Saturday, November 7, 2009

How To Successfully Quit Smoking

By Zak Hart

Quitting smoking is not an easy task. It requires willpower, commitment, and hard work. Many people do successfully quit smoking every year. Data from the World Health Organisation has shown that annually up to four million deaths are caused by smoking, and around ten per cent of adults globally are affected by smoking related diseases.

The truth about the number of health problems that have been associated with smoking can really drive home the message on how it is such a destructive habit. But as the numbers of people that manage to quit keeps on rising, we can be pleased to know that it doesn't have to be a lifetime habit.

With every puff of a cigarette you inhale numerous deadly chemicals. All smokers are aware of nicotine; it is the substance that makes cigarettes and tobacco smoking addictive. But how does it work? The moment you take a drag on a cigarette, nicotine is absorbed in to your bloodstream and races towards the brain. Within a few seconds your brain will release a chemical known as dopamine. It is dopamine that gives you the pleasurable feeling. But when you don't have a cigarette your dopamine levels drop drastically giving you that craving that can cause irritation.

Another poison that is present in tobacco smoke is tar. This contains carcinogens which can be the cause of many forms of cancer. Carbon monoxide is also inhaled which attaches itself to the hemoglobin in your blood causing a decrease in the amount of oxygen that can be carried. There are many other substances also present in cigarette smoke which can have such affects as thickening of the blood and clotting in your arteries.

Most smokers may be aware of the associated risks. It has been proven that those people that smoke the whole duration of their lives live on average ten years less than the rest of the population. There are a seemingly endless number of diseases that have been associated with smoking. Lung cancer is perhaps the most well-known, but others forms of cancer can also be caused such as that of the kidneys, bladder, throat, pancreas, stomach, as well as a form of leukemia.

Another proven ailment is pneumonia, this creates inflammation of the lungs as does COPD. Heart disease is also a common sickness that has a higher prevalence amongst smokers. It is due to damage caused to the arteries which in turn lessens the amount of oxygen. Other illnesses proven to be caused by smoking include angina, impotence, infertility, and osteoporosis, to name but a few.

Quitting smoking can drastically improve you health and life expectancy. If you stop earlier enough, your body can make a complete recovery. Today there are many different treatments and methods open to smokers that want to stop.

Your family doctor can give you expert advice on the most suitable methods. They can also offer you medication that can help you quit. Today there are tablets available such as varenicline and buropion, as well as nicotine replacement therapy.

It is possible for any individual to give up smoking. Help exists from individuals and organisations that understand how you feel.

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