dizziness, and nausea Shakes, chills Cough, dry throat nasal drip Hunger, fatigue Constipation, gas or stomach pain Insomnia
A person who attempts to quit smoking may experience withdrawal symptoms. Topping the bill of withdrawal symptoms is depression. With the absence of the chemical that produces the relaxing feeling, the brain becomes distressed without it. Other withdrawal symptoms from smoking include:
Headaches dizziness, and nausea Shakes, chills Cough, dry throat nasal drip Hunger, fatigue Constipation, gas or stomach pain Insomnia
Smoking - Why People Start and Why They Should Stop
The epidemic of smoking-related diseases is one that only the potential victims can abolish. Smoking is among the most common habits in the Western world and this dangerous habit will kill a large number of those who engage in it.
It is amazing to think that people would continue to smoke after their first experimental cigarette which causes coughing and nausea. However, the majority of smokers enjoy the taste and smell of tobacco smoke and so they continue on with this potentially lethal habit. Sometimes the ritual of smoking creates pleasure and relaxation itself. For some people, it is a social habit and makes them feel part of the crowd. This is particularly so of people who are shy. Having something to do with their hands when in company helps them to appear more in control and self-confident.
Smokers say that smoking settles their nerves when they are stressed. Some say it also stimulates them and, in both cases, there is some truth. This is due to the nicotine or more precisely, the dose of nicotine as well as other factors. There is also a genuine physical addiction to nicotine so that when the person concerned is not able to get the drug, he or she suffers from withdrawal symptoms which are relieved only by having another cigarette.
A person can have a psychological addiction to smoking as well as the physical addiction. Although the person does not really need that cigarette, he or she misses the perceived enjoyment it used to bring. It has often become such an ingrained habit that the smoker lights up automatically without any thought about it.
In recent years, public opinion against smoking has resulted in policies to restrict the areas where smokers can engage in their habit. Many hotels, restaurants, shopping centres and workplaces have become no-smoking zones. In many places, governments are claiming damages from the billion-dollar tobacco industry to finance the ever growing costs of healthcare for smoking-related diseases.
There is definitely a strong correlation between children’s smoking and the smoking habits of parents and older siblings. The family bond and the desire to be like their parents is the likely cause of this. As young children, many are very disapproving of their parents smoking habits but by the early teens, their thinking begins to change. Often, these young people identify drinking and smoking with the ideal of being an adult.
Early studies just after World War II, concluded that the main cause of lung cancer was definitely cigarette smoking. After comparing a number of variables, it was concluded that only one in two hundred male lung cancer patients were nonsmokers with a similar level of statistics found among women. Other conclusions were that the chances of dying from lung cancer increased with heavier smoking habits. More recent studies have shown that smoking is also a contributory factor in diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and coronary heart disease. It has also been shown that smokers generally live a shorter lifespan than nonsmokers. .
Many people are unaware that it is the toxic substances in the vaporized tar that causes the damage to smokers rather than the nicotine. These tars contain thousands of toxic chemicals, some of which are known carcinogenics. Other interesting factors include the fact that smokers are twice as likely to die before retirement age as nonsmokers. There is also some evidence that filter-tipped cigarettes reduce the risk of disease minimally but not enough to consider them a safe option.
Another area of great concern is that of passive smoking. Studies have shown that the cigarette smoke drifting from the burning end of a cigarette contains twice as much carcinogenic tar as that inhaled by the smoker.
The risks to an unborn baby of a smoking mother are also something of which people need to be aware. These mothers have a higher rate of miscarriages and stillbirths than do nonsmoking mothers.
Giving up the cigarettes is easier said than done. There are many products available which may help but, ultimately, it is a battle that the smoker needs to fight for him or her self. Resisting the temptation to have a cigarette, particularly in times of stress, is crucial. Many people give up over and over again but end up back on the smokes. For this reason, it is important to have a plan and to decide, once and for all, that it is the time to give it up. No one is saying it will be easy but millions give up every year so it can be done.
It is amazing to think that people would continue to smoke after their first experimental cigarette which causes coughing and nausea. However, the majority of smokers enjoy the taste and smell of tobacco smoke and so they continue on with this potentially lethal habit. Sometimes the ritual of smoking creates pleasure and relaxation itself. For some people, it is a social habit and makes them feel part of the crowd. This is particularly so of people who are shy. Having something to do with their hands when in company helps them to appear more in control and self-confident.
Smokers say that smoking settles their nerves when they are stressed. Some say it also stimulates them and, in both cases, there is some truth. This is due to the nicotine or more precisely, the dose of nicotine as well as other factors. There is also a genuine physical addiction to nicotine so that when the person concerned is not able to get the drug, he or she suffers from withdrawal symptoms which are relieved only by having another cigarette.
A person can have a psychological addiction to smoking as well as the physical addiction. Although the person does not really need that cigarette, he or she misses the perceived enjoyment it used to bring. It has often become such an ingrained habit that the smoker lights up automatically without any thought about it.
In recent years, public opinion against smoking has resulted in policies to restrict the areas where smokers can engage in their habit. Many hotels, restaurants, shopping centres and workplaces have become no-smoking zones. In many places, governments are claiming damages from the billion-dollar tobacco industry to finance the ever growing costs of healthcare for smoking-related diseases.
There is definitely a strong correlation between children’s smoking and the smoking habits of parents and older siblings. The family bond and the desire to be like their parents is the likely cause of this. As young children, many are very disapproving of their parents smoking habits but by the early teens, their thinking begins to change. Often, these young people identify drinking and smoking with the ideal of being an adult.
Early studies just after World War II, concluded that the main cause of lung cancer was definitely cigarette smoking. After comparing a number of variables, it was concluded that only one in two hundred male lung cancer patients were nonsmokers with a similar level of statistics found among women. Other conclusions were that the chances of dying from lung cancer increased with heavier smoking habits. More recent studies have shown that smoking is also a contributory factor in diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and coronary heart disease. It has also been shown that smokers generally live a shorter lifespan than nonsmokers. .
Many people are unaware that it is the toxic substances in the vaporized tar that causes the damage to smokers rather than the nicotine. These tars contain thousands of toxic chemicals, some of which are known carcinogenics. Other interesting factors include the fact that smokers are twice as likely to die before retirement age as nonsmokers. There is also some evidence that filter-tipped cigarettes reduce the risk of disease minimally but not enough to consider them a safe option.
Another area of great concern is that of passive smoking. Studies have shown that the cigarette smoke drifting from the burning end of a cigarette contains twice as much carcinogenic tar as that inhaled by the smoker.
The risks to an unborn baby of a smoking mother are also something of which people need to be aware. These mothers have a higher rate of miscarriages and stillbirths than do nonsmoking mothers.
Giving up the cigarettes is easier said than done. There are many products available which may help but, ultimately, it is a battle that the smoker needs to fight for him or her self. Resisting the temptation to have a cigarette, particularly in times of stress, is crucial. Many people give up over and over again but end up back on the smokes. For this reason, it is important to have a plan and to decide, once and for all, that it is the time to give it up. No one is saying it will be easy but millions give up every year so it can be done.
by: Anne Wolski
Advantages of Stop Smoking Hypnosis
There are many advantages to participating in a stop smoking hypnosis program. While there are a profusion of products on the market to help you quit smoking, including nicotine patches and gums, hypnosis therapy has some unique benefits. Some of these benefits include:
* Significant decrease in health risks if the therapy is successful
* The treatment is completely drug free
* Therapy can be completed quickly and has no long-term cost involvement
* Stop smoking hypnosis therapy can also boost your confidence in other areas of your life
* Therapy focuses on the positive, instead of resisting something you love, you're trained to be happy about getting rid of something that is hurting you.
* Therapy can be tailored to address your personal smoking triggers and habits
Cigar Smoking
While most of the uninitiated might consider the generic habit of smoking to be one thing, and one thing only, any cigar aficionado will be at great pains to tell you otherwise. While the smoking of cigarettes is something that most teenagers have tried, and increasingly is viewed socially as something a person does because they simply haven't managed to give up yet, cigar smoking is something akin to a hobby, and for many, a passion. While cigarette smoking is something you simple do, the smoking of cigars is done with panache, and like any other skilled pastime, there is a whole sub-culture that participates in it.
Because cigar smoking is undoubtedly a skilled art - as any common cigarette smoker can tell you after making the leap from what might be considered the waif of the smoking world, the paltry and ten-a-penny cigarette, to the voluptuous and charismatic cigar. Cigars have a depth that delves into all five senses, and a flavor that is completely unexpected by those familiar only with cigarettes. The novice cigar smoker will be nauseous and headachy for days! But apparently this is a barrier that is worth working through - you only have to mention cigars to an aficionado to hear them wax lyrical on the wonders of cigars.
Like fine wine, there is a wealth of different types of cigar available whose differences seem incomprehensibly subtle to the disinterested. It is a brave relative or friend who attempts an unguided shopping trip to purchase cigars for a loved one, as the variations available are overwhelming. And, because of the enthusiasm with which cigar lovers love their cigars, the wrong choice can cause a family rift that might linger for years.
Thankfully, the popularity of cigar smoking means that there are a variety of resources available to help, from magazines to websites, whether you are looking to purchase a gift, or simply pretend to be more knowledgeable when next in the company of a cigar smoker. Just remember - don't ask him if he would like a cigarette.
by: Jeff Lakie
Exercise And Quitting Smoking
When you plan to stop smoking, bring about other changes in your life style as well. Take a look at all those things that have become a kind of routine and break that routine. Try to do things differently and will make a lot of difference.
What we are trying to do as part of this exercise is that we are trying to create a new environment for you. It is not possible for you to shift to a new apartment so bring about a few changes in the way things are as part of your exercise to quit smoking. Let every thing have a new feel about it. If there was a favorite chair in which you used to sit when you smoked, change the upholstery of the chair or maybe you could stash away the chair into a corner.
Try to set a new routine. Try working out or going to the gym. If that is not possible, try waking up a little earlier and go for a short morning walk. If you can make that a run or a jog, it is going to be very stimulating and is going to be the best way to start your day.
Exercise does not necessarily mean pumping metal. If you do have the time to go to a gymnasium everyday, then that is well and good. But I suppose most of us do not have the time for a regular work out in a gym. So what is the other alternative? Do it at home of course.
But whether it is at home or at a multi-gym, there is something that I want to tell you. Regularity is the rule of the day. It is not getting started that is the difficult part, it is sticking to a regular exercise routine that is difficult and this is what proves to be the stumbling block for most people.
Most people have a wonderful start. In fact it is truly spectacular. They buy track suits and gym-wear, running shoes and a whole lot of other gear. Their first day at the gym is almost a celebration. Then as the days go on, they find it increasingly difficult to meet the domestic and professional demands and so their routine slows down and finally comes to a complete workout burn out.
One mistake that many people make is that they choose the evenings or a work out. If that can suit your lifestyle, then that’s fine. But for most of us, by the time the evening lifts up its curtains we are completely pooped. We find ourselves physically and mentally drained. And at that time our bodies will be just too tired for a work out. So it is best to set aside some time for exercise in the morning itself.
There are two advantages of setting apart time in the morning. The first advantage is that in the morning our bodies are fresh and full of energy. Now over here I want to make one point clear.
Many people believe that exercise depletes the body of energy but the case is just the opposite. Exercise pumps up more blood through the different parts of the body and warms up the body, so in fact, after exercise we feel more charged and ready to face the challenges of the day.
The second advantage is that in the morning we can plan for the whole day without letting the exercise routine affect the rest of our activities.
What about those of us who have never worked out before? In such cases you might need to start off under the personal supervision of an instructor and that may require that you go to a gym. But what I would suggest is that there are two simple things that any one can do for which you do not need the help of any instructor.
You know what these are? They are walking and swimming. Any body can walk and those of you who know how to swim can swim. For these two activities you do not need much gear and experts say that these two exercises have no side effects and are excellent stress busters.
So in the morning wake up just half an hour earlier, put on your walking shoes and hit the roads. Most roads will be less crowded at this hour and less polluted too. It is a wonderful way to start a day.
Take a break form coffee and try tea instead. If you are moving around the house, try playing music. Redecorate your room by adding a few pictures here and there preferably of scenery. And while you are redecorating, do what I mentioned earlier that is get rid of every thing that even remotely reminds you of smoking.
Plan your day in such a way that you have something enjoyable to do at the end of the day. It does not have t be something that involves money. We do not want you end up bankrupt. It can be something as simple as spending some time with the family playing a board game or something. Or it can be going out for a walk together.
But I would like to add that watching television just does not fit into this list. The reason is because T.V is not something that demands too much of our attention. We can easily do something else while we are watching TV and what can be easier than taking a smoke while our eyes are glued to the T.V. While you are working on breaking the habit of smoking, you need to move about with people. You need the company of people who can take your mind off that craving and TV doesn’t help you do that.
Make a list of those things that build up your stress. Try to steer clear of them. If that is not possible try to find out some stress busters and use them. Do not use stress as an excuse to start smoking. There are a hundred other methods of beating stress. As mentioned earlier, you could try breathing exercises, mediation or even music. There is another excellent way of beating stress and that is using the distressing ball. If you do not have one of those, try wriggling your fingers and toes. That too is a natural method of beating stress.
The point that we are trying to drive home over here is that you need a break from whatever you have been doing for this exercise of quitting to work. Since it is impossible to change your job or your home, you have to bring about as many changes as possible to get that whole new feeling.
by: Brenda Patterson
Say No To Smoking
Is there any adventure or fun in smoking? Absolutely not! Don’t be fooled by the fun packed advertisements of the cigarette making companies. There is no “taste”, no “fun” and no “adventure” in smoking cigarettes. These are just the slogans of the cigarette making companies which are multiplying their profits at the cost of the precious human lives.
The greedy multi-national multi-billion dollar cigarette manufacturers are killing people quietly without being noticed by anyone. According to the WHO report, every 6.5 seconds a person in the world dies prematurely due to cancer, heart attack, respiratory or some other kind of tobacco related diseases. No doubt, the tobacco is the fourth most common risk factor for diseases worldwide.
If you are a smoker then think seriously for a moment and decide whether you are mentally OK. I very much doubt because you are spending money on the purchase of an item which is not only risking your life by unintentionally inviting numerous diseases to attack your body but also risking the lives of other people who are forced to inhale second hand smoke, which is more dangerous than smoking. If you smoke inside your house then you also risk the life of your spouse and children. Is it a wise decision to keep on smoking?
Say no to smoking, if you want to live a normal healthy life free from diseases. Why not take a bold decision NOW and quit smoking immediately! Are you prepared to do so?
Tobacco use is going to kill nearly 10 million people each year, mostly in their productive middle ages. It is estimated that 75% of these deaths will occur in the developing countries mainly due to the high number of smokers and lack of medical facilities available there.
Due to lack of knowledge and education, the number of smokers in the developing countries and poor households is increasing at an alarming rate. The warning written on the cigarette packets is mostly ignored by the illiterate smokers. It is sad that the average amount spent by poor households on tobacco is nearly the same as the amount spent on education. A recent study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has proved that the more people are educated, the less they smoke.
Your health is your best asset. Protect your life from painful tobacco related diseases. Live a healthy and happy life and just say no to smoking.
by: Hifzur Rehman
Family Matters
Smoking is not just bad for women; it's bad for their families and future families as well. Smoking can cause infertility in women. If a woman becomes pregnant, smoking increases her risk of miscarriages, stillbirths and premature births. Mothers who smoke during pregnancy are also more likely to have babies with asthma, sleeping disorders and chronic ear infections than non-smoking mothers. The menstrual cycle phase has an effect on both mood and tobacco withdrawal symptoms for women trying to quit smoking -- a finding that clearly suggests that women could improve their success rate simply by starting their quit attempt during certain days of their cycle.
Other Smoking influenced Diseases in Women
While lung cancer might be the most lethal disease caused by smoking, it's not the only one.
Smoking doubles the risk of having a heart attack, and increases the risk of dying from a heart attack within the first hour. This is an especially serious problem for women since women are more likely to die after a first heart attack than men.
Women who use birth control pills; and smoke are at especially high risk of having a heart attack.
Smoking also increases the risk of other cancers, including breast, uterine cancer, bladder and oral cancer. Smoking also increases a woman's risk of low bone density and osteoporosis.
Smoking also increases the risk of other cancers, including breast, uterine cancer, bladder and oral cancer. Smoking also increases a woman's risk of low bone density and osteoporosis.
Lung Cancer
By 1987, lung cancer had outdone breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Today, more women die each year from lung cancer than breast cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancers combined. In fact, lung cancer among women is now considered a scourge, killing almost 75,000 in the US last year. Women appear to be more vulnerable to lung cancer than men, and they tend to get it at younger ages.
Symptoms of Lung Cancer
· Shortness of breath
· Fever with an unknown cause
· Hoarseness
· Chest pain
· Wheezing
· Coughing up blood
· Chronic cough
· Weight loss & loss of appetite
· Repeated bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia
Timing(women)
Choose a time in the month when you know you are at your peak physically, emotionally and mentally and not when you are about to enter your cycle.
Quitting smoking just after your menstrual cycle and when you are feeling good and on the up can be great timing.
We are all different whether men or women and ultimately knowing yourself, what makes you tick and when the best time is here for you to stop smoking, is the biggest asset to your success.
We are all different whether men or women and ultimately knowing yourself, what makes you tick and when the best time is here for you to stop smoking, is the biggest asset to your success.
Weight Fears
If you worry that you may put on weight when you stop smoking, make a plan to deal with this possibility before it happens such as :
1) Increase the exercise you currently undertake such asa) If you go to the gym, do a few more repetitions or push yourself a bit harderb) Introduce a form or exercise that is fun and social such as line dancing, salsa dancing or even a social game of badminton, table tennis etcc) Instead of riding up escalators, get into the habit of walking up themd) Instead of taking the lift, walk up those flights of stairs
2) Reduce the amount you eat. Cut out something like an unnecessary snack. May be that biscuit with a cup of coffee
3) Substitute healthier foods for fattening ones. Instead of that bag of crisps have an apple or better still a citrus fruit such as an orange
4) Introduce more water into your daily lifestyle even if it is just a couple of glasses of water a day. A glass of water that is taken 10 minutes before a meal will take the edge of your appetite.
The risk of oral cancer in adolescents?
Approximately 75% of all oral cancers are associated with tobacco use or alcohol consumption.
In fact, about 3 per cent of male and 2 per cent of female cancer sufferers have oral cancer.
The death rate from oral cancer is also high. Only about 50 percent of people who get oral cancer survive for five years or more, in part because the disease often is not discovered until it is more advanced, according to a study carried in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.
Who is at risk?
It’s believed that the adolescents are at the maximum risk. Over the last 10 years the number of kids under 18 who become daily smokers increased by 70 per cent. Roughly 3,000 kids become regular smokers every day. Worse, almost 1/3 of them will die from a tobacco-related illness (Dental Health Foundation, http://www.dentalhealth.ie/whatsnew/index.tmpl?_eqRIDdatarq=20040224175004) The susceptibility to smoking starts around age 10 years and peaks by age 14 years in close to 60 per cent of the population. And once thy have experimented, approximately half continue to smoke and become addicted to the nicotine content in cigarettes. An adolescent, who thinks that the health problems of smoking can be alleviated, provided he or she can stop smoking before the age of 35, appears to be at much greater risk of experimentation. Furthermore, older the habit and more the number of cigarettes smoked in a day, harder is it to quit.
Stop Smoking - Without Weight Gain
By Barbara Mascio
OH: Stand outside during a smoke break and it won’t be long until you hear every smoker begin to declare that he or she knows quitting is inevitable. The increasing cost of cigarettes alone has made a financial impact on the smoker.
“I quit, then I gained 20 pounds. I can’t afford to gain weight with my medical history, so I started smoking again,” Leslie B. from Canton Ohio revealed during the smoke break outside the local hospital where she works as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Leslie is an intelligent person and she’s aware that smoking is indeed far more of a risk to her health than the doctor’s order to keep her weight off, however, right now today, the harm of smoking is not as physically apparent as the harm in her weight gain.
The habit and addiction of smoking is undeniable. One of the all-encompassing hurdles to overcome is the need for hand to mouth pacification. Many smoking cessation programs encourage smokers to replace that need to pick up a smoke with eating candy, carrots, celery – anything that would appease the urge to pick up ‘something’ and put it in your mouth.
This advice, though logical on the surface, is not good advice for the person with the challenge of weight control. Let’s face it, anything you can put in your mouth, must be edible (with the exception of course of cigarettes, which is not an edible product) and could lead to weight gain.
Most smoking cessation programs and products do very little to ‘settle the nerves.’ When a person is trying to quit smoking and at the same time, trying to refrain from overeating – the nervousness, the jitters, the crabbiness, will drive a person to either eat or smoke.Tony Latina, owner of Advanced Laser Solutions, located in Garfield Heights Ohio now offers the same low-level laser therapy for those that want to loose or control their weight. Tony said, “The same principles apply, we use the painless low-level laser treatments and target the points in the body to increase endorphins. This allows a person to remain calm and removes cravings.
Using Water to Help Quit Smoking
By Jim Huffman
Stopping smoking is not easy. Ask anyone who has quit. And the problem is that once you’ve quit, you’re not over it! The craving continues: some folks who have been quit for 15 years say they would still like to have one.
But since you’re reading this section, I’m guessing you know all of this. Because if you didn’t smoke, you would have probably skipped over it. And you’re thinking, “I know it’s hard to quit -- just give me something that will help me quit!”
The good news is that water will also help you get over some of the tough cravings ... especially the first few days and weeks after you’ve quit.
The longer you’ve been smoking, the more your body has become accustomed to nicotine, which is a powerful drug. Part of the difficulty with stopping smoking is that the body is still craving it. But the flip side to quitting is that you’re body is getting rid of some powerful toxins. That’s the cause of the headaches a lot of folks have in the days and weeks after they’ve quit.
Water -- lots and lots of water -- helps the body to get rid of those poisons, and allows your tissues and organs to regenerate themselves. When you’re quitting smoking, it’s not unreasonable to think that you might want to double your water intake. That’s right -- if you’re normally going to be drinking 20 glasses a day, drink 40 instead.
Now 40 glasses is a lot of water, and you may find it difficult to drink that much. That’s OK, but it wouldn’t hurt to aim that high. Just keep drinking a lot, and allow your body to get healthy again. Use those cigarette cravings as an opportunity to have another glass of water. If you slip, and have a cigarette, don’t beat yourself up. Just immediately drink 5 or 6 glasses of water to flush out the new toxins, and get right back into your new habit of not smoking.
And whatever you do, don’t give up! You’re too valuable to lose to tobacco!
Jim Huffman, RN specializes in natural and alternative healing therapies. His first book is 'Dare to Be Free: How to Get Control of Your Time, Your Life, and Your Nursing Career,' and is aimed at helping other nurses find satisfying, dynamic careers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Huffman
Stopping smoking is not easy. Ask anyone who has quit. And the problem is that once you’ve quit, you’re not over it! The craving continues: some folks who have been quit for 15 years say they would still like to have one.
But since you’re reading this section, I’m guessing you know all of this. Because if you didn’t smoke, you would have probably skipped over it. And you’re thinking, “I know it’s hard to quit -- just give me something that will help me quit!”
The good news is that water will also help you get over some of the tough cravings ... especially the first few days and weeks after you’ve quit.
The longer you’ve been smoking, the more your body has become accustomed to nicotine, which is a powerful drug. Part of the difficulty with stopping smoking is that the body is still craving it. But the flip side to quitting is that you’re body is getting rid of some powerful toxins. That’s the cause of the headaches a lot of folks have in the days and weeks after they’ve quit.
Water -- lots and lots of water -- helps the body to get rid of those poisons, and allows your tissues and organs to regenerate themselves. When you’re quitting smoking, it’s not unreasonable to think that you might want to double your water intake. That’s right -- if you’re normally going to be drinking 20 glasses a day, drink 40 instead.
Now 40 glasses is a lot of water, and you may find it difficult to drink that much. That’s OK, but it wouldn’t hurt to aim that high. Just keep drinking a lot, and allow your body to get healthy again. Use those cigarette cravings as an opportunity to have another glass of water. If you slip, and have a cigarette, don’t beat yourself up. Just immediately drink 5 or 6 glasses of water to flush out the new toxins, and get right back into your new habit of not smoking.
And whatever you do, don’t give up! You’re too valuable to lose to tobacco!
Jim Huffman, RN specializes in natural and alternative healing therapies. His first book is 'Dare to Be Free: How to Get Control of Your Time, Your Life, and Your Nursing Career,' and is aimed at helping other nurses find satisfying, dynamic careers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Huffman
Why do young people smoke?
There are a number of complex and inter-relating factors that predispose young people to smoke, and these vary among individuals and among populations. However, years of research have identified certain factors that commonly play a role in smoking initiation. These include high levels of social acceptability for tobacco products, exposure and vulnerability to tobacco marketing efforts, availability and ease of access, role modeling by parents and other adults, and peer group use. A study in the United States found that among teens who smoke, 85 per cent chose the three most heavily advertised brands of cigarettes, compared to only 35 per cent of adults. Data suggest that children are more responsive than adults to the messages and images contained in tobacco advertisements. Past studies have also shown that influence by their peers is likely the biggest motivator leading to adolescent’s experimentation with smoking. Girls in fact are more susceptible to such influences, a trend that carries over to high school according to past findings.
Early warning signs
- Sticky tar deposits or brown staining on the teeth. Heavy smokers will have almost brown teeth.
- 'Smoker's palate' - red inflammation on the roof of the mouth
- Delayed healing of the gums
- Increased severity of gum disease
- Bad breath or halitosis
- Black hairy tongue
- Oral lesions
- Gum recession - with chewing tobacco at the site of the tobacco "wad", the gums react by receding along the tooth root, exposing the root
- Oral cancer
Saturday, September 29, 2007
New Stop Smoking Pill No More Effective Than Other Aids
by:Patsy Hamilton
The newest “stop smoking pill” is Varenicline, sold under the brand name Chantix in the US and Champix in Europe and Canada. This stop smoking medication was approved by the FDA in August 2006 and was approved for sale in Europe shortly thereafter.
The normal FDA review period of 10 months was shortened to six months for Chantix, allowing the drug to be placed on the market more quickly. According to the FDA’s press release, the new stop smoking pill received a “priority review” because of its “significant potential benefit to public health”.
The fact is that Chantix, although it is considered a “unique” compound, derives chemically from cytisine, which has been used as a “stop smoking medication” for over 40 years in Eastern Europe. Cytisine is a toxic compound that acts very similar to nicotine.
After analyzing accumulated data involving thousands of smokers, researchers at the University of Geneva concluded that “Cytisine may be effective for smoking cessation.” Coincidentally, the Geneva review was released in August of 2006.
Advertising for this “new” stop smoking pill claims that Chantix is more effective than Zyban, the name given to the anti-depressant Welbutrin, when it is prescribed as a stop smoking medication. The fact is that Chantix was only slightly more effective than Zyban in only two of the five independent studies that were completed and patients in the study also received daily counseling.
Over the years, several different anti-depressants have been prescribed as a stop smoking medication. Nicotine replacement therapy, gums, patches, lozenges and nasal spray are commonly used. The gums and patches are sold over the counter in the United States. Overall, studies have shown that about 80% of all smokers will return to smoking within the first year, regardless of the therapy they chose to use.
In April 2007, Pfizer research and development published a study concluding that people could safely take the new stop smoking pill for 52 weeks or one year. The FDA has only approved Chantix for 12 weeks of use, followed by an additional 12 weeks if the person has stopped smoking.
The knowledge that most people return to smoking in the first year may have prompted the Pfizer study, but the results do not indicate that the new stop smoking medication is any more effective than other drugs, including nicotine replacement. Only 53.8% of the smokers completed the study. Of those who did, only 36.7% had not returned to smoking.
In other words, of the 251 smokers who began the study, only 49 completed the study and were still not smoking after one year. Those numbers indicate that Chantix is only effective 19% of the time. Placebo (inactive substances) when combined with a support program is effective 14% of the time. In fact, in a new study published in June 2007, researchers concluded that counseling is just as effective as any stop smoking medication currently on the market.
The researchers went on to say that counseling is the “sole approach without any adverse effects”. Negative side effects of the new stop smoking pill are similar to those of nicotine replacement, including nausea, headache, vomiting, insomnia and abnormal dreams, with the added side effect of altering one’s sense of taste.
More Restricted Rules for Smoking Area
Smoking is restricted or banned in almost all public places and cigarette companies are no longer allowed to advertise on TV, radio, and in many magazines. Today we're more aware about how bad smoking is for our health. The only thing that really helps a person avoid the problems associated with smoking is staying smoke free. Currently more than 90% of Marriott guest rooms are already non-smoking and smoking is prohibited in many public spaces due to local laws. But, as we all know that smoking is like a slow poison and the only work of smoking is to destroy the person, who is having it with such a pleasure.
Health
Today we're more aware about how bad smoking is for our health. Over the long term, smoking leads people to develop health problems like cancer, emphysema (breakdown of lung tissue), organ damage, and heart disease. Smoking can also cause fertility problems and can impact sexual health in both men and women. The consequences of smoking may seem very far off, but long-term health problems are not the only hazard of smoking. Because smoking restricts blood vessels, it can prevent oxygen and nutrients from getting to the skin — which is why smokers often appear pale and unhealthy. And people with certain health conditions, like asthma, become more sick if they smoke (and often if they're just around people who smoke).
Public
Currently more than 90 percent of Marriott guest rooms are already non-smoking and smoking is prohibited in many public spaces due to local laws. By the end of 2008, all enclosed public places and workplaces will be smoke free. These changes will go a long way toward protecting members of the public from passive smoking; by giving them the option of choosing to drink in a pub that has chosen not to allow smoking. It appears that there are only two options left; either accept the opinions of pro-smoking organizations such as the Freedom Organization for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco (FOREST) that passive smoking is not harmful and that smokers have a right to smoke wherever they choose or; ban smoking in all enclosed public places to protect workers from ETS.
In conclusion, smoking is an avoidable cause of death. To be twenty-four hours without smoking is to suffer worse tortures than the lost. So I am not discouraging safe smoking because it is true that millions are going to smoke, but you could at least throw a little relevant information into your package to inform the people whom you are letting know indirectly that smoking is not dangerous. To quit smoking is not an easy task for the smoker. One major obstacle on your way to quit smoking is the making smoking as part of your daily routine.
By Sunantha Yancharoen
Stop Smoking Now If You Want To Live Longer - Stop Smoking
Tobacco Is Addictive
In the US, tobacco became so popular that it was used as currency, when bartering for goods. Because of its popularity, the early settlers created fire-curing and charcoal-curing, as a way to extend tobacco's shelf life when the product was being shipped across the seas. Television addicts are a relatively new breed, especially since television itself has only been around for about 50 years, nowhere near as long as alcohol, tobacco and drugs.
Tobacco is a little different because the substance itself is addictive. In 1990, 50 percent of the mortality (over 1-million deaths annually) in the United States from the 10 leading causes of death was linked to addictive behaviors such as tobacco use, poor dietary habits and activity, alcohol misuse, illicit drug use, and risky sexual practices.
Smoking Is Addictive
I started smoking when I was a sophomore in college, one cigarette a night so I could sleep. After three months of smoking one cigarette a day I was hooked. It is at this point that the act of smoking becomes addictive, not because of the smoke itself, but because of the substance in it called nicotine. But, during the middle of the 20th century, health officials started to be concerned about how cigarette smoking was affecting the publics' health. In 1964, the US Surgeon General issued a report stating that there was relationship between smoking cigarettes and lung cancer.
There is no need to go into the harm that this kind of smoking does to the body common sense tells you that smoking is bad for you.
By Richard Davis Waterhouse
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
(hate-smoking)Your Last Resort - Stop Smoking Pill
By Rory Herts
As we always see on cigarette packs, "Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health." This is a notice that is commonly disregarded by smokers. Without even reading this notice, they just tear open the cigarette pack, grab a stick, and light it as if they don’t want to see the glaring truth in front of it. Unfortunately, the warning stated on this package is very true. Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of death. As a matter of fact, 440,000 people in the United States die each year because of illnesses caused by this bad habit.
Fortunately, a lot of people have become aware of what smoking can do to their health and have made attempts to quit. Unfortunately, because of a substance called nicotine that is found in cigarettes, many people find it difficult to resist their cravings for the “high” that this substance can give. The good news is that there are now aids for smokers who want to quit. They can try chewing a nicotine gum or putting on a nicotine patch. These are two of the types of nicotine replacement therapy wherein the craving for the pleasurable feelings is quenched by the content of these gums and patches, taking away the need for a stick of cigarette. But, since this method is not always effective, a new option has been added: the stop smoking pill.
A New Use for an Anti-depressant
Zyban is a stop smoking pill that causes a sustained release of bupropion hydrochloride, the same substance found in the anti-depressant, Wellbutrin SR. This stop smoking pill boosts the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the body, giving the user the same pleasurable feeling that is induced by the nicotine found in tobacco. These pills should be taken a week before a smoker starts to quit smoking in order to combat the withdrawal symptoms that usually haunt quitters.
Although Zyban is more effective than other anti-depressants in this aspect, it has some side effects that doctors should warn their patients about before prescribing this solution. It has been proven to cause depression in users and can increase suicidal tendencies.
The New Stop Smoking Pill
Another stop smoking pill was approved by the FDA last May. Varenicline was proven to help more than one out of five smokers to stop smoking after using it for a year. This pill works by inhibiting the feelings of pleasure that smokers feel when they light up a cigarette. This stops them from associating the wonderful feeling with a stick of cigarette that they usually crave for when they are under stress, cutting off their dependency to it.
Now available under the name of Chantix, this drug should be taken twice a day for a minimum of twelve weeks in order to stop a person from lighting up a cigarette. A side effect of this stop smoking pill is said to be nausea and vomiting.
Because of the side effects that can be caused by these two stop smoking pills, they are usually considered as a last resort for people who would like to quit smoking. And for those who plan to use Zyban to quit smoking, perhaps it should be coupled with exercise in order to decrease the dependency on that medication. Exercise, after all, can hasten the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine in the body, giving a person the same high feeling that these pills can provide.
(hate-smoking) Take The Easy Way Out With A Stop Smoking ShotBy
Rory Herts
Cigarette smoking can lead to a lot of unlikable effects like tooth decay, stained teeth, gum problems, and premature aging. Other more severe effects of this bad habit are emphysema, cancer, and even death. As a matter of fact, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. Furthermore, the number of deaths associated with smoking is above 440,000 in the United States alone. For this reason, a lot of smokers have decided to save their health and kick the habit.
Unfortunately, because cigarettes are very addictive, most of the attempts to quit have not been successful. For people who have been smoking for a very long time, withdrawal syndromes are very difficult to fight and they end up returning to the habit they have been trying to avoid.
Stop Smoking Aids
It’s a good thing that there are now aids for people who want to quit, like the nicotine replacement therapy which involves chewing a nicotine gum or putting on a nicotine patch. Nicotine is the substance that makes cigarettes addictive. People crave for it because of the burst of energy and pleasurable feelings that are induced by the substance when it enters the bloodstream.
The nicotine replacement therapy stops a person from smoking by providing him with the dose of nicotine he needs to get through the day. Although this therapy is very effective in reducing withdrawal symptoms, it is not recommended to be the only method for quitting cigarette smoking because people tend to become dependent on it. Fortunately, with the new innovations of medical technology, we now have other aids, such as stop smoking shots and pills that can wean people from their nicotine addiction.
Stop Smoking Shots or Pill?
The stop smoking shot can make it easier for smokers to kick the habit. In order to stop a person from looking for the desired effects of nicotine, this stop smoking shot prevents the nicotine from entering the brain where it usually works as a stimulant. By not being able to feel the pleasurable effects that they associate with smoking a cigarette, these people lose the need to ingest nicotine.
Although the stop smoking pill can also wean smokers from the bad habit without the use of nicotine, it is not as successful as the stop smoking shot. The first stop smoking pill is actually an anti-depressant that takes the place of nicotine by increasing the levels of dopamine and norephinephrine in the body. The most recent type of stop smoking pill works just like the stop smoking shot because it inhibits the effects of nicotine in the bloodstream. Unfortunately, it has to be taken for weeks before it becomes effective.
The stop smoking shot, on the other hand, can stop a person from smoking with just one dose. For these reasons, stop smoking shots have a 70-80% success rate which is twice more than those of pills. The only drawback is that these shots can be a bit expensive. But then, you have to ask yourself this question: Can you put a price on good health?
Cigarette smoking can lead to a lot of unlikable effects like tooth decay, stained teeth, gum problems, and premature aging. Other more severe effects of this bad habit are emphysema, cancer, and even death. As a matter of fact, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. Furthermore, the number of deaths associated with smoking is above 440,000 in the United States alone. For this reason, a lot of smokers have decided to save their health and kick the habit.
Unfortunately, because cigarettes are very addictive, most of the attempts to quit have not been successful. For people who have been smoking for a very long time, withdrawal syndromes are very difficult to fight and they end up returning to the habit they have been trying to avoid.
Stop Smoking Aids
It’s a good thing that there are now aids for people who want to quit, like the nicotine replacement therapy which involves chewing a nicotine gum or putting on a nicotine patch. Nicotine is the substance that makes cigarettes addictive. People crave for it because of the burst of energy and pleasurable feelings that are induced by the substance when it enters the bloodstream.
The nicotine replacement therapy stops a person from smoking by providing him with the dose of nicotine he needs to get through the day. Although this therapy is very effective in reducing withdrawal symptoms, it is not recommended to be the only method for quitting cigarette smoking because people tend to become dependent on it. Fortunately, with the new innovations of medical technology, we now have other aids, such as stop smoking shots and pills that can wean people from their nicotine addiction.
Stop Smoking Shots or Pill?
The stop smoking shot can make it easier for smokers to kick the habit. In order to stop a person from looking for the desired effects of nicotine, this stop smoking shot prevents the nicotine from entering the brain where it usually works as a stimulant. By not being able to feel the pleasurable effects that they associate with smoking a cigarette, these people lose the need to ingest nicotine.
Although the stop smoking pill can also wean smokers from the bad habit without the use of nicotine, it is not as successful as the stop smoking shot. The first stop smoking pill is actually an anti-depressant that takes the place of nicotine by increasing the levels of dopamine and norephinephrine in the body. The most recent type of stop smoking pill works just like the stop smoking shot because it inhibits the effects of nicotine in the bloodstream. Unfortunately, it has to be taken for weeks before it becomes effective.
The stop smoking shot, on the other hand, can stop a person from smoking with just one dose. For these reasons, stop smoking shots have a 70-80% success rate which is twice more than those of pills. The only drawback is that these shots can be a bit expensive. But then, you have to ask yourself this question: Can you put a price on good health?
(hate-smoking)Cigarettes - Why It Is Hard To Quit?
By Sunantha Yancharoen
Stop smoking is a topic that has to be read clearly to be understood. Therefore, the best way to quit smoking is the way that suits you. One of the things that make this the best way to quit smoking is that we carry with us for life the knowledge of how difficult victory can be combined with the knowledge that we can overcome that level of difficulty. Making the decision to quit smoking is not easy and it is even harder to put it into practice. Your decision to quit smoking is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family.
Stop smoking is a topic that has to be read clearly to be understood. Therefore, the best way to quit smoking is the way that suits you. One of the things that make this the best way to quit smoking is that we carry with us for life the knowledge of how difficult victory can be combined with the knowledge that we can overcome that level of difficulty. Making the decision to quit smoking is not easy and it is even harder to put it into practice. Your decision to quit smoking is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family.
Health
Health Risks Associated with Smoking is the largest cause of preventable illness and premature death. So, how important is your health to you. Have much success with your quit smoking program, it may become stressful at times, but stay strong and know that your health is worth it. You know that smoking is bad for your health, yet at the same time you also know how hard it is to quit smoking. Here is what you will find inside: Why People Smoke, Why it is hard to quit,
Health Risks Associated with Smoking is the largest cause of preventable illness and premature death. So, how important is your health to you. Have much success with your quit smoking program, it may become stressful at times, but stay strong and know that your health is worth it. You know that smoking is bad for your health, yet at the same time you also know how hard it is to quit smoking. Here is what you will find inside: Why People Smoke, Why it is hard to quit,
Habit
It only takes a short period of time to break the chemical dependency to nicotine, it's the habit that is hard, or when you are stressed or happy or other triggers that make you want to smoke. So, only smokers with great willpower manage to beat the Nicotine habit without any kind of help. Overcoming this behavioral dependence connected with the physical act of smoking is an important part of quitting the "Habit". We all know that the "habit" of smoking cigarettes is associated with a whole series of rituals that cannot be easily abandoned overnight, which makes getting help with the willpower to quit smoking cigarettes even more important. Fear of long term consequences, and of deeply distressful later life are as important as reasons to quit smoking, as the immediate threats you encounter with the tobacco habit. Who is to stop you if you determine that your wellness and life are worth throwing away for the pleasures that a habit imparts.
It only takes a short period of time to break the chemical dependency to nicotine, it's the habit that is hard, or when you are stressed or happy or other triggers that make you want to smoke. So, only smokers with great willpower manage to beat the Nicotine habit without any kind of help. Overcoming this behavioral dependence connected with the physical act of smoking is an important part of quitting the "Habit". We all know that the "habit" of smoking cigarettes is associated with a whole series of rituals that cannot be easily abandoned overnight, which makes getting help with the willpower to quit smoking cigarettes even more important. Fear of long term consequences, and of deeply distressful later life are as important as reasons to quit smoking, as the immediate threats you encounter with the tobacco habit. Who is to stop you if you determine that your wellness and life are worth throwing away for the pleasures that a habit imparts.
Addiction
Addictions lead you to become psychologically dependent which makes you afraid of stopping smoking. After all the times of saying you will quit and you cannot, it’s because the addictions remains. When searching for a quit smoking program, you will want to look at the pros and cons and warnings associated with each program, do they use medication, meditation or what is the primary methodology to guide you to break your addiction. If you answered yes, then you and only you need to get a handle on your addiction. Have a great attitude, and confidence in yourself that you can quit this horrible addiction and you will do it. The threats to your well-being and financial worth are proportionate to the amount of nicotine and tar which enters your system, but you are never free from the threat of severe addiction, if even traces of nicotine can find their ways in to your system. The risks, which you endure as a result of your addiction, are finally your business. Smoking is an addiction that keeps smokers chained to their cravings and prevents them from living smoke free lives. The smoking addiction is not one that is very easy to kick. One of the main reasons so many smokers fail to quit smoking, is because they believe that they are addicted to nicotine, and therefore they only try and address this addiction.
In conclusion, quit smoking is a thought uppermost in the minds of most smokers, though it is a task easier said than done. Quit smoking is not only a dream. However, the most important factor when you are trying to quit smoking is will power. The main fact which you will need to remember is that starting to quit smoking is just the beginning.
Addictions lead you to become psychologically dependent which makes you afraid of stopping smoking. After all the times of saying you will quit and you cannot, it’s because the addictions remains. When searching for a quit smoking program, you will want to look at the pros and cons and warnings associated with each program, do they use medication, meditation or what is the primary methodology to guide you to break your addiction. If you answered yes, then you and only you need to get a handle on your addiction. Have a great attitude, and confidence in yourself that you can quit this horrible addiction and you will do it. The threats to your well-being and financial worth are proportionate to the amount of nicotine and tar which enters your system, but you are never free from the threat of severe addiction, if even traces of nicotine can find their ways in to your system. The risks, which you endure as a result of your addiction, are finally your business. Smoking is an addiction that keeps smokers chained to their cravings and prevents them from living smoke free lives. The smoking addiction is not one that is very easy to kick. One of the main reasons so many smokers fail to quit smoking, is because they believe that they are addicted to nicotine, and therefore they only try and address this addiction.
In conclusion, quit smoking is a thought uppermost in the minds of most smokers, though it is a task easier said than done. Quit smoking is not only a dream. However, the most important factor when you are trying to quit smoking is will power. The main fact which you will need to remember is that starting to quit smoking is just the beginning.
Is Smoking Adversely Affecting Your Skin?
by: Kamau Austin
While it is well known that smoking is generally harmful to your overall health, some people still consider the habit cool or sexy. This is certainly the image cigarette companies project to their target customers. But could smokers actually be making themselves look less attractive and desirable? Today let's look at how smoking affects the attractiveness of your largest organ—the skin. You build the cable of a habit one thread at a time. Every day you make choices that lead to habits. It can be hard to break the cycle of those choices. What starts as a pastime stays on to take its toll on your health.
While it is well known that smoking is generally harmful to your overall health, some people still consider the habit cool or sexy. This is certainly the image cigarette companies project to their target customers. But could smokers actually be making themselves look less attractive and desirable? Today let's look at how smoking affects the attractiveness of your largest organ—the skin. You build the cable of a habit one thread at a time. Every day you make choices that lead to habits. It can be hard to break the cycle of those choices. What starts as a pastime stays on to take its toll on your health.
Can you justify smoking? Smokers justify their habit with the following reasons:
* Smoking gives them pleasure
* Smoking relieves their depression and makes them feel lighter
* People in their social circle smoke Most people began as occasional, light smokers. They may have failed to realize that one day, they would become dependant on this "occasional" habit. The situation is beginning to change. People have begun to think twice before lighting up. This awareness certainly comes from the proven health hazards of smoking. How smoking affects your skin You need to be aware of the affects of smoking on your skin and overall looks. This is what smoking does to your skin. The beauty and youthful look of your skin is largely determined by adequate moisture and oxygen content. Smoking denies an adequate supply of oxygen to your skin and dehydrates it.
* While you are enjoying puffs from your cigarette, you are inviting trouble into your system. Your lungs are the first victims. In just one puff, more than a trillion free radicals are created in your lungs. These free radicals, in turn, induce an inflammatory reaction that gets circulated throughout the whole body.
* Smoking causes the same appearance in your skin as sun damage. The nicotine present in cigarettes is the cause of this effect. It makes you look much older than you are.
* Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 toxins that enter your bloodstream directly and effect your skin's appearance. The top layers of the skin constrict; this reduces your blood's oxygen content and substitutes it with carbon monoxide. With less oxygen in the blood, toxins and other wastes remain in your system, aging it prematurely. Generally, smoking causes your skin to look pale and grey. In addition, the collagen level of your skin is greatly reduced when you smoke, making your skin more wrinkled and less youthful looking.
* Smoking causes heavy damages to a woman's system by creating an imbalance in her hormone levels and dramatically altering her body shape. This is caused by a disturbance in the endocrinal glands. A research report says that if a woman smokes a pack per day for 40 years, it can accelerate her aging by 7.4 years. To emphasize the ill effects of smoking on your skin, the term "smoker's face" was added to the medical dictionary. This condition is caused when the skin in your face shows the lines and wrinkles—which make you look older—all due to smoking! The smoker's features are thin and gaunt. There are clear signs of premature aging, induced by poor blood circulation. Evidences show that a smoker's skin is more than 40% thinner than a non-smoker. When you smoke, you are introducing stimulants into your system that affect your blood vessels. It has also been suggested that smoking causes certain types of skin cancer. Further research is being undertaken to study the cosmetic effects that smoking has on your skin. For example, smoking dries your skin, especially in the areas affected by the nicotine smoke. Nicotine is also a diuretic and can reduce vitamin A in your body. If you smoke, I hope I have given you food for thought. By all means, try to stop. Smoking not only ages you through general health deterioration but probably makes you look less attractive. Your family and loved ones need you. So, I caution you to stop right now. Once you begin to seek treatment to stop, there are also skin solutions that can help you get back to a more vibrant and beautiful you. There is a product we hear that can help you restore your skin to a more youthful glow. To take extra good care of your skin suffering from the sun-like damage associated with smoking consider using a topical cream like Lumnaderm(tm). This product can offer significant help to those concerned about the appearance of skin which may have been damaged by the sun, free radicals, or other skin problems. Lumnaderm(tm) is available from fine online stores like Amazon and the BODeStore.com (http://www.bodestore.com).
How to Finally Quit Smoking
by: Chris Chenoweth
More than four hundred and forty thousand people die in the United States each year from smoking. Smoking is directly responsible for causing lung cancer, heart disease, strokes, and pregnancy complications, not to mention contributing to overall poorer health. So why do so many people still smoke? Because trying to quit is one of the most difficult things to do. However, you CAN do it with a little help and determination. If you smoke and have tried to quit, you know how difficult and painful it can be. Many people actually try a number of times before they are successful. What makes it so difficult is the fact that nicotine is an incredibly addictive drug, on the same level as cocaine or heroin. Switching to low-tar and/or low-nicotine cigarettes is a tactic that many people try, thinking that it will be less harmful. However, because nicotine is so addicting, switching will only make you puff harder and more often on each cigarette. Your only choice for your body’s health is to quit completely. In spite of the many risks associated with smoking, some smokers, particularly women, believe there are also risks associated with quitting. These perceived risks, gaining weight, increased stress, and damaging relationships with friends who do smoke, can reduce a smoker’s motivation to quit resulting in a lower chance of success. What can help motivate a smoker to quit? Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you will ever do.
More than four hundred and forty thousand people die in the United States each year from smoking. Smoking is directly responsible for causing lung cancer, heart disease, strokes, and pregnancy complications, not to mention contributing to overall poorer health. So why do so many people still smoke? Because trying to quit is one of the most difficult things to do. However, you CAN do it with a little help and determination. If you smoke and have tried to quit, you know how difficult and painful it can be. Many people actually try a number of times before they are successful. What makes it so difficult is the fact that nicotine is an incredibly addictive drug, on the same level as cocaine or heroin. Switching to low-tar and/or low-nicotine cigarettes is a tactic that many people try, thinking that it will be less harmful. However, because nicotine is so addicting, switching will only make you puff harder and more often on each cigarette. Your only choice for your body’s health is to quit completely. In spite of the many risks associated with smoking, some smokers, particularly women, believe there are also risks associated with quitting. These perceived risks, gaining weight, increased stress, and damaging relationships with friends who do smoke, can reduce a smoker’s motivation to quit resulting in a lower chance of success. What can help motivate a smoker to quit? Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you will ever do.
Consider the following: REASONS FOR QUITTING
*First and foremost, you will live longer and you will live a healthier life.
*Your risk for developing heart disease, cancer, lung disease, stroke and other health conditions will diminish significantly.
*Your family will no longer be subjected to breathing in your smoke. Secondhand smoke kills!
*If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, stopping smoking will improve your baby’s chances of being healthy.
*You will be amazed at how much better you will feel and how much better you will be able to taste and smell.
*You will save money. (The price of cigarettes today means you will save a lot of money!) WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE READY When you are ready to quit, follow the steps below. They will increase your chances of success and help you kick the habit for good.
*Set a quit date and stick to it. Period.
*Change your environment.
You MUST do this to succeed.
1. Get rid of every ashtray you have, in your home, your car, your office, everywhere.
2. Do not allow anyone to smoke in your home, ever.
3. If you associate any particular item or event with smoking, such as having a cup of coffee, eliminate those things for a period of at least a couple of months.
*Change your behaviors.
1. When you have the urge to smoke, participate in activities that will distract you like going for a long, leisurely walk with a friend or family member, clean house, play with your kids, call a support person to talk you through the tough time.
2. Change your routine. Drink hot tea instead of coffee, instead of eating in front of the TV, eat at the kitchen table with your family.
3. Try some soothing stress reducers like taking a long hot bath, starting an exercise regimen, or reading a good book.
4. Plan something different or enjoyable every day, whether it is a solitary activity or something to do with family or friends.
*If you have made previous attempts to quit and failed, analyze those attempts and try to deduce why they did not work.
*You will have a better chance of success, if you enlist the support of others.
1. Tell everyone you know, your family, friends, and co-workers that you are going to quit and ask for their support.
2. Ask them not to smoke around you and not to leave cigarettes laying around.
3. Find out what kind of support programs your local hospital or health care center offer.
4. There are medications that can double your chances of success. Ask your doctor for advice. *Drink lots of water to help flush the toxins out of your body. Drinking a lot of water will also help fill you up so you will not be so inclined to overeat.
*Once you quit, DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER PUFF, EVER! Keep yourself away from as much temptation as possible. BE PREPARED FOR DIFFICULTIES Many people have relapses within the first couple of months after quitting and many people try to quit several times before they are successful at it. Do not be discouraged and give up if this happens. Set a new date and start over but DO NOT GIVE UP!
Below are situations that may challenge you:
*DO NOT BE AROUND OTHER SMOKERS unless you have to. Being around other people who are smoking when you are trying to quit can be an agonizing experience.
*DO NOT GET DEPRESSED. There are many ways to uplift your spirits. Count your blessings, congratulate yourself for quitting, and find something to do that you enjoy.
*AVOID DRINKING ALCOHOL. It can lower your chance of success.
*DO NOT WORRY ABOUT WEIGHT GAIN. The most common concern for many people who are considering giving up smoking is weight gain. Do not ever use this as an excuse. While most people usually gain around 10 pounds after they quit smoking, there is no reason you have to. Follow a healthy eating plan and get 20 minutes of physical activity every day. Follow the tips above.
You CAN quit smoking!
(hate-smoking)Quit Smoking: Are You Sure You Want To Quit Smoking?
by: Sig Kabai
You know you really want to stop smoking. You are also aware that you have one excuse after another. You might think that you have too much going on at work to stop smoking right now. Or you might rationalize that you’ll keep looking for the perfect cure for you to stop smoking. Maybe you’ve tried to quit smoking several times, and you always failed. Whatever your excuse is, the fact remains that you are still smoking. You must quit this deadly habit. Do it for yourself. You deserve the health benefits of quitting. You deserve the financial gain from not spending money on cigarettes. You deserve to be able to go to a party and smell like cologne or perfume rather than an ashtray. The health benefits of quitting smoking are plentiful. As a result of more and more evidence to support the benefits of quitting, people are beginning to change their lives. They are quitting in large numbers. Smoking tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars is a habit that many people are letting go. If you are a smoker, maybe you are considering quitting smoking. Did you also know that if you quit smoking, these health benefits of quitting for your body would begin to happen almost immediately?
• 20 minutes after you quit smoking your blood pressure and pulse return to normal.
• 8 hours after you stop smoking, the nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in your blood are reduced by fifty percent. Oxygen levels in your body return to normal after you stop smoking.
• 24 hours after you quit smoking, your body rids itself of carbon monoxide. The lungs begin to clear out mucus and smoking debris after you quit smoking.
• 48 hours after you stop smoking, you will not have any nicotine in your body. Your sense of taste and smell will be much stronger after you stop smoking.
• 72 hours after you quit smoking, you will be able to breathe much easier. Your bronchial tubes will start to relax. Your energy level will increase after you have quit smoking for only 72 hours.
• 2 to 12 weeks after you stop smoking, the circulation in your body increases.
• 3 to 9 months after you quit smoking, any breathing problems, coughs, and wheezing will improve. Your lung capacity will be increased by 10% in 3 to 9 months after you stop smoking.
• 5 years after you stop smoking, your risk of a heart attack is going to be half the risk of a smoker’s.
• 10 years after you quit smoking, your risk of a heart attack will be the same as someone who never smoked.
Your risk of lung cancer is going to be half of that of a smoker’s. The health benefits of quitting smoking are very important as you can see here. When you stop smoking, you will change the course of your life. The health benefits of quitting smoking start immediately. However, it will take time for your body to heal all the way back to normal. The health benefits of quitting are immense. However, health is only one of the reasons to quit smoking. In fact, there are many other reasons to quit smoking such as the ability to taste food better, fewer sore throats and better looking skin and teeth. Before you look at the challenges and think that you cannot meet them, ask yourself if you are really willing to choose lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease over a little crankiness or the blues. You are not going to choose cancer over a little stress, are you? The health benefits of quitting are going to last you a lifetime. The challenges will ease up within a few weeks.
(hate-smoking)Pregnancy and Smoking and First Trimester Dangers
by: Shalene Chamings
Did you know that if women quit smoking when they were pregnant that infant deaths could be reduced by up to 10 percent? Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are not words that go together. The good news is that no can report that a woman who has smoked prior to her pregnancy is putting her baby at risk. However, smoking during pregnancy is very hazardous to an unborn baby. Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester have been linked to 100,000+ miscarriages and 5,500+ infant deaths per year. Smoking also puts an expectant mother at risk for complications such as vaginal bleeding, premature rupture of the membranes, early delivery and more. Evidence is showing that a pregnant mother who smokes may have a baby who has a low birth weight. Low birth weight and being born too small is a major cause of infant illness and perinatal death. If you are pregnant and a smoker you should know that the best time to quit is during the first trimester. Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are not words that go together. Here are some tips that will help you get started on breaking the smoking habit. Find out what motivates you to smoke. Is it the stimulation? Maybe you do it to relax? Do you use smoking as a way to relieve tension and stress? Maybe you smoke simply out of habit? Are you even aware of when you light up a cigarette or do you find yourself smoking out of habit? If you are able to find out what motivates you to smoke you can find a substitute to replace the smoking. Find something that will motivate you to quit smoking. This is very easy for a pregnant woman. Your motivation is to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Find a method that will help you to quit smoking. Talk with your OB/GYN and find a way that you can quit together. Many expectant mothers chose to quit smoking cold turkey. Others wean themselves off of cigarettes during the first trimester simply because smoking makes them feel ill. If you like smoking because it keeps your hands busy, try to do something else with your hands. You can suck on a lollipop, play with a pencil, knit, play a musical instrument, paint your fingernails and more. If you smoke for the oral gratification, find something to replace it. This can include chewing on gum, veggies, popcorn, or simply placing a toothpick in your mouth. If you smoke because it stimulates you, why not walk instead? Walking can give you an energy boost and help clear your head when you are feeling tired. If you simply smoke because it is a habit, try to develop a new habit to take its place. Every time you feel like smoking you can go brush your teeth or go to a certain area in your home to relax and listen to music. If you smoke in certain situations or when you eat or drink certain foods, avoid those situations, foods and drinks for a while. Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are simply words that do not fit together. Not only do they sound strange on paper, but they are dangerous words to put together in life. Remember, if you can get past the first few days of withdrawal they will be worth it. Not only will your baby be healthier, but you will be healthier.
Did you know that if women quit smoking when they were pregnant that infant deaths could be reduced by up to 10 percent? Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are not words that go together. The good news is that no can report that a woman who has smoked prior to her pregnancy is putting her baby at risk. However, smoking during pregnancy is very hazardous to an unborn baby. Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester have been linked to 100,000+ miscarriages and 5,500+ infant deaths per year. Smoking also puts an expectant mother at risk for complications such as vaginal bleeding, premature rupture of the membranes, early delivery and more. Evidence is showing that a pregnant mother who smokes may have a baby who has a low birth weight. Low birth weight and being born too small is a major cause of infant illness and perinatal death. If you are pregnant and a smoker you should know that the best time to quit is during the first trimester. Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are not words that go together. Here are some tips that will help you get started on breaking the smoking habit. Find out what motivates you to smoke. Is it the stimulation? Maybe you do it to relax? Do you use smoking as a way to relieve tension and stress? Maybe you smoke simply out of habit? Are you even aware of when you light up a cigarette or do you find yourself smoking out of habit? If you are able to find out what motivates you to smoke you can find a substitute to replace the smoking. Find something that will motivate you to quit smoking. This is very easy for a pregnant woman. Your motivation is to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Find a method that will help you to quit smoking. Talk with your OB/GYN and find a way that you can quit together. Many expectant mothers chose to quit smoking cold turkey. Others wean themselves off of cigarettes during the first trimester simply because smoking makes them feel ill. If you like smoking because it keeps your hands busy, try to do something else with your hands. You can suck on a lollipop, play with a pencil, knit, play a musical instrument, paint your fingernails and more. If you smoke for the oral gratification, find something to replace it. This can include chewing on gum, veggies, popcorn, or simply placing a toothpick in your mouth. If you smoke because it stimulates you, why not walk instead? Walking can give you an energy boost and help clear your head when you are feeling tired. If you simply smoke because it is a habit, try to develop a new habit to take its place. Every time you feel like smoking you can go brush your teeth or go to a certain area in your home to relax and listen to music. If you smoke in certain situations or when you eat or drink certain foods, avoid those situations, foods and drinks for a while. Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are simply words that do not fit together. Not only do they sound strange on paper, but they are dangerous words to put together in life. Remember, if you can get past the first few days of withdrawal they will be worth it. Not only will your baby be healthier, but you will be healthier.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Tips For Smoking Cessation
Smoking is becoming less socially acceptable and more people are turning to different smoking cessation techniques to help them give up the evil weed. This has become an extremely hot topic because of the number of countries that have passed legislation that makes smoking in public places an offense. However, there are still millions of people around the world who still smoke, so what smoking cessation measures are available that can help them succeed in quitting the habit for good? There are a huge number of them, but what might work for one person, may not work for another. If you are a smoker, then it is often a matter of trial and error to find out which is the most effective smoking cessation method for you.
Will power is central to the success of any smoking cessation method. You have to actually want to give up smoking. If you are not determined enough then you are likely to start smoking again. Set yourself a date where you are going to be giving up smoking and stick to it. Throw away all of your ashtrays, lighters and any other smoking paraphernalia. Some people find that will power alone is enough to help them quit smoking and they never pick up another cigarette, or cigar, again. A lot of people, no matter what their reasons are for giving up, find that they need another smoking cessation aid to ensure that they quit. The best part is, it’s free!
Nicotine replacement gum has become extremely popular as a smoking cessation product. As its name suggests, it is chewing gum that contains a low level of nicotine. You simply chew this a couple of times, when you have the urge to light up, and the nicotine released will help you to cope with your cravings. The gum is available in packs with different strengths of nicotine, enabling you to step-down over time, until you finally can do without the gum completely. Other nicotine replacement therapies include lozenges and patches. These are all available without prescription and prices range from around $4, to $6 per day.
Hypnotherapy is a smoking cessation technique that many people find extremely effective. You become convinced that you do not need to smoke and learn affirmations to tell yourself how much better off you are without smoking. This is a very personalized treatment, and the hypnotherapist creates a program specifically designed around you, and your reasons for wanting to smoke. Prices vary depending on how many sessions you need and where you live.
Many other complimentary therapies are available that can help you to give up smoking. For example, acupuncture is often advertised as being a smoking cessation aid. The small needles are placed in specific points over your body. All, but one are taken out at the end of a session. This needle is normally close to the ear. When you feel a craving start, you simply tweak the needle and the craving should lessen. Again, costs can vary.
If you use a smoking cessation aid, you need to be aware of any potential side effects. The majorities of these are very minor, and do not last for very long. However, there are always other options available. Seek the advice of a health professional.
By Jon Arnold
There is Easy Way To Stop Smoking - Be Brave
always an easy way to stop smoking. The question is how. Changing your mindset is the simplest thing to do to quit smoking. But often, simple things in life seem the toughest.
Years of smoking make your brain believe that smoking is an integral part of you. You become emotionally attached with cigarettes and the question is to severe the emotional links. Smoking habit is a psychologically addictive habit rather than a nicotine habit and the easiest way to quit it, is to shake up those beliefs associated with smoking.
Smokers never claim that their habit is a healthy one. They would say that smoking helps them to relax. Start with listing all the positives smoking brings to your life and then detach your self and question them. You would see those positives are nothing but illusions.
Every New Year people make resolutions to quit smoking but finally they fail. So you need something to assist you to make your resolution come true and find an easy way to stop smoking.
There are various aids, some of which are available in the market to help you to quit smoking:
- Nicotine patches, nasal sprays, gums, lozenges, inhalers are some of the stuffs to help you to reduce your nicotine craving.- Natural cures to give up smoking are calamas and chamomile. Chew the root of the first one to reduce your desire of smoking and take the second one 3 to 6 times a day to help yourself relax.- Hypnotherapy is one of the best ways to quit smoking. It is 60% to 70% successful to help you put off your bad habit. Hypnotherapy reaches your sub conscious to cleanse your mind from the cravings of nicotine. According to an analysis in 1992 by New Scientist Magazine, proved that hypnosis is 60% successful in helping people to quit smoke. Usually a single session may prove helpful or you may get a stop smoking CD to carry on with the session according to your time.- Acupuncture, aromatherapy, meditation and complete relaxation practices are other ways to put off the bad habit.- Sheer determination and will power are very important to quit smoking.- Counseling is a great support to boost your will power. Many private, governmental and charitable organizations provide stop smoking counseling.- Proper medication can also help you to quit smoking according to doctor's recommendation.
You just have to opt the best and an easy way to stop smoking. In the beginning you may feel anxious, irritable and craving for nicotine but in the long run a healthy and strong life awaits you.
By Roy Dobson
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_Dobson
Do You Find Smoking Enjoyable?
From my own experience I discovered that I hate smoking. I hate the way it makes me feel, I hate what it is doing to my body, I hate the fact that I feel guilty for doing it, I hate that I need to plan my daily tasks around my next cigarette, and I really hate that I failed so many times to quit smoking.
Quitting smoking for me was much more than a desire it was a curse. I struggled time and time again to give up the addiction that was slowly draining me of life. I wanted to quit smoking so badly I thought there was nothing that could keep me from doing it. Each time I quit I found myself at the local gas station buying a pack of cigarettes merely to quiet the nicotine withdrawals I was encountering. Day after day I would do this. I would smoke what I had then I would quit again only to go through the whole process again.
The continued failure to quit smoking began to wear me down to the point I thought the only way I was going to be able to quit was to get bad news from my doctor that I had cancer. The thought of not being able to see my baby girl grow up depressed me even more. I wanted to quit smoking so badly, if not for me for her. So why was I having such a difficult time quitting?
Then finally after several attempts to quit I was actually able to make it through one day, then two, and so on. I was so excited and shocked that I was able to quit smoking. I guess the moral of the story is to not let go of your desire to quit smoking. If you get knocked off your horse get right back on and try it again. By being persistent I was able to quit smoking and rid myself of the addiction that was controlling my life.
Jason D is an ex-smoker and publisher of a Quitting Smoking website.
Visit for information on the Health Effects of Smoking.Quitting smoking for me was much more than a desire it was a curse. I struggled time and time again to give up the addiction that was slowly draining me of life. I wanted to quit smoking so badly I thought there was nothing that could keep me from doing it. Each time I quit I found myself at the local gas station buying a pack of cigarettes merely to quiet the nicotine withdrawals I was encountering. Day after day I would do this. I would smoke what I had then I would quit again only to go through the whole process again.
The continued failure to quit smoking began to wear me down to the point I thought the only way I was going to be able to quit was to get bad news from my doctor that I had cancer. The thought of not being able to see my baby girl grow up depressed me even more. I wanted to quit smoking so badly, if not for me for her. So why was I having such a difficult time quitting?
Then finally after several attempts to quit I was actually able to make it through one day, then two, and so on. I was so excited and shocked that I was able to quit smoking. I guess the moral of the story is to not let go of your desire to quit smoking. If you get knocked off your horse get right back on and try it again. By being persistent I was able to quit smoking and rid myself of the addiction that was controlling my life.
Jason D is an ex-smoker and publisher of a Quitting Smoking website.
By Jason D
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_D
To Smoke or Not
Can we be forgiven for being a bit cynical about the news that the pharmaceuticals have produced a drug to beat the smoking habit, just in time it would appear, for the nationwide smoking ban to come into force in the UK.
Apparently the new pill Champix, also known as CHX 1.0 or varenicline, has to be taken twice daily and will be available on the NHS by prescription only.
Nicotine has been described by some doctors as being as addictive as heroin. I would beg to differ. Heroin is a narcotic, requiring larger and larger intakes to achieve the same result and very quickly becomes a necessity to be able to function at all. Nicotine by itself is not that addictive. However it does have a certain psychological and physiological addictiveness conspiring to make it a difficult habit to throw.
Physiologically, once nicotine reaches the brain it stimulates particular nerve cells to give a greater awareness and faster reaction times. It can also prevent the degradation of dopamine and actually release more to give you that feelgood high. As if that wasn’t enough, nicotine increases the levels of endorphins which reduce pain, thus inducing euphoria and the extra glutamate availability can improve the memory.
In sharp contrast, Bupropion, also known as Zyban, the previous prescription drug for helping smokers quit, had a long list of side effects such as insomnia, headaches, dry mouth and seizures. Interestingly the seizures had not come to light during the trials of the drug.
The new drug Champix, we are assured is quite safe and has been tested in clinical trials. Nevertheless Pfizer, the producers of Champix have admitted to some side effects such as nausea, insomnia, headaches and hallucinatory dreams. This admission does not bode well for consumers of this latest pill since we know from past human tragedies, clinical trials undertaken on behalf of pharmaceuticals have a habit, some would call it an addiction, of emphasizing the positive and discounting or covering up the most unfavourable aspects.
Smoking of course, is not healthy and is becoming more socially unacceptable by the day in most parts of the western world. But if I was a smoker the choice between a slow death by poisonous pills or a slow death by cigarettes would not be a difficult one to call.
There is a much easier way to give up smoking, or any other unwanted habit for that matter, by using modern hypnosis techniques or any of the excellent subliminal products available to us all on the market today.
In fact the human mind can be optimized in almost any area. The only criteria is that you must want to achieve your goal whether it’s quitting smoking, losing weight or healing your body. Anything is possible. Start by taking control of your own life.
By Elga Mackie
Do You Know Why You Are Addicted to Cigarettes
Cigarette smoking is just about the most disgusting habit there is. Yet surprisingly people who do smoke can not quit. If you smoke do you know why you are addicted to cigarettes? In this article we will look at the transformation of a social smoker into a full time cigarette addict.
At first you become addicted to cigarettes because of the fast action of nicotine on the pleasure centers of your brain. When you puff on a cigarette the nicotine in your lungs enters your blood stream and within 15 to 20 seconds begins to work on your brain.
Once in your brain nicotine binds to receptors that are intended for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. These neurotransmitters affect your mood and behavior.
The neurotransmitter dopamine affects the reward center that causes feelings of pleasure and enjoyment. Serotonin helps moderate your mood and controls your appetite. GABA produces a calming effect that reduces anxiety.
Smoking is a means of artificially spiking the acetylcholine system resulting in feelings of pleasure, calmness, and a moderation of your mood.
As an occasional you may begin to use cigarettes as a means of coping with life's daily stresses. You switch from social smoking to daily smoking. Once you begin smoking several cigarettes a day, nicotine is constantly stimulating your brain, 24 hours a day. You are psychologically addicted to the positive effects of nicotine.
Your brain adapts to the frequent presence of nicotine. Your brain physically changes by increasing the nicotine receptor concentration. This requires more nicotine for your brain to function properly. That is, your brain now becomes dependent on nicotine for normal functions. This adaptation produces tolerance for nicotine.
When your brain is unable to get the required amount of nicotine, you experience withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms include restlessness and irritability. You may have trouble sleeping or in getting along with family and friends. You often appear anxious one day and listless the next.
As an addicted cigarette smoker you often go for your first dose of nicotine as soon as possible in the morning. Many smokers take their first puffs within 5 minutes of awakening.
Throughout the day you need nicotine doses every couple of hours. You will use your one break at work to smoke. You will go outside and stand in the snow to smoke. You may get up in the night to have a puff when you go to the bathroom.
You are now a cigarette addict and destined for a life of health problems not to mention the outlandish cost of a carton of cigarettes. If you are already a cigarette addict you face a tough road ahead to quitting. If you are a social smoker quit while you still can.
by Jeff Schuman
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Schuman
At first you become addicted to cigarettes because of the fast action of nicotine on the pleasure centers of your brain. When you puff on a cigarette the nicotine in your lungs enters your blood stream and within 15 to 20 seconds begins to work on your brain.
Once in your brain nicotine binds to receptors that are intended for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. These neurotransmitters affect your mood and behavior.
The neurotransmitter dopamine affects the reward center that causes feelings of pleasure and enjoyment. Serotonin helps moderate your mood and controls your appetite. GABA produces a calming effect that reduces anxiety.
Smoking is a means of artificially spiking the acetylcholine system resulting in feelings of pleasure, calmness, and a moderation of your mood.
As an occasional you may begin to use cigarettes as a means of coping with life's daily stresses. You switch from social smoking to daily smoking. Once you begin smoking several cigarettes a day, nicotine is constantly stimulating your brain, 24 hours a day. You are psychologically addicted to the positive effects of nicotine.
Your brain adapts to the frequent presence of nicotine. Your brain physically changes by increasing the nicotine receptor concentration. This requires more nicotine for your brain to function properly. That is, your brain now becomes dependent on nicotine for normal functions. This adaptation produces tolerance for nicotine.
When your brain is unable to get the required amount of nicotine, you experience withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms include restlessness and irritability. You may have trouble sleeping or in getting along with family and friends. You often appear anxious one day and listless the next.
As an addicted cigarette smoker you often go for your first dose of nicotine as soon as possible in the morning. Many smokers take their first puffs within 5 minutes of awakening.
Throughout the day you need nicotine doses every couple of hours. You will use your one break at work to smoke. You will go outside and stand in the snow to smoke. You may get up in the night to have a puff when you go to the bathroom.
You are now a cigarette addict and destined for a life of health problems not to mention the outlandish cost of a carton of cigarettes. If you are already a cigarette addict you face a tough road ahead to quitting. If you are a social smoker quit while you still can.
by Jeff Schuman
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Schuman
Quit Smoking - You Can Do It!
Just because smoking is hard to quit and that you had been continuously failing in your attempt to quit doesn’t mean that quitting is impossible. Though there are many people who relapse there are also a number of people who bid adieu to cigarette for good. Its not a lost case even if you fail for uncountable times, there are many in your league. There would hardly be a smoker who could quit in his first attempt. Therefore, don’t lose heart just believe in yourself, YOU CAN DO IT!
It is an undeniable fact that it is not easy to quit smoking. Nicotine is one of the most difficult addictions to let go. The withdrawal symptoms and the craving are one of the most difficult phases to pass through. It is because of this that many quitters relapse. Due to the want of Nicotine the body undergoes a stage of depression, uneasiness, lethargy, dizziness, restlessness etc, and knowing that just by smoking the body will be feeling good again we often fail to stand firm in our resolution.
Nicotine gets into the brain and activates the neurotransmitter dopamine which gives a rewarding feeling, so, when we smoke we feel good and in no time we get addicted and our body wants to get that feeling again and again. When the level of nicotine is low we begin to feel the craving, the want to have that feel good factor once again overwhelm us. So, we end up lighting again after every short interval.
There are various methods which help many smokers to successfully quit smoking. Medical as well as non- medical treatments are available. The non-medical treatments are an aid on to the medical treatments mostly to enhance an effective way to really quit smoking. The medical treatments are in the form of Nicotine replacement therapy and pills.
Nicotine replacement therapy comes in the form of lozenges, gums, inhaler, patches and nasal spray. They are approved by the FDA as a treatment for anti-smoking. As the name suggest they are used as a replacement to the harmful Nicotine.
In the pills there is the bupropion popularly sold under the trade name Zyban by GlaxoSmithKline. It actually was an anti-depressant and due to its side effect of causing seizure it was pulled down from the market. In 1997 it was approved by the FDA as a treatment for anti-smoking.
Varenicline which is sold under the brand name Chantix is the latest and one of the most effective pills for smoking cessation treatments. It is marketed by Pfizer Inc. and was approved by the FDA on May 2006 as a treatment for smoking addiction in adults. It is effective for the treatment of addiction of cigarette as well as all kinds of tobacco products. In a short time it has gained ample recognition as a popular treatment for quit smoking and is known to bring in successful results. It is not a replacement containing nicotine nor is it addictive. It makes the craving and nicotine withdrawal lighter and also diminishes the taste of cigarette. You can buy chantix online or order chantix from any nearby medical store.
Changing your life style, habit, eating healthy and engaging in meditation, prayers and becoming more religious are really helpful in smoking cessation. They uplift and refresh the mind. When you are feeling weak and hopeless and are on the verge of going back to your old habit, prayer and meditation and also seeking the advice and guidance of your pastors or religious leader will calm you down.
Selecting the most suitable treatment, start a new quit program. However, it should not be forgotten that consulting physician is a must for whichever treatment or medicine you are to take. Buying online or in a physical store you still need prescription from physician for the right dosage as these medicines usually come with side effects. Your doctor will know the best treatment for you after seeing your history.
Not forgetting that you can do it, do try again as the proverb goes, try, try again, till you succeed.By Sandy Tonsing
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Tonsing
It is an undeniable fact that it is not easy to quit smoking. Nicotine is one of the most difficult addictions to let go. The withdrawal symptoms and the craving are one of the most difficult phases to pass through. It is because of this that many quitters relapse. Due to the want of Nicotine the body undergoes a stage of depression, uneasiness, lethargy, dizziness, restlessness etc, and knowing that just by smoking the body will be feeling good again we often fail to stand firm in our resolution.
Nicotine gets into the brain and activates the neurotransmitter dopamine which gives a rewarding feeling, so, when we smoke we feel good and in no time we get addicted and our body wants to get that feeling again and again. When the level of nicotine is low we begin to feel the craving, the want to have that feel good factor once again overwhelm us. So, we end up lighting again after every short interval.
There are various methods which help many smokers to successfully quit smoking. Medical as well as non- medical treatments are available. The non-medical treatments are an aid on to the medical treatments mostly to enhance an effective way to really quit smoking. The medical treatments are in the form of Nicotine replacement therapy and pills.
Nicotine replacement therapy comes in the form of lozenges, gums, inhaler, patches and nasal spray. They are approved by the FDA as a treatment for anti-smoking. As the name suggest they are used as a replacement to the harmful Nicotine.
In the pills there is the bupropion popularly sold under the trade name Zyban by GlaxoSmithKline. It actually was an anti-depressant and due to its side effect of causing seizure it was pulled down from the market. In 1997 it was approved by the FDA as a treatment for anti-smoking.
Varenicline which is sold under the brand name Chantix is the latest and one of the most effective pills for smoking cessation treatments. It is marketed by Pfizer Inc. and was approved by the FDA on May 2006 as a treatment for smoking addiction in adults. It is effective for the treatment of addiction of cigarette as well as all kinds of tobacco products. In a short time it has gained ample recognition as a popular treatment for quit smoking and is known to bring in successful results. It is not a replacement containing nicotine nor is it addictive. It makes the craving and nicotine withdrawal lighter and also diminishes the taste of cigarette. You can buy chantix online or order chantix from any nearby medical store.
Changing your life style, habit, eating healthy and engaging in meditation, prayers and becoming more religious are really helpful in smoking cessation. They uplift and refresh the mind. When you are feeling weak and hopeless and are on the verge of going back to your old habit, prayer and meditation and also seeking the advice and guidance of your pastors or religious leader will calm you down.
Selecting the most suitable treatment, start a new quit program. However, it should not be forgotten that consulting physician is a must for whichever treatment or medicine you are to take. Buying online or in a physical store you still need prescription from physician for the right dosage as these medicines usually come with side effects. Your doctor will know the best treatment for you after seeing your history.
Not forgetting that you can do it, do try again as the proverb goes, try, try again, till you succeed.By Sandy Tonsing
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Tonsing
How to Finally Quit Smoking
by: Chris Chenoweth
More than four hundred and forty thousand people die in the United States each year from smoking. Smoking is directly responsible for causing lung cancer, heart disease, strokes, and pregnancy complications, not to mention contributing to overall poorer health. So why do so many people still smoke? Because trying to quit is one of the most difficult things to do. However, you CAN do it with a little help and determination. If you smoke and have tried to quit, you know how difficult and painful it can be. Many people actually try a number of times before they are successful. What makes it so difficult is the fact that nicotine is an incredibly addictive drug, on the same level as cocaine or heroin.
Switching to low-tar and/or low-nicotine cigarettes is a tactic that many people try, thinking that it will be less harmful. However, because nicotine is so addicting, switching will only make you puff harder and more often on each cigarette. Your only choice for your body’s health is to quit completely. In spite of the many risks associated with smoking, some smokers, particularly women, believe there are also risks associated with quitting. These perceived risks, gaining weight, increased stress, and damaging relationships with friends who do smoke, can reduce a smoker’s motivation to quit resulting in a lower chance of success.
What can help motivate a smoker to quit? Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you will ever do. Consider the following:
REASONS FOR QUITTING
*First and foremost, you will live longer and you will live a healthier life.
*Your risk for developing heart disease, cancer, lung disease, stroke and other health conditions will diminish significantly.
*Your family will no longer be subjected to breathing in your smoke. Secondhand smoke kills!
*If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, stopping smoking will improve your baby’s chances of being healthy.
More than four hundred and forty thousand people die in the United States each year from smoking. Smoking is directly responsible for causing lung cancer, heart disease, strokes, and pregnancy complications, not to mention contributing to overall poorer health. So why do so many people still smoke? Because trying to quit is one of the most difficult things to do. However, you CAN do it with a little help and determination. If you smoke and have tried to quit, you know how difficult and painful it can be. Many people actually try a number of times before they are successful. What makes it so difficult is the fact that nicotine is an incredibly addictive drug, on the same level as cocaine or heroin.
Switching to low-tar and/or low-nicotine cigarettes is a tactic that many people try, thinking that it will be less harmful. However, because nicotine is so addicting, switching will only make you puff harder and more often on each cigarette. Your only choice for your body’s health is to quit completely. In spite of the many risks associated with smoking, some smokers, particularly women, believe there are also risks associated with quitting. These perceived risks, gaining weight, increased stress, and damaging relationships with friends who do smoke, can reduce a smoker’s motivation to quit resulting in a lower chance of success.
What can help motivate a smoker to quit? Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you will ever do. Consider the following:
REASONS FOR QUITTING
*First and foremost, you will live longer and you will live a healthier life.
*Your risk for developing heart disease, cancer, lung disease, stroke and other health conditions will diminish significantly.
*Your family will no longer be subjected to breathing in your smoke. Secondhand smoke kills!
*If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, stopping smoking will improve your baby’s chances of being healthy.
*You will be amazed at how much better you will feel and how much better you will be able to taste and smell.
*You will save money. (The price of cigarettes today means you will save a lot of money!)
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE READY
When you are ready to quit, follow the steps below. They will increase your chances of success and help you kick the habit for good.
*Set a quit date and stick to it.
*Change your environment.
When you are ready to quit, follow the steps below. They will increase your chances of success and help you kick the habit for good.
*Set a quit date and stick to it.
*Change your environment.
You MUST do this to succeed.
1. Get rid of every ashtray you have, in your home, your car, your office, everywhere.
2. Do not allow anyone to smoke in your home, ever.
2. Do not allow anyone to smoke in your home, ever.
3. If you associate any particular item or event with smoking, such as having a cup of coffee, eliminate those things for a period of at least a couple of months.
*Change your behaviors.
1. When you have the urge to smoke, participate in activities that will distract you like going for a long, leisurely walk with a friend or family member, clean house, play with your kids, call a support person to talk you through the tough time.
*Change your behaviors.
1. When you have the urge to smoke, participate in activities that will distract you like going for a long, leisurely walk with a friend or family member, clean house, play with your kids, call a support person to talk you through the tough time.
2. Change your routine. Drink hot tea instead of coffee, instead of eating in front of the TV, eat at the kitchen table with your family.
3. Try some soothing stress reducers like taking a long hot bath, starting an exercise regimen, or reading a good book.
3. Try some soothing stress reducers like taking a long hot bath, starting an exercise regimen, or reading a good book.
4. Plan something different or enjoyable every day, whether it is a solitary activity or something to do with family or friends.
*If you have made previous attempts to quit and failed, analyze those attempts and try to deduce why they did not work.
*You will have a better chance of success, if you enlist the support of others.
1. Tell everyone you know, your family, friends, and co-workers that you are going to quit and ask for their support.
1. Tell everyone you know, your family, friends, and co-workers that you are going to quit and ask for their support.
2. Ask them not to smoke around you and not to leave cigarettes laying around.
3. Find out what kind of support programs your local hospital or health care center offer.
4. There are medications that can double your chances of success. Ask your doctor for advice.
*Drink lots of water to help flush the toxins out of your body. Drinking a lot of water will also help fill you up so you will not be so inclined to overeat.
*Once you quit, DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER PUFF, EVER! Keep yourself away from as much temptation as possible. BE PREPARED FOR DIFFICULTIES
Many people have relapses within the first couple of months after quitting and many people try to quit several times before they are successful at it. Do not be discouraged and give up if this happens. Set a new date and start over but DO NOT GIVE UP! Below are situations that may challenge you: *DO NOT BE AROUND OTHER SMOKERS unless you have to. Being around other people who are smoking when you are trying to quit can be an agonizing experience. *DO NOT GET DEPRESSED. There are many ways to uplift your spirits. Count your blessings, congratulate yourself for quitting, and find something to do that you enjoy. *AVOID DRINKING ALCOHOL. It can lower your chance of success. *DO NOT WORRY ABOUT WEIGHT GAIN. The most common concern for many people who are considering giving up smoking is weight gain. Do not ever use this as an excuse. While most people usually gain around 10 pounds after they quit smoking, there is no reason you have to. Follow a healthy eating plan and get 20 minutes of physical activity every day.
Follow the tips above. You CAN quit smoking!
3. Find out what kind of support programs your local hospital or health care center offer.
4. There are medications that can double your chances of success. Ask your doctor for advice.
*Drink lots of water to help flush the toxins out of your body. Drinking a lot of water will also help fill you up so you will not be so inclined to overeat.
*Once you quit, DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER PUFF, EVER! Keep yourself away from as much temptation as possible. BE PREPARED FOR DIFFICULTIES
Many people have relapses within the first couple of months after quitting and many people try to quit several times before they are successful at it. Do not be discouraged and give up if this happens. Set a new date and start over but DO NOT GIVE UP! Below are situations that may challenge you: *DO NOT BE AROUND OTHER SMOKERS unless you have to. Being around other people who are smoking when you are trying to quit can be an agonizing experience. *DO NOT GET DEPRESSED. There are many ways to uplift your spirits. Count your blessings, congratulate yourself for quitting, and find something to do that you enjoy. *AVOID DRINKING ALCOHOL. It can lower your chance of success. *DO NOT WORRY ABOUT WEIGHT GAIN. The most common concern for many people who are considering giving up smoking is weight gain. Do not ever use this as an excuse. While most people usually gain around 10 pounds after they quit smoking, there is no reason you have to. Follow a healthy eating plan and get 20 minutes of physical activity every day.
Follow the tips above. You CAN quit smoking!
There Are Many Quit Smoking Aids
By: Keith George
There are many, many ways to stop smoking. You can try nicotine patches, chewing gum and tablets, lozenges, inhalers and drugs like Zyban to finally quit smoking. Smoking is a habit of millions and people take it very casually. There are several reasons to why people start smoking and many do it as a step towards socializing.
There are many, many ways to stop smoking. You can try nicotine patches, chewing gum and tablets, lozenges, inhalers and drugs like Zyban to finally quit smoking. Smoking is a habit of millions and people take it very casually. There are several reasons to why people start smoking and many do it as a step towards socializing.
It is easy to dismiss smoking as a normal, difficult to avoid/control and even inescapable part of teenage life, but it does not mean that we should ignore it. To understand that quitting smoking is not a cinch, some people find it harder to achieve than others. Confronted, people often say things like "I wish I could quit" or "I wish I never started smoking" but these types of statements are weak minded. Obviously these were the same people who made the stupid mistake of starting to smoke in the first place.
The real problem people have with quitting smoking is that they are addicted to nicotine. There are studies showing that the producers have added more nicotine in the cigarettes during the last two decades than they did twenty years ago. In that way the smokers will get even more addicted to smoking.
It is often said that it is not your fault if you are a smoker as nicotine is a highly addictive substance. That statement is both right and wrong, you decided once to start smoking and you are responsible for your actions. Then one might say it is not your fault that you cannot quit smoking. The good news nowadays is that there are several very effective ways to quit smoking for good. Below is information of a few methods for quit smoking aids.
Acupuncture therapy has been used in many areas and it also works great to help stop smoking. This therapy also has good side effects of nicotine withdrawals like depression, cravings and anxiety. It does not involve drugs, nicotine patches or pills and can even be cost free. Laser treatments are one of the most modern and efficient way to deal with nicotine withdrawal from the body after giving up smoking. It can assistant during the first days after freeing nicotine addiction, sometimes it can be effective even from the first 30 minutes session. Quit smoking hypnosis is a very efficient method to help people quit smoking. Hypnosis can be performed with the assistanse of a doctor but it can also be taught so you can do it on your own. The method is usually a number of steps you shall take to get rid of the smoking habit. In some cases persons have quit after only one session of hypnosis, rare yes but it can happen. There are also methods that use electronic stimulation and this has been shown to drastically reduce the withdrawal associated with nicotine cessation. For some persons it can be easier to quit smoking if you get some prescribed medication from your doctor which is used to help people overcome their addiction to nicotine. Many also use one of the many consumer products on the market like the nicotine patch and nicotine gum to help stop smoking.
Article Source: http://www.victortunggal.com
Article Source: http://www.victortunggal.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
