Quit Smoking Painlessly Now!

Well, if increased risk of cancer, heart diseases and other respiratory illness are not good enough reasons for smokers to quit smoking, perhaps this will.

According to The New York Times, epidemiological studies looked at more than 600 men and women, with 50% of them being smokers. After controlling for variables, researchers found a significant and consistent link between smoking and early greying. Scientists have long speculated that cigarette smoke may accelerate hair loss and premature greying. The association was largely due to toxins in smoke that can harm hair follicles and damage hormones.

Last year, another team studied the link in a group of 740 men in Taiwan aged 40 -91 years. After controlling for age and family histories, the researchers found a greater rate of hair loss among the smokers, a risk that grew with increasing smoking.

Whether the link is a result of tobacco toxins affecting the scalp or f smoking is causing severe disease that speed up aging, the point is smoking can lead to premature greying and hair loss.

By the way, if you are not aware, smoking causes blindness too. This has been confirmed by a joint study by hospitals in Scotland and Singapore. You can read it here.

Nicotine is the addictive ingredient in cigarettes that’s responsible for making you want to keep smoking. When you smoke, the nicotine reaches your brain in just a few seconds.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) provides much lower levels of nicotine compared to cigarettes, and it’s released much more slowly. As the amount of nicotine is much lower, it’s much less likely to be addictive.

When you stop smoking, your body misses the nicotine. Nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) give you a lower dose of nicotine, which helps to avoid strong withdrawal symptoms. Some studies have shown that using NRT to quit smoking doubles your chances of success.

NRT helps to wean you off nicotine gradually. NRT comes in several forms, including:

• patches - to stick on your skin,
• Tablets, lozenges and chewing gum, and
• Inhalers, and nasal sprays.

Not only they come in different form, they also come in different strengths and release nicotine at different speeds. To illustrate, nicotine is released within a few minutes from nicotine gum, nasal sprays, lozenges and tablets. However, it may take a few hours for the nicotine to be released from nicotine patches.

Addiction to nicotine is related to the speed at which it’s absorbed into your blood. It’s therefore very unlikely to be addicted if you’re using nicotine patches. However, addiction may be more likely with other forms of NRT where the nicotine is absorbed more quickly. So even though you are still taking in poison using NTR, the dosage is much smaller.

To avoid becoming addicted to NRT, you got to follow the instructions carefully and take no more than the recommended dose. If you are still worried, talk to your doctor or counsellor.

Technorati Tags: Nicotine Replacement Therapies, NRT

I’m honest so I’m going to say it loud and clear here that quitting smoking can be really tough. The first step is deciding that you want to stop, and you chose to stop smoking at your own will. This means you got to stop making excuses and stories to continue smoking.

Common excuses - and the reasons you should ignore them - include:

Smoking makes me fat!
Nicotine makes you burn calories faster, but as long as you remember that you need less food energy, you won’t over consume. Change your diet to include low fat options and add in lots of greens and fruit. You can check out my earlier post on How to Stop Smoking Without Weight Gain

Smoking calms me down
Nicotine cravings between cigarettes make you feel stressed and anxious so when you have one you feel calm. So when you stop feeding yourself with nicotine, your body is unused to the lack of it. Naturally, it asks you for more. Don’t listen to your physical being. (more…)

You don’t want to ignore this even you may not realise it, but smoking definitely can have a negative impact on your love life, and sex life.

If you had read my earlier post on how I was jilted by my little red hair girl and 10 peeves non-smokers will not tell smokers, you will know the reasons why potential partners shunned you. Just to reiterate, you smell like an ash tray from top to bottom, and most non-smokers would not find you sexy to kiss nor touch. Your nails are yellowish, and your skin age prematurely giving you wrinkles before you are due old enough to adorn them. You can get the bet tuxedo or that great gown but you can never look your best. Your best has gone with the smokes. OK, I believe you got my drift so I won’t bore you with the known negative effects of passive smoking, etc, etc, etc.

Now, let’s be serious. Smoking also affects your sex life too. (more…)