Quit Smoking: Tips

[drvolcanoe]

The title-news on nation’s newspapers on Tuesday, 24th April 2007 was on how 6 Malaysians get a stroke attack every hour. That translates to about 1 stroke victim every 10 minute!! Isn’t that a scary figure?

Lifestyle modification is a proven way to prevent stroke, or hypertension, which usually precedes a stroke-attack. Besides healthy diet & exercise, if you aren’t a smoker – GREAT! Never ever light up one. But if you are a smoker…one MAJOR benefit you can do for yourself, your nearest & dearest, and the nation is to QUIT SMOKING!

-   How to?
-   Its hard…I’m a hard-core smoker?
-   Not like its going to make any difference after all these years?
Are these the thoughts running through your mind now as you light up another cigarette?

If so, read on…

There’s a saying…on one end of the cigarette is FIRE, and on the other…a FOOL!

I’m going to post a series of retyped-out article on QUIT SMOKING, and in this first one let us see how one can do so…

*** *** ***

Smoking is a very easy habit to start, and as with ALL habits, very difficult to stop. Peer pressure & the glorification of smokers by celebrities make things even worse; non-smokers feel the urge to smoke, to fit in with the crowd & to look “cool”. Worse still, smokers either don’t realize or don’t care about the ill effects that they have on the environment & the people around them.

Most smokers enjoy it because it gives the body the same effect as alcohol, by:
•   increasing the heartbeat & blood pressure
•   causing the smoker to feel a slight rush of adrenaline
•   loosens inhibitions & makes the smoker feel more alert 


Saying NO to NICOTINE

Some people smoke in order to lose weight. While this may be true, (nicotine curbs the appetite & increases the metabolic rate, meaning you’ll eat less & burn more calories when you smoke) over a period of time, nicotine also increases the level of ‘bad’ cholesterol, damaging the arteries & increasing the risk of heart disease, not to mention lung cancer & other dangerous ailments.

Expensive & unhealthy, smoking is a habit that needs to be addressed. If you are already a smoker & finding it hard to quit, here are some useful tips that can help you kick this bad habit for a healthier you.

1/ GOING COLD TURKEY
-   Completely giving up cigarettes at once
-   It is the best way to quit smoking
-   Shows that you have the willpower to completely stop smoking

2/ WRITE DOWN the BENEFITS of QUITTING CIGARETTES
-   To help you stay motivated
-   Helps you ‘see’ your reasons for quitting
-   It also helps you adhere to your reasons

3/ GIVE YOURSELF SOMETHING TO DO
-   Learn pen twirls or coin flips, to give your hands something to do when the need to smoke arises
-   Chew on gum or candy to keep your mouth busy whenever you have the urge to smoke

4/ ASSOCIATE YOURSELF with NON-SMOKERS
-   They can help you keep your mind off smoking
-   They also keep you focused
-   They’re a good source of help & support
-   They can also help you in your battle to permanently stay away from cigarettes

[drvolcanoe]

Cigarette ADDICT TEST

Most addicts aren’t even aware of their dependency to cigarettes. As a matter of fact, they think this habit is under control – that is until you take away their freedom to smoke. They’ll experience mood swings, anxiety, & difficulty concentrating. In other words, they lose the ability to function properly until they get the next chance to smoke.

Tobacco is hard to rests & some people smoke more than what is considered the ‘safe’ level. Most social smokers remain in the ‘safe’ category (keep in mind that there is no real ‘safe’ level). Smoking is considered to be harmful to you & everyone among you, no matter how little you smoke. If possible, try not to smoke at all!!
But some have increased dependency on cigarettes, making them addicts.

Take this test to see if you’re addicted to cigarettes:
•   You have cigarettes every day, or almost every day
•   You get cravings for cigarettes
•   You mostly smoke with friends, but you also smoke when you are alone
•   You spend more than you’d like on cigarettes
•   You adjust your spending habits to include cigarettes
•   You get anxious when you run out of cigarettes
•   You tell yourself you wont smoke, but end up smoking anyway
•   You sometimes get surprised at how fast you run out of cigarettes

If you answered ‘YES’ to most of these questions, then you are most likely addicted to cigarettes. Smoking has become a dependency to you & you’re more exposed to diseases such as lung cancer & heart attacks.

[drvolcanoe]

EFFECTS of CIGARETTE on OTHER PEOPLE

PUBLIC ENEMY #1

Have you ever experienced people giving you the evil eye when you light up in a public place? Do your colleagues or your spouse complain about the smell of cigarettes hanging around your clothes? When you smoke, you don’t only put everyone around you at a risk of developing diseases, you also annoy everyone around you who aren’t smokers.

Its even worse if you smoke in or near the office; the smell of burnt nicotine lingers, making it unpleasant for visiting clients. Colleagues with sinus problems might also have trouble working when you have a smoke – they might be too busy sneezing or wheezing to get any work done.

If you cant be bothered about the harm you cause to yourself by smoking, then at least quit for your friends and loved ones. A disturbingly large number of people aren’t aware about the dangers of inhaling second-hand smoke, otherwise known as passive smoking. Research shows that people who are exposed to second-hand smoke at home are at a higher risk of developing lung cancer or heart diseases. Added to exposure from the office or in public spaces, the risk of developing these diseases can rise up to a whopping 60%!!

DID YOU KNOW?
•   A rough estimation of 3, 000 Asian non-smokers kick-the-bucket each year from inhaling second-hand smoke.
•   800 from those whose deaths are caused by passive smoking at home
•   The rest of those deaths were the results of diseases caused by passive smoking in public places.
•   More than 17, 000 children aged five & below are admitted to hospitals each year, as a result of inhaling second-hand smoke at home.


A CLOSER LOOK…
Most people have this misconception that nicotine & tar are the only substances in cigarettes. A little research reveals a whole slew of other unhealthy substances found in these little death-sticks.

•   Arsenic – a poison which can be lethal
•   Cadmium & Nickel – commonly found in batteries
•   Vinyl chloride – mainly used to make PVC
•   Creosote – irritates the respiratory tract
•   Formaldehyde – a preservative substance, can cause cancer
•   Polonium 210 – a radioactive substance that can cause liver cancer, stomach ulcers, leukaemia & more…

Aside from these harmful substances, the toxins listed below are found in cigarettes as well.

•   Ammonia – foul smelling gas, usually found in faeces & urine
•   Acetone – used in nail polish removers
•   Acrolein – used to manufacture acrylic acid
•   Hydrogen cyanide – found mostly in rat poison, causes headache, dizziness, & weakness
•   Carbon monoxide – can be deadly if inhaled in enclosed spaces
•   Toluene – causes nausea, loss of appetite, & memory loss

Although smokers are at a higher risk of developing diseases from all these unhealthy toxins & substances, it is extremely unfair for non-smokers to develop smoking related diseases from your second-hand smoke. So, think twice before you have that next cigarette – you’re causing A LOT OF HARM to the people around you!

[drvolcanoe]

ALL YOU NEED to KNOW about NICOTINE

Nicotine alkaloids are usually found in leaves of coca plant and it constitutes 0.3% - 5.0% of the tobacco plant by dry weight. The biosynthesis of tobacco takes place in the roots & accumulates in the leaves. A potent neurotoxin with particular toxicity to insects, nicotine derivatives, such as imidacloprid are still widely used as insecticides today.

In smaller portions, nicotine acts as a stimulant in mammals. This energy boosting property is just one of the many factors responsible for nicotine addiction & cigarette smoking.


History of Nicotine
The name Nicotine is derived from the tobacco plant names Nicotiana tabacum, which was named after Jean Nicot, an ambassador from France who promoted the medicinal use of nicotine by sending tobacco from Portugal to Paris 1550. in 1828, two (2) German chemists by the name of Posselt & Reimann isolated nicotine from the tobacco plant. Melsens first described the chemical empirical formula of nicotine in 1843, and A. Pistet & Crepieux synthesized it in 1893.

Pharmacology & Nicotine
When someone smokes a cigarette, the nicotine in it is quickly distributed through the blood stream & takes about 7 seconds to reach the brain. It can usually stay in the body for around 2 hours. A variety of factors can affect the amount of nicotine absorbed by the body through smoking, such as tobacco type, whether the smoke is inhaled or not & the filter. The amount of nicotine that enters the body by chewing tobacco (also known as dip, snuff, or snus) tends to be much higher than smoking tobacco.

Dynamics of Nicotine
Nicotine affects certain receptors in our body. In small doses, it stimulates these receptors, leading to an increased flow of adrenaline. This in turn causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure & respiration, as well as higher glucose levels in the blood. In large amounts, nicotine can block these receptors, which is the reason for its toxicity & its effectiveness as an insecticide.
It is believed that nicotine also increases the dopamine levels in the brain & inhibits monoamine oxidase, resulting in feelings of pleasure similar to those caused by cocaine & heroin.

Nicotine Toxicity
40mg to 60mg of nicotine is already considered to be a lethal dosage for adult human beings, which makes it even more dangerous than any other alkaloids, such as cocaine (which has a lethal dose of 1000mg).
One study has shown that exposure to nicotine alone, not as a component of cigarette smoke could be responsible for some of the deaths in infants dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Before wrapping-up…there’s only 1 message:
LOSE the Smoke, Keep the FIRE!!!

[guna56]

Thanks for the valuable information. I have read your other posts. All are very useful. Please post more health tips here for sick people like me

[jolly55]

Thanks lava gal!! I am also one of the failthful readers of your posts! Please share with us more reliable health tips whenever you are free!

[leetj]

well done! laval gal. Do post more health tips.

[drvolcanoe]

I'll try sharing as much as possible, when i'm free...how could i not with all this encouragement

i do have a few more topics with me

[ministar]

Hi lavagal. Thank for your posts! They are very informative!

[drvolcanoe]

My pleasure to share...glad its useful

[lemon]

Most smokers sincerely want to quit. They know cigarettes threaten their health, set a bad example for their children, annoy their acquaintances and cost an inordinate amount of money. Nobody can force a smoker to quit.

It's something each person has to decide for himself/herself, and will require a personal commitment by the smoker. What kind of smoker are you? What do you get out of smoking? What does it do for you? It is important to identify what you use smoking for and what kind of satisfaction you feel that you are getting from smoking. Stop Smoking Now!!


tq
lemon 

[drvolcanoe]

A patient told me this today..."I've been living with my cigarettes for more than 20yrs. How could I give it up?"

- Before it burns him up into ashes...i hope he'll continue refraining from smoking once he's discharged after his Op tomorrow!

[merlyn333]

1. Cold turkey (no outside help). About 90% of people who try to quit smoking do it without outside support -- no aids, therapy, or medicine. Although many people try to quit this way, it is not the most effective and successful method. Only about 10% of people who try to quit this way succeed on their first try.

2.  Behavioral therapy. With behavioral therapy, you visit a therapist who will help you find the most effective way to quit. The therapist will help you to identify your triggers, come up with ways to get through cravings, and provide emotional support when you need it most.

3. Nicotine replacement therapy.Nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, and lozenges are nicotine replacement therapies (called NRT). Replacement therapy works by giving you nicotine without you having to smoke. You may be 50% to 100% more likely quit smoking if you use nicotine replacement therapy. But if you're under 18, you need to get your doctor’s permission to use nicotine replacement therapy. This therapy works best when combined with behavioral therapy and lots of support from friends and family.

4. Medicine. Some medicines, including Zyban and Chantix, are formulated to help people quit smoking. Your doctor must prescribe these medications.

5. Combination treatments. Using a combination of treatment methods can increase your chances of quitting. For example, using both a nicotine patch and gum may be better than a patch alone. Other proven combination treatments include behavioral therapy and nicotine replacement therapy, prescription medication with a nicotine patch, and nicotine patch and nicotine spray.

Wacht this video. I did not know how to ebed it.

I hope it is useful.

[jasonbond]

ALL YOU NEED to KNOW about NICOTINE

Nicotine alkaloids are usually found in leaves of coca plant and it constitutes 0.3% - 5.0% of the tobacco plant by dry weight. The biosynthesis of tobacco takes place in the roots & accumulates in the leaves. A potent neurotoxin with particular toxicity to insects, nicotine derivatives, such as imidacloprid are still widely used as insecticides today.

In smaller portions, nicotine acts as a stimulant in mammals. This energy boosting property is just one of the many factors responsible for nicotine addiction & cigarette smoking.

[stevenson]

Even if you have no idea where to start and what to do, stop smoking, as long as you have the spirit and dedication to do so. tips on quitting smoking can help you create a plan to stop smoking and lifestyle habits that can lead to a healthier, smoke-free living.