Nicotine Dependence or Smoking is a very significant risk factor for the 3 diseases that cause the most deaths — heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.
Smoking is responsible for approximately 80% of all lung cancer deaths and 20% of all cancer deaths.
Smokers are also at an increased risk of having reduced lung-function from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The use of tobacco has been linked to a variety of other conditions, such as diabetes, peptic ulcers, some vision problems and back pain. Smoking during pregnancy can lead to premature birth, miscarriage or stillbirth.
Passive smoking causes lower respiratory illness in children, lung cancer in adults, and contributes to the symptoms of asthma in children.
Smoking is the excessive and continued consumption of the potentially addictive chemical ‘nicotine’ that is contained in tobacco products, despite negative social, personal and medical consequences. Tobacco containing nicotine is found in cigarettes, cigars, pipes and chewing-tobacco. Nicotine dependence may have the following features:
• Craving: This is characterized by a strong desire or urge to smoke/consume tobacco containing nicotine.
• Tolerance: This is characterized by reduced reaction to nicotine and the subsequent need to take more to achieve the desired effect.
• Physical dependence: This includes withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia, agitation, irritability, depression, tremors, headaches, nausea, vomiting or anxiety.
In the US, an estimated 21% of all adults smoke cigarettes. Long-term tobacco abuse may increase the risk of cancer, and heart and lung diseases.
Why Do People Start Smoking?
Most people, who smoke, start it as an experiment and then over a period of time, get addicted to it. It is initially driven predominantly by psychosocial motives, like peer pressure or to create an image in society. By the time psychosocial symbolism subsides, the pharmacological effect of nicotine takes over.
Certain factors increase the risk of developing nicotine dependency. These include:
• Abuse of other inebriants like alcohol or opium.
• Stress.
• Psychological conditions such as depression or anxiety.
• A history of substance abuse in family or peers.
• Easy access to the stimulant.
• Social and peer pressure.
Влияние курения на здоровье
The adverse effects of smoking on health are extensive, and have been exhaustively documented.
In addition to physical dependence, regular consumption of tobacco over an extended period of time may lead to:
–Stroke (cerebrovascular accidents), altered brain chemistry, anxiety about the harm caused by smoking.
— Blindness (macular degeneration), cataracts, stinging in the eyes.
–Wrinkles and premature aging.
–Discoloration and stains in the teeth, plaque, gum disease (gingivitis).
–Sore throat, reduced sense of taste, breath that smells of smoke.
–Poor circulation (cold fingers), peripheral vascular disease.
–Shortness of breath, colds and flu, pneumonia, asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema).
–Blocked and weakened arteries of the heart, and heart-attack.
–Cancer of the lips, mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, liver, stomach, pancreas, colon, lungs, cervix, kidney and bladder.
–Stomach and duodenal ulcers.
–Osteoporosis, spinal and hip fractures.
–Sperm deformity, loss of motility, reduced number of sperm, infertility and impotence.
–Period pains, early menopause, infertility and delay in conception.
–Leukemia.
–Weakened Immune System.
Health Benefits Of Quitting Smoking
Stopping smoking has tremendous immediate and long-term health benefits for smokers of all ages. Benefits begin within minutes of the last cigarette.
The following are some of the significant immediate benefits:
–Blood pressure drops to normal.
–Carbon monoxide levels in the blood reduce significantly.
–Oxygen levels in the blood increase to normal
–Nerve endings start regrowing.
–Ability to smell and taste improve.
How To Quit Smoking
Most people who smoke wish that they didn’t. They live with a hatred for the habit and a lurking fear of serious illness.
It takes courage to put down that last cigarette. Most people feel an intense combination of fear and excitement leading up to their date for quitting.
It needs a strong commitment from an individual wanting to quit. The path to commitment involves changing how you feel about quitting. Intellectually, you can rationalize that you need to quit until you’re blue in the face, but until your emotions engage, and you begin to feel better about quitting than you do about smoking, you’re not likely to get anywhere.
Nicotine addiction is powerful. Smoking cessation involves a lot of work for most people. It is doable, however, and the good news is that thousands of people quit smoking successfully every year.
Getting over the addiction is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight. But, compared to the amount of time most of us have spent agonizing over the guilt of smoking, recovery can be very quick, indeed.
Complementary Approach
The reason that quitting smoking is a daunting thought for most people is because cigarettes create both a physiological as well as psychological dependence on nicotine. Biogetica’s approach to helping you stop smoking aims at easing your withdrawal symptoms and cutting cravings for cigarettes. The resonance Homeopathy and advanced bioenergetic smoking remedies are believed to work by:
• Providing support to your nerves, to help relax you and cut your craving for nicotine.
• Detoxifying your system, so nicotine gets cleared quicker and you experience minimal withdrawal symptoms.
• Gently creating a distaste for tobacco/ nicotine.
• Oxygenating your cells and acting as an energizing aid.