Smoking Cessation

Smoking is highly addictive, and has now been recognised as the leading cause of preventable deaths and diseases among people worldwide. In a global sense, medical authorities are looking to promote smoking cessation even further as the habit in a bid to reduce the number of those suffering from lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

The majority of smokers find it difficult to quit smoking due to a strong addition to nicotine. Comprised of as many as 4000 disparate chemicals, nicotine is seen to be highly addictive.

Withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia, irritability, and anxiety make pose a challenge for smokers who are looking to quit smoking. The only way of avoiding or alleviating these withdrawal symptoms is to seek effective anti-smoking treatment and support.

The Effects of Smoking

In actual fact, the large majority of effects are negative. Smoking has been proven to cause cancers, cardiovascular diseases, emphysema, and tuberculosis. In addition, It increases blood pressure and cholesterol, thus frequently resulting in more serious disease.

Smoking is not only dangerous for the smoker but also to those around them. Medical research has proven that second hand smoke inhalation can also lead to cancers and heart disease, as well as infections of the respiratory tract and tuberculosis.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking

These are largely obvious. First and foremost is that you extend your life expectancy by several years. Additionally, you save yourself and your near and dear ones from the trauma of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Allot of people that have ditched the habit have felt not only the physical benefits of smoking cessation but also the financial benefits. By giving up smoking, you are once again saving money and improving your own financial standing.

How to Quit Smoking?

Unfortunately, there is no straight forward method to smoke cessation. Quitting smoking is a tough task, often requiring external help. Once you have made the conscious decision to quit smoking, your first step must be to consult your doctor.

There are many quit smoking aids available for smokers. These include Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), which comes in the form of nicotine gums and lozenges, counselling, and of course, prescription medications.

There are currently two major prescription medications that are readily available for purchase including Champix and Zyban. The most recently approved is Champix. Manufactured by Pfizer, the product has been proven in a variety of clinical trials.

The second medication- Zyban, was originally developed as an anti-depressant, although clinical trials found it to be effective in terms of smoke cessation. This led to an FDA approval, and its launch on to the market as an anti-smoking medication. Zyban’s success rate is around 29% compared to 44% with Champix.

In order to obtain the treatment you will need to get a valid prescription either form your doctor or through an online consultation. The course for Champix treatment is 12 weeks long although the dosage may vary in accordance with your doctor’s recommendation.