Stop smoking - We can help you break the habit!

Smoking causes a variety of visible symptoms, including yellow teeth and leathery skin. More dangerous are the effects we can't see, including an increase in the risk of many cancers, respiratory diseases, and heart disease.

The time to quit is now, you will likely need the help of quit-smoking aids and a strong support system.

You promised yourself you would quit when you graduated college, when you turned 30, when you had your first child. You promised your family you would quit just as soon as you got settled at your new job, found the right program, or you retired. Every year, millions of Americans make a promise to themselves and to their families to quit cigarettes once and for all. And every year, millions of Americans succeed. You can be one of them.

The number of smoking-cessation aids (“cessation” means “the ceasing or end of an action”) and quit-smoking programs has grown dramatically in recent years as more and more people seek to quit through solutions tailored to them. Working with your doctor or a medical professional, you can find the right plan, using one method or a combination of methods:

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs)—such as patches, gums, and inhalers—deliver to your body the nicotine it is craving in a much safer form than cigarettes. Over time, you reduce the amount of nicotine you consume until you have hopefully curbed your cravings entirely.

Smoking-Cessation Medications

Prescription drugs—like Chantix or Zyban—alter chemicals in your brain in order to ease cravings and withdrawal symptoms. With some of these medications, you’re able to concurrently use nicotine replacement therapies like a patch or gum to ease severe withdrawal symptoms. Some even let you continue smoking at the beginning of the program.

Alternative Therapies

Procedures like hypnosis, acupuncture, and meditation can address some of the mental and physical habits you have developed around cigarettes. Some people who have quit use these therapies alone, while others use them in conjunction with medicines or nicotine replacements.

What is in a Cigarette?

Cigarettes are made with dried tobacco leaves that naturally contain the drug nicotine. Cigarette manufacturers add chemicals like ammonia, tar, lead, and cyanide and other ingredients, like cocoa, coffee, and menthol, to change the flavor of the tobacco in an attempt to make smoking more enjoyable. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), more than 4,000 different chemicals have been identified in cigarettes and cigarette smoke. Of those 4,000 chemicals, 60 are known to cause cancer. These cancer-causing chemicals are called carcinogens.

Until recently, cigarette companies were not required to make public a list of the ingredients that were added to their cigarettes, so scientists have been unable to determine what, if any, effects all these additives might have on a person’s health. Recently passed federal legislation now requires cigarette manufacturers to provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with a list of additives in their cigarettes. A list of harmful or dangerous chemicals found in each cigarette will be made public for consumers by or before June 2011. For the most part, tobacco products are unregulated—unlike medications, spirits, and most foods—which means their potential health risks, beyond what we already know from years of consumer use, are still being discovered.

So you’ve decided to become a former smoker? Congratulations! Nearly four out of five smokers want to quit, and each year 40 percent of smokers finally attempt it.

Before you start, it is important to remember this; research shows that the most success comes to smokers who use more than one method to fight their cravings and withdrawals. Despite your best efforts, you may not succeed the first time. But because you have already committed yourself to quitting, you are one step closer to being a former smoker.

Here are some of the more common and proven treatment options and why they may be right for you:

Nicotine-Replacement Patch

Nicotine patches are available over the counter and are generally easy to use.

How does it work?

The patch is designed to release a steady dose of nicotine throughout the day. As cravings and withdrawal symptoms decrease, you can begin to reduce the length of time you wear a patch or switch to a patch with lower dosage strength. However, if you have sudden cravings or severe symptoms of withdrawal, you may be left unable to quickly satiate them; the patches aren’t designed for an instantaneous shot of nicotine, and you cannot smoke while using the patch or you risk nicotine overdose that can cause heart attack and paralysis

Who should use the patch?

Many people trying to quit can benefit from using the patch. It is simple to use and easy to apply. Most nicotine replacement patches have been designed to wean users off very carefully through controlled dosages. But because you won’t be able to handle intense cravings or symptoms of withdrawal, it might not be the best option to try first. Many people try other aids at first so they can control symptoms more immediately.

Nicotine Gum

Nicotine gums are available over the counter, and they work for a great number of people who are trying to quit. But this is no typical chewing gum.

How does it work?

Nicotine gums must be used in a specified manner in order for them to work properly. (Instead of chewing endlessly, the gum is chewed for a few minutes and then placed between your gum and inner cheek where it stays for about 30 minutes.) You don’t get an endless supply of chewing gum either. Instead, you follow a schedule of one piece every one to two hours. As your cravings subside and the withdrawal symptoms become more manageable, you can reduce the dosage in the gum or chew less often.

Who should use gum?

People may choose the nicotine chewing gum because they need to satisfy an oral activity craving, something an actual cigarette fulfilled previously. Unlike the patch, the gum can provide a quick boost of nicotine in the event of severe cravings or withdrawal symptoms. However, if you follow the schedule, this shouldn’t be a problem. If you have a hard time keeping track of a schedule or don’t think you would be able to chew gum on a regular basis (because of work or social commitments), this may not be the best aid for you.

Nicotine Inhaler

The goal of all nicotine-replacement therapies is to provide the body with as pure a form of nicotine as possible and without all the carcinogenic additives found in cigarettes. Many smokers crave the feeling of having smoke in their mouths—something neither patches nor chewing gum can provide. Enter nicotine inhalers.

How does it work?

These prescription devices work by vaporizing liquid nicotine for you to inhale. The nicotine is then absorbed in the mouth and throat and delivers a quick nicotine boost. As the body grows accustomed to less and less nicotine, you will gradually stop using the inhaler until you’ve fully quit.

Who should use inhalers?

You may be giving yourself an inhalation treatment six to 16 times a day when you start. If taking the time out of your schedule to provide this treatment will complicate work or social schedules, the inhaler may not be for you. The use of inhalers is also limited due to possible complications and side effects in sensitive groups—the elderly, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, as well as women who are nursing.

Nicotine Nasal Spray

Similar to how the nicotine inhaler supplies pure nicotine through the mouth and esophagus, nicotine nasal spray delivers through the nose.

How does it work?

Nasal sprays use a liquid-to-spray route to make absorbing the nicotine easier. Your doctor will set up the best dosage plan for you; most suggest one to two doses per hour. As your cravings decrease, you will work with your doctor to reduce the number of doses each day until you no longer need the spray entirely.

Who should use sprays?

As with the inhaler, sprays require frequent treatment, and unlike chewing gums, this treatment is less than discrete. If you will not be able to maintain the schedule for work or social reasons, a spray may not be the best aid for you. If you also have complications inhaling medicine through your nose, nasal spray might not be pleasant or effective for you.

Electronic Cigarette

Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, are battery-operated devices shaped like a traditional cigarette.

How does it work?

Users inhale from e-cigarettes the same way they would traditional cigarettes, but instead of inhaling nicotine mixed with other potentially dangerous chemicals, the e-cigarette turns a purer form of liquid nicotine into a vapor. Some people believe e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes and prefer to smoke them; others use e-cigarettes as a nicotine-replacement therapy to quit.

Who should use e-cigarettes?

E-cigarette makers claim their products are safer than traditional cigarettes, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend these devices because they have not been evaluated for safety. (Some individual analyses have shown the vapor to be toxic and possibly contain carcinogens.) Until more is known about e-cigarettes, this may not be a safe alternative for people looking to quit.

Prescription Medicine

A couple of drugs have been approved by the FDA for smoking cessation. They do not contain nicotine, so it is recommended that they be used in conjunction with nicotine-replacement therapy.

How does it work?

Unlike nicotine-replacement therapies, prescription medicines like bupropion SR (Zyban, Wellbutrin) or varenicline (Chantix) do not provide your body with nicotine. Instead, they reduce cravings and lessen withdrawal symptoms by altering chemicals and nicotine receptors in your brain. Both medicines require doctor supervision and prescription—many insurance companies pay for prescription smoking-cessation aids. The FDA also requires that both medicines carry a black box warning; that’s the strongest safety warning the FDA can issue about a prescription medication. The reasons for these warnings: Bupropion may cause suicidal thoughts or behaviors, depression, and hostility. Patients taking varenicline report increased risk of falls and road accidents, as well as vision troubles and vivid or unusual dreams.

Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pipes, and cigars are all made with dried tobacco leaves, which naturally contain the drug nicotine. Manufacturers of these products add additional nicotine, as well as a whole host of other chemicals and additives, to make smoking more enjoyable. One report suggests there are as many as 4,000 different chemicals in one cigarette. These additives can have disastrous effects on your health.

Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms

Nicotine dependence causes an addiction to these tobacco products. If and when you try to quit, you may face any number of nicotine withdrawal symptoms; most people who try to quit deal with at least one. These symptoms can include:

• fatigue
• headache
• dry mouth
• cough
• irritability
• cravings to smoke
• constipation
• anxiety

As a rule, people who have smoked for a longer period of time and those who smoke at a higher volume (a larger number of cigarettes in a day) will have the greatest likelihood of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms may also be made worse at certain times of day or in certain places. Your mind may unconsciously associate a variety of places, people, or times with smoking and set off a trigger to smoke.

The Problem with “Cold Turkey”

The physical withdrawal from nicotine is only temporary, but it can be difficult to cope with your body’s reaction. If you choose to quit without the assistance of a smoking-cessation aid (sometimes known as quitting “cold turkey”), withdrawal usually begins two to three hours after you last smoke, and the symptoms are likely to get worse for several days. Peak withdrawal occurs about three days after your last smoke. Then, as your body becomes accustomed to not having the nicotine, symptoms of withdrawal will subside.

Some smokers are fearful of these withdrawal symptoms and choose to quit nicotine in a milder manner with the help of low-nicotine cigarettes or smoking-cessation aids (like gums, patches, and prescription medicine).

Managing Nicotine Withdrawal

No matter how you do it, you will likely encounter one or more withdrawal symptoms at some point in your quit-smoking journey. You do not have to give in to these symptoms and give up your quest to be smoke free. Here are a few tips for coping with your withdrawal symptoms.

Good luck!!!