Smoking is a silent but a powerful enemy of mankind. Poisoning due to tobacco is a gradual process. Over a period of time smoking leads to diseases like cancer, heart disease and emphysema. Each time you light that cigarette it snatches 5 to 20 minutes of your life.
You can take help of various
stop smoking aids that are available in the market to stop smoking. However, you can even attempt to quit smoking without taking any form of support or aid. This is called ‘cold turkey’ – a term used for quitting
smoking without any form of support. Only an extremely strong will-powered individual can do this. You can get rid of that nicotine habit very fast but its disadvantages are plenty. The withdrawal symptoms are intense and therefore the success rate is very low in such cases.
The most important aid for
quitting smoking is the nicotine replacement therapy or NRT.
Nicotine Patch: Nicotine patches come in three different strengths 21mg, 14mg and 7mg and may even vary from manufacture to manufacture. It is applied once a day to the skin. The patch allows nicotine into the blood through the skin. Nioctine patches have been proved to double the rate of success in
quit smoking. Itchiness, headache, upset stomach can be some of the side-effects of nicotine patch. You should notify your doctor immediately, if the side effects intensify.
Nicotine Gum: Nicotine chewing gum is most effective when used along with a
stop-smoking program. It is available in various doses depending upon regular and heavy smokers. You can chew up to 20 pieces a day but in reality you chew less. You can use the gum for a maximum period of six months. Dizziness, vision changes, increased saliva, dental damage are some of the side-effects of nictone chewing gum.
Nicotine Lozenge: Nicotine lozenges are available in 2 to 4 milligram doses depending upon the severity. Like nicotine gum, it releases nicotine to the blood through the mouth. You need to brush your teeth regularly to prevent damage to your teeth.
Nicotine Inhaler: Shaped like a cigarette holder, you can puff on it which will give nicotine vapors to your mouth. Nicotine is absorbed through the mouth and then it enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain. It then relieves you of the withdrawal symptoms.
Nicotine Nasal Spray: This is sprayed through each nostril and then transported to the brain through the heart. You can use to up to a maximum period of six months.
Hypnosis and Acupuncture: Not all smokers love to take medicines to get rid of smoking. They take help of other aids like hypnosis and acupuncture. These have few or no side-effects. However, there is no proof on its effectiveness.
Beside these aids, there are
smoking cessation support programs, and tips by various NGOs and on various websites that can help you quit smoking.
