You decided to stop smoking? Great its one of the best things you can do for your health.
But quitting isnt easy. Nicotine the addictive ingredient in tobacco is as addictive as heroin or cocaine, according to the American Cancer Society, and the average person attempts to quit six times before succeeding.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to set yourself up for success and kick the habit for good.
Set a date: Pick a day and time in the near future that you expect to be relatively stress-free so you can prepare to quit smoking.
Quitting when you have a big project due at work, or even when you have something happy on your calendar like a birthday party (if you tend to light up when you are drinking or socializing), can be more challenging.
Write down your reasons: Consider why you want to stop smoking and jot the reasons down. You can refer to them once you quit when you get a craving. A few universal good ones:
Get your friends and family on board: The more support you have, the more likely you are to quit smoking.
Ask your loved ones to help keep you distracted by taking walks or playing games, and bear with you if you become cranky or irritable as you experience nicotine withdrawal.
Tell any smokers not to smoke around you, or better yet, ask your smoking buddies to quit with you.
Identify your triggers: Youll be most tempted to smoke during the same times you do now. Knowing your habits and what situations may set off a craving will help you plan ahead for distractions.
For example, you may typically smoke while driving, drinking, or after dinner, or it may be that you reach for a cigarette when youre feeling stressed, lonely, or depressed.
Create healthy distractions to head off potential smoking triggers. If you smoke while you drive, keep a pack of gum on hand, or if you smoke after dinner, plan to take a walk or chat on the phone with a friend.
Anticipate cravings: Its expected that youll experience nicotine cravings as your body begins to go through withdrawal.
The good news is that cravings arent endless. They generally last for five minutes and no longer than 10.
When cravings strike, focus on something else: Drink a glass of water, review your list of reasons for quitting, take deep breaths, play with your cat or dog do whatever it takes until the craving subsides.
Distract yourself: Keep celery stalks, carrot sticks, nuts, or gum handy to give your mouth something to do when cravings occur.
And finding some way to occupy your hands knitting, woodworking, cooking, yoga, or yard work will help keep your mind off smoking.
Expect to feel a little off: Nicotine withdrawal can make you feel anxious, cranky, sad, and even make it hard for you to fall asleep.
It helps to know that all these feelings are a normal and temporary part of the process.
Throw out all your cigarettes: Yes, even that emergency one you stashed away.
If you dont have cigarettes on hand, it will make it that much easier to stay the course when a craving hits.
Reward yourself: With all the money youll save by not buying tobacco, you can buy new clothes, splurge on dinner, or start a new hobby. Some people keep their cigarette money in a jar, then reward themselves with a treat each week.
Talk to your doctor about cessation medications: If youre not sure you can go cold turkey, dont.
Speak with your doctor about over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications that can make quitting easier.
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Nicotine is a chemical in tobacco thats highly addictive as addictive as heroin or cocaine and is the main reason it can be so difficult for people to stop smoking.
Nicotine in tobacco plants functions as an insect repellent; bugs that might otherwise eat tobacco leaves are repelled by nicotines toxic properties. Nicotine-based insecticides were used by farmers for many years.
Nicotine is flavorless and is not a carcinogen. It provides the high smokers report getting from cigarettes, and it keeps them hooked with its addictive properties.
Each time you inhale cigarette smoke, nicotine goes deep into your lungs, where its rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream.
Then nicotine makes its way, along with carbon monoxide and other toxins, to every part of your body. It affects your heart and blood vessels, hormones, brain, metabolism, and more.
Inhaled nicotine reaches your brain faster than drugs that are administered through a vein intravenously.
Nicotine use affects your body in many ways. It:
The pleasant feelings, along with the physical and emotional dependency, are what makes smoking so addictive.
In addition, the more you smoke, your body will build a greater tolerance to nicotine, which means you will need to smoke more cigarettes to get the same high.
Youll start to experience the effects of nicotine withdrawal two to three hours after your last cigarette.
Those who smoke the longest and/or the most will notice withdrawal effects sooner and more intensely than lighter smokers. If youre quitting, withdrawal symptoms peak about two to three days after your last tobacco use. The most common symptoms are:
Though the list of withdrawal symptoms may sound daunting, and theyre certainly difficult to experience, the long-term health effects of quitting far outweigh any discomfort you may feel in the short term.
If you try to quit and dont succeed, dont be discouraged: Research shows that the more times you try to quit, the more likely you are to succeed, and that the average person tries about six times before succeeding.
If you find the withdrawal symptoms from nicotine are overwhelming, speak to your health care professional about nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).
These products, in the form of gums, patches, sprays, inhalers, or lozenges, supply nicotine without the other harmful chemicals in tobacco.
NRT takes away the physical withdrawal symptoms from smoking so you can focus on handling the emotional part of quitting.
Many studies have shown using NRT can nearly double your chances of quitting successfully.
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Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco that makes it physically difficult to quit smoking or stop using smokeless tobacco products.
The chemical is flavorless and is not the ingredient in tobacco products that causes cancer (that dubious distinction belongs to tar). Nicotine gives smokers the positive feelings associated with smoking and to hook you.
Nicotine is highly addictive, on par with cocaine and heroin.
Youll begin to feel the effects of nicotine withdrawal on a minor level two to three hours after your last cigarette.
Heavier smokers and long-term smokers will experience more intense withdrawal symptoms. When you quit smoking, withdrawal symptoms peak about two to three days after your last tobacco use.
The most common withdrawal symptoms are:
You may find it easier to quit by using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).
These products in the form of gums, patches, sprays, inhalers, or lozenges supply nicotine, but no tar or the other harmful ingredients found in cigarettes.
NRT products ease your physical withdrawal symptoms so you can focus on the emotional and habitual challenges of quitting smoking first. Seventy to 90 percent of tobacco users say nicotine withdrawal symptoms are the only reason they havent given up smoking.
There are five different forms of NRT approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Speak to your doctor about which one is right for you and best suits your lifestyle. You may combine different forms of NRT but you should refrain from smoking while using them.
Nicotine Patches: Patches supply a measured dose of nicotine through your skin. They are available in different strengths; the best one for you will depend on how heavy a smoker you are and your body size.
Patches are available without a prescription. To wean yourself off nicotine, youll switch to lower-dose patches over the course of about eight weeks. The FDA has approved using the patch for a total of three to five months.
Possible side effects of using the nicotine patch may include:
Nicotine Gum: Many people choose nicotine gum because it is fast-acting the nicotine is taken in through the mucous membranes of the mouth.
You can pop a piece of nicotine gum whenever a craving hits. Its available in two strengths and can be purchased without a prescription (over-the-counter, or OTC).
Youll want to cut back on the amount of gum you chew over the course of six to 12 weeks until you feel ready to quit. The maximum recommended length of use is six months.
If you have sensitive skin and are easily irritated by patches, you might prefer nicotine gum.
Possible side effects of nicotine gum may include:
Nicotine lozenges: Nicotine lozenges are available in two different strengths and are sold OTC.
As with other NRT products, youll want to wean yourself off them over the course of several weeks. Lozenges should be used for 12 weeks at the most.
Side effects of nicotine lozenge may include:
Nasal Sprays: Nasal spray delivers nicotine to the bloodstream quickly, easing withdrawal symptoms faster than other methods.
Nicotine nasal spray is available by prescription only. The FDA recommends that the spray be used for six months maximum.
The most common side effects last the first one to two weeks and may include:
Nicotine inhalers: A nicotine inhaler looks similar to a large cigarette with a mouthpiece, but its actually a thin plastic tube that contains a nicotine cartridge inside.
When you take a puff, the cartridge puts out a pure nicotine vapor that delivers most of the nicotine vapor to the mouth, where its absorbed into the bloodstream. Because it looks and acts like a cigarette, it can ease some of the habitual withdrawal symptoms as well.
Nicotine inhalers are recommended for no more than six months of use.
The most common side effects, which mostly occur when first using the inhaler, include:
Whatever NRT product you choose, always speak with your health care provider about any side effects you may be experiencing.
You should also let him or her know if you are having a hard time quitting smoking or your NRT product. Your doctor may be able to help suggest alternatives.
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Secondhand smoke also called SHS, passive, or involuntary smoking can increase your risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and other serious illnesses.
According to a 2014 Surgeon Generals report, about 2.5 million Americans have died from the effects of secondhand smoke over the past 50 years.
If youre a smoker, the health of a loved one could be a primary motivating factor in your decision to quit.
Cigarettes, pipes, and cigars emit two types of secondhand smoke: Sidestream smoke, which is the smoke from the lighted end, and mainstream smoke, the smoke exhaled by a smoker.
Of the two, sidestream smoke is the more dangerous; it contains higher concentrations of carcinogens, is more toxic, and has smaller particles that can penetrate deeper into your lungs than those in mainstream smoke.
Secondhand smoke has the same nicotine and harmful chemicals that smokers inhale into their lungs. It contains more than 7,000 chemical compounds, of which more than 250 are known to be harmful, and at least 69 are known to cause cancer.
In the United States, the costs of extra medical care, illness, and death caused by SHS top $5.6 billion per year, reported a 2010 Surgeon Generals report.
Each year, its responsible for an estimated 46,000 deaths from heart disease and about 3,400 lung cancer deaths in adults who dont smoke.
Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of secondhand smoke. Every year, it causes:
In addition, there is some evidence suggesting secondhand smoke might be linked to stroke, lymphoma, leukemia, and brain tumors in children, and cancers of the larynx (voice box), pharynx (throat), nasal sinuses, brain, bladder, rectum, stomach, and breast in adults.
Secondhand smoke is the most common:
At home: If youre a smoker, the next best thing to quitting that you can do for your family is to keep your home smoke-free. Spouses, children, and even pets are at risk from the danger of secondhand smoke.
If you live in an apartment building, know that smoke can travel through air ducts and walls, so try to opt for a smoke-free building if at all possible.
At work: Many cities and states have enacted smoke-free work policies, and with good reason: the Surgeon General has said that they are the only way to prevent SHS exposure at work.
In the car: Even if you smoke with the windows rolled down, you are putting your passengers at risk for exposure to secondhand smoke. In fact, some cities and states have laws that ban smoking in the car if you have passengers under a certain age or weight.
In public: More and more public spaces are banning smoking, from parks and restaurants to malls and public transportation.
To date, 28 states and the District of Columbia have passed comprehensive smoke-free laws, including banning smoking in restaurants. Whenever you have a choice, always support a smoke-free business over one that is not.
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Quitting cold turkey means giving up smoking all at once, without the aid of any nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products or drugs.
Many ex-smokers have successfully quit this way youre most likely to succeed if you smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes a day and take the following steps to prepare.
Because you wont have the aids of NRT, its particularly important that you are mentally ready.
Set a quit date: Pick a date two to four weeks in the future when you plan on quitting. Pick a quiet time of year when you have less on your calendar.
Stress can be a big trigger for smokers, making you reach for a cigarette, so dont try to quit around the time you have final exams, a big project due at work, or have other major stress-inducing events in your life.
Alternatively, if youre a social smoker, try to avoid a date around any festivities, like a wedding or class reunion.
Make a list of reasons for quitting: Maybe you want to improve your health, save money, always said you would quit before a big birthday, or all the above.
Write down the list and keep it in your wallet or store it on your cell phone. Then, when a craving hits down the line, you can refer back to it to help find the strength to stay strong.
Know your habits: Think about the times you are most likely to smoke: is it with your morning cup of coffee, after dinner, out with friends, and/or on your way home from work?
Those times when you habitually reach for a cigarette are likely to be when your cravings are the strongest. Plan ahead and brainstorm a few alternate activities or distractions.
For example, get your coffee at a non-smoking cafe, take a walk after dinner, go to see a movie instead of hitting the bar, or take public transportation or carpool to commute for a while. The more you shake up your regular habits the more you will distract yourself from the desire to smoke.
Anticipate cravings: Nicotine is a powerfully addictive drug, on par with cocaine and heroin, and cravings are going to come.
On the plus side, they generally last no more than five to 10 minutes tops. Do what you can to distract yourself until the cravings passes, checkout what your friends are up to on Facebook, chew a piece of gum, or play a round of Candy Crush.
Know that the signs of withdrawal are temporary: Quitting cold turkey means you will experience the symptoms of withdrawal more intensely than if you used NRT products.
Fortunately, most withdrawal symptoms peak two to three days after your last cigarette and subside gradually after that. The most common effects of nicotine withdrawal include:
Get your friends and family on board: Chances are, your close friends and family are thrilled that youre quitting smoking.
Ask them to help distract you from cravings by being available during your trigger moments for quick pep talks; plan activities in smoke-free places like the mall, movie theater and many restaurants, and to be understanding if you experience any irritability.
Join a support group: You may find it easier to quit if you can share your frustrations and success with people who are also in the process of quitting.
Check with your local hospital to see if they offer a program. Or call a national quit-smoking line, such as the American Cancer Society Quitline at 877-YES-QUIT. It offers support over the phone and can help outline different strategies for quitting.
Journal about the positive effects of quitting smoking: Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do to improve your overall health.
For starters, your lung function improves up to 30 percent in two weeks to three months. Now that youve quit, are you noticing that you can walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded or is your complexion starting to brighten? Jot it down.
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Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, let you smoke without the smoke. These battery-operated devices release a nicotine-laced mist sans the chemicals found in traditional cigarettes, and theyre gaining popularity.
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine determined that e-cigarettes are the most popular smoking alternative and quit-smoking products on the market. But are they safe?
Scientific evidence has yet to catch up to the hype. People who have used electronic cigarettes report they've helped them smoke less or even quit altogether by easing nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
And companies market the devices as a less expensive alternative to smoking a pack a day. Experts, on the other hand, offer mixed opinions.
Michael Siegel, MD, of the department of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health, is somewhat of a minority among anti-smoking experts, many of whom express concern about e-cigarettes.
Dr. Siegel has written that e-cigarettes, which do not contain tobacco, are much safer than regular cigarettes and notes that they are comparable in toxicity to current nicotine replacement therapy products, such as the nicotine patch.
He also argues that they may suppress cravings for cigarettes more successfully than nicotine-replacement products currently on the market because e-cigarettes include smoking-related stimuli.
Although more research is needed there is now sufficient evidence to conclude that these products are at least capable of suppressing the urge to smoke, Siegel and a co-author wrote in the Journal of Public Health Policy.
There is no evidence that e-cigarettes are a safe, healthy, and effective option for quitting smoking, says Ware Kuschner, MD, chief of the pulmonary section at the Department of Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and an associate professor of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
E-cigarettes are not regulated by the FDA, so we do not know the true health risks, Dr. Kuschner said.
Although studies on e-cigarettes are ongoing, the known risks are alarming. In an analysis of e-cigarette contents, the FDA found evidence of compounds used to manufacture antifreeze and other industrial products.
And a 2015 report in the New England Journal of Medicine found that e-cigarette vapor contains high levels of formaldehyde, which can cause cancer. At some e-cigarette settings, levels of formaldehyde were up to 15 times higher than what's found in tobacco cigarettes.
Proponents of e-cigarettes argue that although the research is in the early stages, these products dont contain as many dangerous chemicals as cigarettes do. They add that electronic cigarettes prevent users from experiencing the negative health impact of inhaling tobacco cigarette smoke.
The actual contents of the vapor of e-cigarettes, however, remain a mystery.
The manufacturers have not provided complete information on the chemicals used in the e-cigarettes and in the vapor," said Kuschner, who co-wrote a paper on e-cigarettes for the International Journal of General Medicine. "When two common brands of e-cigarettes were analyzed in the United States, they were found to contain many of the same cancer-causing chemicals found in regular cigarettes."
Though some e-cigarette users say the products helped them stop smoking by easing nicotine withdrawal symptoms, Kuschner argues that electronic cigarettes are actually less effective than proven nicotine delivery systems such as the patch.
E-cigarettes deliver a high concentration of nicotine directly to the lungs, leading to a rapid drug spike in the bloodstream, he said. Manufacturers may claim that users can control the nicotine dose, but research has suggested that the levels of nicotine in cartridges are not as predictable as advertised.
This is one reason that e-cigarettes shouldn't be confused with proven smoking cessation therapies such as nicotine patches, nicotine gum, bupropion, and varenicline, Kuschner says.
Unlike e-cigarettes, FDA-approved smoking cessation treatments offer more continuous relief of nicotine withdrawal symptoms, Kuschner said. Also, treatments approved by the FDA have been tested in randomized, controlled clinical trials and determined to be both safe and effective. To date, no such structured study of e-cigarettes has been conducted.
Finally, experts are concerned that instead of helping reduce smoking and nicotine dependency, electronic cigarettes might be a stepping-stone for a new generation of nicotine addicts.
Though many e-cigarettes look and feel like cigarettes, others are designed to have fun flavors and shapes that could appeal to young users.
If youre interested in trying to quit smoking, consider these approaches instead of e-cigarettes:
Nicotine is a powerfully addictive drug, and is the main reason it can be so hard to quit smoking and using other tobacco products.
If you want to quit but are struggling with the effects of nicotine withdrawal, you may find it helpful to use a nicotine replacement product (so-called nicotine replacement therapy, or NRT) or a prescription drug (non-nicotine containing).
There are a variety of doctor-prescribed drugs that may help you quit smoking. The drugs may be used along with some NRT products.
Speak with your doctor to find the best choice for you. The options approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include:
Bupropion (brand names are Wellbutrin, Zyban, or Aplenzin) does not contain nicotine.
Instead, it is a prescription antidepressant that reduces symptoms of nicotine withdrawal by acting on chemicals in your brain that help trigger nicotine cravings.
For the best results, you should start taking bupropion one to two weeks before you quit smoking. Your doctor may have you keep taking it for a few weeks after you fully quit smoking.
The usual dosage is one or two 150 milligram (mg) tablets per day.
This drug should not be taken if you have or have ever had:
The most common side effects of bupropion include:
Varenicline (brand name Chantix) was developed specifically to help people stop smoking; it works by interfering with nicotine receptors in the brain.
It does this in two ways: it lessens the pleasure you get from smoking and it reduces the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Varenicline should be started a week before you quit smoking.
Studies have shown that varenicline can more than double your chances of quitting smoking, and may be more effective than bupropion in the short term.
Varenicline is taken over a 12-week period at increasingly higher dosages.
Be aware that varenicline carries an FDA-required black-box warning because of use of the drug has been linked to depression, suicide ideation, and suicide.
People taking varenicline should be monitored for any kind of psychiatric symptoms, such as agitation, hostility, depressed mood, changes in behavior or thinking, or suicidal thoughts or behavior.
The most common side effects of varenicline include:
Other prescription drugs, such as nortriptyline (Pamelor) and clonidine (Catapres), are sometimes recommended for smokers who cannot use varenicline or bupropion.
Both of these are older drugs that may have significant side effects; talk to your doctor to decide if either of these are a good option for you when youre ready to stop smoking
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved five types of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products.
You can use more than one type at a time, but if you do, speak with your doctor to make sure you are not getting too much nicotine at once. The five types of NRT products are:
Nicotine Patches: Patches are available in different strengths that last for 16 to 24 hours, and supply a measured dose of nicotine through your skin.
The right patch for you will depend on how many cigarettes you smoke daily, how long you have been smoking, and your body size. Youll switch to lower-dose patches over the course of about eight weeks until you are completely weaned off of nicotine. The FDA has approved using the patch for a period of three to five months.
Nicotine Gum: Nicotine gum is a popular NRT choice because you can chew a piece whenever a craving hits and it give you something to do with your mouth, which can help keep you distracted and satisfied without lighting up and its fast-acting.
The gum is available in two strengths. You should gradually cut back on the amount of gum you chew over the course of six to 12 weeks and the maximum recommended length of use is six months.
Nicotine lozenges: Nicotine lozenges are similar to nicotine gum in that you can pop one whenever a craving hits. Also, like the gum, they are available over-the-counter (OTC) and in two different strengths.
The best lozenge for you will depend on how long you have been smoking and how heavy a smoker you are. As with other NRT products, youll want to wean yourself off them over the course of several weeks. Lozenges should be used for 12 weeks at the most.
Nasal Sprays: Nasal sprays are another fast-acting NRT product; because the nicotine is absorbed through the nose it gets into your bloodstream quickly.
If you have asthma, allergies, nasal polyps, or sinus problems, nasal sprays may not be the ideal option for you.
Nicotine nasal spray is available by prescription only and the FDA recommends that the spray be used for no longer than six months.
Nicotine inhalers: If you are struggling with the habitual effects of quitting smoking, a nicotine inhaler may be your best option, because it is the most like smoking.
Inhalers look like a large cigarette with a cartridge in the mouthpiece, and you inhale the nicotine from the device. Its available by prescription and is recommended for six months of use.
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As any smoker can attest, quitting smoking is tough. In fact, most smokers require several attempts before they are finally able to quit for good.
With the commitment it takes to kick the habit not to mention the damage those cigarettes have already done it may be easy to say, Why should I stop smoking now?
But even if its tough, the benefits of quitting smoking start right away: Medical experts have found that a person's health improves within minutes of the last puff from the last cigarette, and the health benefits continue in the years that follow.
Research has found that people who quit smoking drastically reduce their risk of dying from a smoking-related disease. Those who quit before they turn 51 cut their chances of dying within the next 15 years in half, compared with people who don't quit.
Even smokers who stop in their sixties increase their life expectancy by one year. When you quit smoking, you live longer and those extra years are spent in better health.
About 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your body already has begun to respond to your decision to quit smoking:
Eight hours after you quit smoking, your blood has begun to recover from the effects of smoking. The levels of both carbon monoxide and oxygen in your bloodstream return to normal.
Within 24 hours, your chance of a heart attack has already decreased as your system repairs itself. About 48 hours after you quit smoking, nerve endings deadened by the habit have begun to regenerate and your sense of taste and smell has already improved.
A few weeks after you quit smoking, your circulation has improved and your lungs have begun to function better. Walking and exercising become much easier.
Within the first few months, your phlegm production has decreased and you wont find yourself coughing or wheezing as much.
The benefits of your decision to quit smoking continue long after the immediate impact. You might not feel these benefits the way you felt the quick improvement in your lung function and overall health, but you'll still enjoy them:
Nicotine addiction can lead to some short-term emotional costs when you choose to quit smoking. You are likely to feel anger, irritation, and depression as you struggle with your dependence on tobacco.
But as the days go by, you will also feel a surge of self-respect as you master your addiction, and over time that will translate into a greater sense of self-esteem.
You also might find that:
With all of these health benefits, why are you still smoking? Make the commitment today, and get the help you need to quit smoking successfully.
Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com
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