We all have heard and seen the harmful effects of smoking on the human body. All those warning labels and tragic pictures of diseases shown on the television are very real. Ninety percent of the lung cancer patients are smokers and more than 1.1 billion people in the world smoke tobacco.
When you smoke; you inhale harmful chemicals like arsenic, carbon monoxide and tiny glass particles. Carbon monoxide is highly fatal for human beings as it displaces the oxygen present in hemoglobin thereby depriving the body cells of oxygen.
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!
Source: simplecapacity.com
