A majority of tobacco users report having strong and uncontrollable urges to smoke. One can, however, resist these desires. Remember that whether you light a cigarette or take a dip in chewing tobacco, the need to use tobacco will likely disappear in 5 to 10 minutes, no matter how powerful it may seem. You get one step closer to quitting smoking permanently every time you manage to stifle a nicotine craving.
Let's first understand how these cravings occur. Within 10 seconds of entering your body, nicotine goes to your brain. It results in the release of adrenaline from the brain, which produces a buzz of pleasure and energy. However, the buzz quickly dissipates. Then you might feel worn out or a little depressed, and you need that high once more. You will need to smoke more cigarettes to experience the same high because your body is developing a high tolerance to nicotine. This up-and-down cycle keeps repeating itself. That is the cause of addiction.
People could have withdrawal symptoms if they stop smoking. That is because their bodies must adjust to living without nicotine. Some withdrawal signs include: being depressed, having issues with falling asleep, feeling agitated, tense, or grumpy, having difficulty focusing and thinking, feeling jittery and restless, decreased heart rate, and an increased appetite.
In recent years, a medication form called nicotine replacement therapy has emerged that helps combat the problem of smoking. A few types of NRTs include the nicotine patch, gum, inhalers, lozenges, and nasal spray. Let’s take a deeper look at how each of these quit-smoking products works:
1) Nicotine Patch:
These stop-smoking patches gradually release a controlled amount of therapeutic nicotine through the skin. By continuously altering to lower-dose quit-smoking patches over time, one gradually weans himself off of nicotine. Three strengths of the nicotine patch available are: 7 mg, 14 mg, and 21 mg. The dosage depends on how much you currently smoke.
2) Nicotine Gum:
Chewing nicotine gum allows remedial nicotine to be absorbed through the mucous membrane of the mouth, making it a fast-acting nicotine replacement treatment.
This quit-smoking gum functions by supplying your body with nicotine to lessen the withdrawal symptoms encountered while quitting smoking and as a replacement oral activity to decrease the temptation to smoke.
3) Nicotine Lozenges:
Nicotine lozenges are available in 2 strengths: 2 mg and 4 mg. Eating a lozenge is less obvious to onlookers than chewing a piece of gum, NRT patients prefer doing so. The two most often used nicotine replacement therapies in India are nicotine transdermal patch therapy and nicotine gum therapy.
Nicotine lozenges dissolve in the mouth slowly. Usually, it is used following the instructions on the packaging, at least 15 minutes after consuming food or liquids.
4) Nasal Spray:
When using a nicotine nasal spray, nicotine is quickly and directly delivered through the nose to the bloodstream. The way nicotine nasal spray works is that the nicotine is absorbed by the blood vessels in the nasal route, reducing your want to smoke and enabling you to keep quitting your mental smoking habit.
5) Nasal Inhaler:
The nicotine inhaler is immediately vapored into the mouth and throat by the user, where it is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. If your withdrawal symptoms persist, think about using both nicotine patch therapy and an oral inhaler. While the inhaler can be used to more quickly satisfy cravings as they happen, patches can maintain a consistent level of nicotine in the body to minimize withdrawal.
Apart from these 5 effective solutions that would help you in quitting smoking, here are some lifestyle alterations and practices that you can inculcate in your daily routine to combat the craving of nicotine:
- Physical Activity: Your need for cigarettes can be subdued with the aid of physical activity. Even small spurts of exertion — such as jogging up and down the stairs a few times — can help a cigarette urge go away.
- Combating a cigarette urge can be stressful in and of itself. Try to relax by practicing techniques like deep breathing, muscular relaxation, yoga, visualization, massage, or relaxing music.
- Make contact with a member of your family, a close friend, or a support group for assistance in overcoming a tobacco craving. Discuss on the phone, take a stroll, laugh a little, or get together to talk and support one another. Counseling might also be beneficial.
Quitting smoking is a difficult yet an achievable goal. During your journey you may encounter certain obstacles but remember that doing something to resist the impulse to smoke is always preferable to doing nothing. You get one step closer to quitting cigarettes each time you withstand an urge for tobacco. 2baconil is here to help you take your first step towards a smoke-free life.