Risks associated to smoking

People who smoke are not just in risk of developing lung cancer, recent studies have shown that they are also in danger of developing other cancer forms, such as colorectal cancer.
 
 
This conclusion was reached by a team of scientists after studying the association  between colorectal cancer and long term cigarette smoking. 185,000 participants where studied from 1992 through 2005. Their age ranged from 50 to 74 years. In the study the participants where required to describe their medical conditions and behaviors.   
 
Those who smoked for more than 40 years, and those who not stopped smoking before being 40 years old, had from 30 to 50 percent higher risk of developing rectal or colon cancer. That’s even after analyzing other risk factors.  
 
Smoking have also being linked with increased risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes.  A systematic review of the incidence of diabetes and other metabolism irregularities showed that active smokers have 44 percent higher risk of developing diabetes, compared with people who do not smoke.  They reached this conclusion after making an analysis of 25 different studies on which a total of 1.2 million people participated.  
 
The study also showed that the more you smoke, the higher the risk.  For heavy smokers (more than 20 cigarettes per day) the risk was 61 percent higher, while the risk for lighter smokers was 29 percent. For people who had quit smoking the risk was even lower, 23 percent.

I am Ready to Quit Smoking Right Now

Smoking is a habit that people develop with the course of time and they realize it is something that would keep them happy and hearted but not for long. They come to know of the furious reality about the nicotine they are consuming shortly after which most of the people decide to quit and get rid of the habit that has been bothering them physiologically and psychologically both. Quitting smoking however, is not that immediate and quick. You go through severe withdrawal symptoms and as soon as your body lacks nicotine, you crave the consumption all over again.

 This article would reflect some light on the ideas on how to quit smoking so it could benefit you in a constructive manner. You would have to keep the negative attitude aside for the sake of your life and the health that you are ruining from your own hands. In the following passages, you would find the answer of the questions and concerns you have regarding your smoking regime.

 You should get rid of the cigarettes and related products the day you have decided to quit because out of sight sometimes proves to be out of mind for an addict. You should give away or throw the lighters, matchsticks or any of the things you keep with yourself because this would initiate your motivation against the thoughts that you have. Never take along cigarettes. Don’t buy them just incase either.

 You should prepare your mind to accept the fact that as long as you live, you won’t touch another cigarette. It is important for you to know that if you carry anything related to smoking with you, you would smoke again whenever you feel like it. You should take out smoking from every prospective of your life. You should be serious when you are with your friends who are smokers, don’t accept their offer to smoke instead, tell them to give up this injurious habit as well. Set some ground rules for yourself to get rid of your smoking habit from your life. You should know that your decision is right and undoubtedly you are on the right track to do the best thing.

 Every time you feel like you are craving cigarettes, you should think of the positiveness you have so far and the way you managed to survive without consuming it. You can substitute the cravings by citric juices or water or any light fruit salad. Consider exercising or walking consistently if you are worried about gaining weight; this issue is manageable.

Reasons To Quit #3: Save Your Looks

What do people usually say when they’re trying to warn you off smoking? Well, usually the same old story we’ve heard a thousand times before – about your health, your lungs, and what smoking can do to your inner body in general. It’s incredible to think, but continued bombardment to this kind of scare tactic can actually become mundane after awhile – who knew humans had the capacity to be bored of hearing about cancer?

In truth, there’s often very little point in telling a smoker that they will probably get cancer if they continue their habit. This is primarily because no smoker will have never heard that before. Most smokers, you probably, are well aware of the risks but continue with their habit regardless. Foolhardy it may be, but it’s true.

The anti-smoking brigade are usually so keen to impress upon people the physical wellness effects of smoking that they forget the other, less publicised problems your habit can cause. Namely, the catastrophic effect smoking can have on your outward physical appearance. It’s a vanity, but unlike the “you’ll get cancer” line, some smokers may well not be aware of the long-term physical damage smoking can do to their looks.

The most compelling impact smoking can have on one’s looks is there for all to see; the face. Smoking increases the risk of deep, lined wrinkles by nearly 400% – particularly those around the mouth and under the cheeks. The vast majority of people will develop laughter (or ‘frown’ – depending on your optimism!) lines in their lifetime; a smoker will not only get the usual dose, but the lines will be deeper and more pronounced. It doesn’t matter how many anti-wrinkle creams you rub into your skin, nothing – and we mean nothing – will be able to repair the damage smoking does to the skin.

Secondly – as a smoker, have you taken a look at your nails recently? Or your fingers in general? Most smokers will develop a yellowing of the fingertips or nail bed, primarily on the fore finger of the hand they tend to hold a cigarette in. This is nicotine staining and well it can be removed if you’re vigilant, it is unavoidable unless you smoke with gloves on permanently. This staining makes your hands look dirty and unpleasant, and is a massive turn off for any non-smoker you should come into contact with.

Continuing the ‘nicotine staining’ theme; the teeth. Smoking causes yellow teeth; it’s as simple as that. While you may think rubbing away at the staining with high-strength whitening products will help, in reality, you could be making it worse. Most teeth whitening solutions involve stripping the top layer of enamel from your teeth, so at to reveal a shiny white layer beneath. However, this makes your teeth vulnerable for a couple of days until they have recovered from the treatment – smoke during that period, and the staining can actually come back worse than ever before.

Smoking also has an effect on your hair; with a continued habit, hair will become more brittle and prone to breakage. You may also find the exposure to smoke means your hair is less shiny and bountiful than it might usually be.

It’s not a pretty picture, is it? Stained teeth, hands and nails; deep worry lines and wrinkles and a generally lacklustre appearance. It might not pack quite the punch as the image of yourself with cancer, but nevertheless… something to think about.

A Beginner's Guide To Hypnosis

Hypnosis is one of the most recognised ways of fighting a cigarette habit, and even receives endorsement from the medical community. However, hypnosis suffers from the same identity problem as acupuncture; namely, it all appears a little too “new Age-y” for the average person.

Just because something is “New Age” in substance does not mean it won’t work. Take acupuncture again; this ancient Chinese method of pain and stress relief has now been incorporated, and recognised, by Western medicine. Hypnosis has achieved the same status, yet the general populace still seem wary about its efficacy.

Here, we’ll try and bust some myths and show just how useful it could be to anyone trying to give up smoking.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis involves you, the sitter, being placed in a highly relaxed, tranquil and almost subconscious state. You surrender your conscious mind – most people will have no memory of what happens to them under hypnosis – and the hypnotist or therapist will then speak to the ‘inner you’. The process bypasses your conscious mind and talks instead to your inner self.

By tapping in to this inner self, a qualified therapist can determine your reasons for smoking and can then correctly go about eradicating them. The idea is that by convincing your unconscious mind you do not need to smoke – your unconscious mind being more receptive to change – then your consciousness will soon follow suit.

I don’t like the idea of being unconscious with someone I don’t know. Could I be taken advantage of?

Hypnosis produces an odd state on the mind. You’re ‘there’, and can communicate, but you’re also ‘not there’. Most likely, you would notice if you were ever in physical danger.

The best step to prevent anything unpleasant happening to you is to select a hypnotist you can trust. All countries have a governing body for hypnotists, much like a workers code, with requirements that must be met. Check any qualifications a hypnotist claims to have and search for the hypnotist on the internet, to try and find user experience.

If this does not reassure you, you can also have a friend or family member present during any hypnosis.

Does it work?

Well, isn’t that just the $64,000 question?

There are two ways of proving the efficacy of a therapy or treatment: clinical proof obtained during controlled tests and trials, and general consensus of those using the therapy. The latter is obviously more woolly and subject to personal experience, and is slightly less trusted than results from controlled labratory testing.

In terms of the first point – controlled testing – there is no definitive study that has proved once and for all that hypnosis works. However, there is no proof to say it doesn’t work, either. Hypnosis is subjective, and depends on the willingness of the subject, and for those reasons it is an unreliable test study.

The medical community, however, are open and accepting of hypnosis as a treatment – largely due to the latter method of proof, general consensus. Essentially, more people claim hypnosis has worked for them than those who say it has not.

Hypnosis is largely reserved as a last measure, when all conventional methods of quitting smoking (or whatever the hypnosis is being used to treat) have been exhausted. However, it has millions of converts across the globe – and they can’t all be wrong.

Reasons To Quit Smoking #2: Finances

Smoking could cost you your life – but most smokers know that, nowadays. So is there anything else your cigarette habit could end up “costing” you? Well, for a habit, smoking is extremely expernsive – and perhaps in ways you hadn’t even imagined.

The most obvious cost of smoking is the purchase price of cigarettes and associated items such as lighters or matches. There is no way to smoke “on the cheap” – it’s expensive, and Governments have cottoned on to the fact that smokers will continue their habit even if the cost keeps rising. The end result? Cigarettes and tobacco are a prime target for any tax hike, and what’s more, a government can claim they’re doing it for “health” rather than economic reasons. This essentially means the tax on smoking will never be lowered by a new administration; no elected representative wants to be seen to be encouraging smoking, so the price is here to stay.

It is worth sitting down and calculating how much buying cigarettes costs you. The math is simple: how many packets do you smoke a day, and how much does that cost? Let’s say you smoke one packet a day, with the packet costing (for ease of understanding) $10. So, for example:

$10 x 7 = $70 – Your Weekly Cigarette Bill

$70 x 4 = $280 – Your Monthly Cigarette Bill

$280 x 12 = $3, 360 – Your YEARLY Cigarette Bill

Scary, isn’t it? Well, it can get worse. Say you earn an average wage of $25,000. That means -

13.5% of your total income is spent on cigarettes.

Do these figures for yourself, and when you have your final number, try and think about it. Using the above example – what could you spend $3, 360 on? That’s a weekend away at a nice hotel, new furniture or even a plane ticket abroad.

So that’s the obvious financial cost of smoking, but it’s important to remember the hidden costs. The biggest hidden cost of smoking is in terms of insurance, both health and life.

No insurance company wants to insure smokers; some insurance companies will flat refuse to insure smokers. So you’ve already narrowed your field when it comes to getting a good deal. Even if you do manage to find a provider for health or life insurance, you will pay a significantly higher premium than you would if you were a non-smoker. The difference can sometimes be as high as 30% more. So that’s another several hundred dollars per year that your smoking habit could cost you financially.

Here’s a quick list of other things smoking financially effects:

• Your furniture and decorations. Nicotine turns items a horrible shade of yellow; if you smoke indoors, you will need to replace soft furnishings frequently and furniture every couple of years. Nothing can escape that yellow colour, and it looks disgusting.
• If you have home, contents or disaster insurance, you may be charged a higher premium for being a smoker. The reason? People drop cigarettes or fall asleep while smoking, increasing the likelihood of a fire. What’s worse, if you do not tell your insurer you smoke and then you do have a fire (even if it is not smoking related), your claim will be invalid.

It is not unreasonable to think that just a moderate smoking habit can end up costing the smoker in excess of $7000 per year.

So… is it really worth it?

Stop Smoking Methods: Nasal Sprays

Everyone knows about the most common forms of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT); the things designed to help an active smoker become an ex smoker. Yet these methods are fallible, and you may have tried them before – so are there other alternatives? The answer is yes, and by far the most effective is the Nasal Spray…

What Is It?

A nicotine nasal spray is exactly what it sounds like: a spray containing nicotine. The spray is used on an as-needed basis, when smokers feel a craving for a cigarette.

How Does They Work?

The liquid spray usually comes in the same kind of canister one would normally associate with cold and ‘flu products. The spray contains an active ingredient of nicotine, which is the addictive chemical found in cigarettes. The plastic cannister is inserted into one nostril, and the spray is then “sprayed” in by depressing some part of the cannister. This releases the nicotine into the nose while the user sniffs. The nicotine is then absorbed into the lining of the nose, and eventually the blood stream.

Does It Work?

Indeed it does – the nasal spray is one of the most effective methods of NRT, though one of the least well known. The success rate has been as high as 80% in some studies. This is largely attributed to the fact that the nasal spray, unlike gum or patches, induces the feeling of a nicotine “hit” in the user. This “hit” is a sudden burst of nicotine into the blood stream, which is usually found when smoking a cigarette. Users find this satisfies cravings in the same way a cigarette would.

Do It Have Any Side Effects?

One of the reasons the nasal spray is not as heard of as other forms of NRT is due to its side effects. While not extreme, the effects are more noticeable in a large percentage of users than with patches or gum. The main side effects is a sore nose, as the interior lining of the nasal passages is regularly subjected to pure nicotine. This creates hayfever-like symptoms of sneezing and a running nose in some, though not all, users.

Though inserted into the nostril, the spray can also produce a “taste” which users find distinctly unpleasant.

Good Points?

The nasal spray is almost unique to nicotine replacement therapy in that it generates a “hit” of nicotine, a feeling akin to smoking a cigarette – this is its overwhelming plus point. The spray also encourages people to rely on willpower for the time they are not using the spray, and it is therefore easier to decrease the amount of sprays used – and therefore end an overall reliance on nicotine. The “as and when” method does not suit all, but is particularly useful for smokers who get cravings only at particular points in the day – such as after eating, or first thing in the morning.

Bad Points?

The effects of one burst of spray last between 15 and 20 minutes, which is roughly the same as a cigarette. After that, users feel completely “normal” again, unlike the slow-release nicotine therapies of gum or patches. This is very much a type of NRT that appeals only to some rather than all smokers, as cravings can be more severe in between sprays – though the spray is more satisfying than gym or patches.

Is It Good For Light or Heavy Smokers?

The nasal spray is particularly good for heavy smokers who miss that nicotine “rush” type feeling. Light smokers may find the side effects an unfair exchange.

RATING: * * * * *

Reasons To Quit Smoking #1: Smoking Bans

Smoking bans: smokers thought it’d never happen… but it did. First the US, then Ireland, then the UK. France, for awhile, remained a stronghold – after all, surely no one would try and stop the French from smoking? That’s akin to stopping the Irish from drinking, surely? Then, France announced a ban, and smokers had to admit: it had happened.

Most countries in the world have now taken the controversial step to ban smoking, at least in public places. While smokers cry out for their libertarian rights, many a non-smoker are now free to breathe clean and fresh air, and with it they are breathing sighs of relief. Most smokers have remained stubborn – since the ban on smoking, fewer than expected smokers have given up the habit – but if you are considering given up smoking, the bans are worth taking note of.

The scenario is simple. You’re enjoying a nice evening out with friends. You’ve had a pleasant glass of wine, some good food and the company is exemplary. Then… what happens? Well, as any smoker will know, the itch and desire for a cigarette soon becomes overwhelming. Yet with the nationwide application of smoking bans, you can’t stay tucked up in your seat and light up – you’ve got to go outside.

In summer, this is acceptable – perhaps even preferable. Yet what about when winter rolls around? Suddenly, you leave a comfortable atmosphere in an eatery and venture out into the frost-bitten outside world. There, you can fiddle around with a lighter which is stubbornly objecting to being used in the wind. When you finally get your cigarette lit, you will have to stand and shiver right down to the last blasts of your precious nicotine. If it’s raining, you get wet. If it’s snowing, you get cold and wet. It’s miserable, and what’s more, you will have disturbed the natural flow of conversation around the dining table – and all for a cigarette. Is it really worth it?

Ban smoking, countries realised, and you take away one of the more pleasant aspects of the habit: socialising. While it may not be fair that smokers are now relegated outside like cattle, it is nevertheless in the interest of the non-smokers who want to enjoy an evening out without having to breathe smoke. You may have chosen your habit, but these bystanders did not.

No matter the rights or wrong of the matter – or how it effects your social life – smoking bans are here to stay. No country can live without the tax from cigarettes, it’s true, but no Government is going to reverse a smoking ban. The bans on smoking aren’t going to change, and that means a crucial aspect of the enjoyment of smoking is going to be denied to you forevermore.

You may have happily crusaded against smoking bans, and done your time outside of restaurants and bars and pretended it doesn’t bother you. But the truth is, no smoker enjoys being forced to go and stand outside for the sake of their habit. If you quit smoking now, you will kiss goodbye to nights outside in the cold and feeling like a social outcast.

Quitting smoking because of the bans will never be a primary reason for kicking the habit, but it is worth considering. Your evenings’ out will be much more pleasant once the habit is dismissed from your routine, and you can focus on enjoying yourself rather than worrying about the outside air temperature.

If you ban smoking from your life, you will soon reap the benefits in ways you may not even have considered before.