We've all heard about and witnessed the negative effects of smoking on our health. The tragic images of diseases and the warning labels you see on television are real. Over 1.1 billion people worldwide smoke tobacco, and 90% of lung cancer patients are smokers.
You breathe in dangerous substances like carbon monoxide, arsenic, and small glass particles when you smoke. Because carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in hemoglobin and deprives body cells of oxygen, it is extremely lethal to humans.
If you continuously smoke and inhale these substances, the chances of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) automatically increases. Smoking is harmful for your heart too as the plaque deposits can cause heart attacks or congestive heart failure. The damage to your blood vessels cannot be reversed.
Nicotine releases cortisol i.e. the stress hormone. Increased cortisol level can weaken your immune system. Other harmful effects include:
- Blood sugar problems
- Infertility
- Insomnia
- Hormone Imbalance
- Gastrointestinal problems
You can get easily addicted to Nicotine and the withdrawal symptoms include edginess and irritability. Nicotine leads to the release of dopamine which gives a sense of pleasant feeling or feeling of well-being in your mind.
That is why chain smoking becomes so prevalent in people because they get addicted to dopamine and need a cigarette whenever they are stressed.
Smoking deprives the body of its essential nutrients and antioxidants like vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, glutathione, ubiquinol, and alpha-lipoic acid.
You need to start paying attention to your smoking habits.
Here are some ways through which you can try to quit smoking and alleviate the craving as well the withdrawal symptoms:
1. MAGNESIUM
It reduces Nicotine addiction by affecting the NMDA receptors which control the release of dopamine.
2. HYPNOTHERAPY
Hypnosis can help you quit smoking as it creates an altered state of consciousness where you can transcend certain aspects of reality and feel compelled to follow the cues from an external source.
3. ACUPUNCTURE
Insertion of needles on certain places linked to the mouth, lungs, and airways, lowers the cravings for tobacco.
4. NICOTINE PATCH
Nicotine patch is shown to be effective when it comes to quitting smoking. These patches are even more effective when they are combined with drugs like Varenicline and Bupropion. Consult your doctor before consuming these drugs.
5. CHEWING GUM AND LIME
You can chew the skin of a lime whenever you crave a smoke. Since it
is rich in vitamin c and antioxidants, it will help in reducing the
craving.
You can chew the special nicotine gum that is popular for people who
suffer from withdrawal symptoms. It is quite helpful if you feel
irritable due to the cravings.
6. OLFACTORY SENSES
When researchers exposed smokers to the smell of cigarettes along with rotting eggs or fish while they were in Stage 2, non-REM sleep for a week, they found that people smoked less during that period of time.
7. EXERCISE AND MINDFULNESS
Studies have shown that 5-minute moderate-intensity workout causes a reduction in the desire to smoke for a short period of time. Training your mind to overcome the habit of smoking is also very prevalent where smokers learn to overcome difficulties of cravings and withdrawal.
You can try these methods in order to quit smoking and lower the risk of chronic diseases. Smoking is highly injurious to your overall health!
