Health Benefits of smoking cessation
April 1, 2009 by admin
Filed under Quit Smoking Timeline, quit smoking side effects
It is well documented that smoking cessation has a beneficial effect on health – and a life-prolonging effect. This also applies to smokers who are more than 60 years old when they quit smoking. (Doll and Peto, 1994). Smokers who stop smoking before 35 years of age has, in Dolls and Peto study, the same average length of life as never-smokers. This does apply to those who started smoking during early adolescence. It is never too late to quit smoking, using quit smoking pills or what ever quit smoking method it takes.
The main conclusions are as follows:
1. Ex smokers assess their health status as being better compared to smokers. It is remarkable that this also applies to young people of 16-24 years of age. This is true regardless of whether you measure absenteeism, hospitalizations, self-reported chronic and acute disease, restriction of physical activity or self-assessed health status. Most studies show that the impact of smoking cessation, the first completely after ca. 1-year smoking cessation. After a year of smoking cessation self-reported health, experienced at the level of the nonsmokers reported.
2. 80% of smokers gain weight in relation to smoking cessation. In comparison, taking 20% of smokers on weight over the same time period. Weight increase is on average approx. 2 kg. For a small group of 3-4% of all who stopped smoking, weight gain was so great that in itself could pose a health risk.
3. Smoking cessation leads to pulmonary symptoms such as cough, saliva and pibende and sharpening end breathing improved or completely overcomes both in healthy smokers and in smokers with established bronchitis and large lungs (smokers’ lungs). In young and healthy smoking cessation leads to lung function improved slightly, and that it does not degrade faster than in never-smokers. In patients with established chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) normalized the future deterioration of lung function, but the lost lung function is not recovered. Some asthmatics reported improvement in the condition after smoking cessation, but not for everyone. Smoking cessation reduces the risk of developing severe pneumonia and influenza. The risk decreases after smoking cessation, and within a few years down at the same level as in never-smokers.
4. Five years after smoking cessation, the risk of lung cancer, throat cancer, bladder cancer and cancer in the throath is halfed. After 15-20 years, the risk is almost non-smokers. Big smokers have an approx. twice as much cancer risk as non-smokers for the rest of their life.
5. Cessation of smoking results in a reduced tendency for blood clot formation. Platelets label together less and less fibrinogen in the blood to stabilize blood clots. The effect on the various biological systems comes from a few weeks after cessation of smoking for approx. 2 years after termination. Smoking cessation leads to an almost immediate decrease in the risk of developing blood clots, but only after 5-10 years as ex-smokers is down to the same risk as a never-smoker. Smoking cessation in young age (eg before 35 years of age) leads to a significant risk reduction largely down to the risk that exists among never-smokers. Smoking cessation leads to a rapid reduction in the increased risk of brain bleeding and already five years after smoking cessation, the risk is reduced to never-smoking’s risks. Cessation of smoking reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis in the legs. In already developed disease smoking cessation will often relieve the inconvenience and reduce the risk of deterioration.
6. Smoking slows the healing of wounds and cuts. After surgery, there are several complications for smokers. Smoking cessation is recommended before surgical procedures.
7. There is clear evidence that the smoking is a risk factor for development of osteoprose where hip fractures are by far the most serious health consequence. The risk around. 10 years after smoking cessation.
8. Women who quit smoking before or during the first 3-4 months of pregnancy give birth to children with normal birth weight. Approximately 30-40% of premature births of children could be prevented by smoking cessation. It does not work in this context to reduce tobacco consumption. The time for menopause is normalized by smoking cessation.
Quit Smoking Side Effects
December 2, 2008 by admin
Filed under quit smoking side effects
The best way to quit smoking
Most smokers who want to quit fail because of the quit smoking side effects, eliminating nicotine from your body is very hard and the battle can be harder than you think.
Most quit smoking side effects are related to the blood sugar levels. Symptoms like inability to concentrate, dizziness or headaches may usually appear in the first three or four days. The quit smoking side effects are also called withdrawal symptoms and their intensity varies with each individual. All known statistics show that ex-smokers live longer and healthier than any smoker, and this should be a strong reason for anyone to quit.
The battle with quit smoking side effects is tough particularly during the first days after quitting, you may feel irritable, confused, depressed or anxious. The cause for these quit smoking side effects is the reduced level of nicotine in the blood. Quit smoking pills like Chantix and Zyban which works by reducing the urge to smoke and reducing withdrawal symptoms by a cessation.
Some therapists recommend the use of nicotine inhalers, nicotine gums, patches or stop smoking medication since they release a small quantity of nicotine in the blood reducing the quit smoking side effects. Smokers who already suffer from depression or anxiety can hardly quit as they use cigarettes as a relief, in such cases psychological treatment is a must.
Quit smoking side effects will be very hard to deal with for people with a stressful life, as nicotine has a relaxing effect on the human body. So in order to avoid severe quit smoking side effects the person should ask for professional help and attend ex-smoker discussions. Other quit smoking side effects which may appear include insomnia or putting on weight.
Specialists say that putting between 5 and 10 pounds of weight after you quit smoking is one of the normal quit smoking side effects. The weight problem is caused by the low levels of sugar in your blood. After smoking the nicotine passes into the blood in a matter of seconds releasing sugar reserves from the body, sugar is vital to the brain normal functioning. But the sugar passes from normal food to the blood in about 20 minutes.
One quit smoking side effect is that you will feel the need to eat because your brain is asking for sugar. The problem that people don’t understand is that no matter how much you eat the body will still need 20 minutes to pass the sugar to the brain, so theoretically it won’t be a big difference between eating a candy or ten of them. To find out more about smoking side effects surf the Internet.
The Best Stop Smoking Drug
November 6, 2008 by admin
Filed under Quit Smoking Aids, Stop Smoking Drug, Stop Smoking Medication, quit smoking side effects
Using a stop smoking drug in your smoking cessation can actually double your chances of quitting, which brings the success rate to 20 per cent after 12 months instead of 10 per cent.
There are three types of stop smoking medication to help you quit smoking:
- nicotine replacement therapy
- buproprion (Zyban)
- varenicline (Champix / Chantix)
What is nicotine replacement therapy?
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is the oldest type of stop smoking medication. It releases nicotine into the bloodstream to help against cravings and to reduce other physical quit smoking symptoms when you stop smoking (headaches,nausea, dizziness, irritability ).
These quit smoking aids come in various forms:
- Nicotine patches are worn on the skin and deliver a regular dose of nicotine over 16 or 24 hours.
- Chewing gums are used when you would normally reach for a cigarette.
- Inhalers look like cigarettes and gives you the nicotine a bit the same way.
- Lozenges dissolves in the mouth and thereby release nicotine.
- Tablets that dissolve under your tongue (sublingual tablets) can be more discreet than lozenges.
- Nasal sprays deliver nicotine more rapidly than other NRT products, so are of most use to heavy smokers who suffer strong cravings.
Quit smoking medication
Currently there are two type of stop smoking medicine, namely Zyban (also know as Wellbutrin) and Chantix (also know as Champix).
What is Zyban?
Bupropion, which is the active substance in Zyban, is a stop smoking prescription and it was originally intended as an antidepressant.
Zyban helps about one in five people to quit smoking by reducing the desire to smoke and easing the physical quit smoking symptoms.
What is Chantix?
Like Zyban Chantix is a prescription only stop smoking medication. The active substance is varenicline. Chantix works by stimulation the same receptors in the brain as nicotine does and therby reducing the nicotine cravings. At the same time the drug blocks nicotine actions to the same receptors which takes away the pleasure of smoking – you simply do not get the “kick” anymore.
Both stop smoking drugs, Zyban and Chantix, does have considerable side effects and the use of these drugs should only be carried out after consulting a doctor.
