MAIN Health Smoking - Kicking the Habit

In the U.S., smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease — ranging from heart disease, stroke and lung cancer to age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and pancreatic cancer. Other conditions sometimes associated with smoking include complications in pregnancy, and migraine headaches.

Indeed, the sooner smoker's quit, the better.

So why do millions of people around the world, who are aware of smoking's dangers to their lungs and overall health, still continue to smoke?

The answer is that nicotine helps boost a brain chemical called dopamine which, in short, simply makes smokers feel good ... and leaves them wanting more. For this reason, those who abruptly quit often find it takes several attempts before they can permanently kick the habit.

Physcial withdrawl symptoms may vary depending on how long and how much they've smoked. Mild-to-severe symptoms typically include headaches, colds, congestion, tremors, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, and digestive upset.

In addition to physical symptoms (which usually dissipate after 72 hours), psychological withdrawal may persist for many months afterward. Upon awakening or going to bed, in times of stress or elation, following a meal, in social situations, while drinking alcohol, or any other time the subconcious expects a nicotine fix is when cravings are strongly triggered.

Today, help is widely available for smokers who want to kick the habit, including support groups or behavorial therapy and couseling sessions, or in combination with nicotine replacement therapy in the form of nicotine chewing gum, patches, nasal sprays or inhalers.

Antidepressants such as Wellbutrin or Zyban are also prescribed to support smoking cessation, and vaccines are now being readied to help smokers quit by blocking the dopamine response triggered by nicotine.

Around the Web, find out more about the dangers of smoking along with guides to medications and aids to smoking cessation, where to find support, tips & advice on stress relief, plus related forums & discussion boards with helpful personal stories on how other smokers finally kicked the habit for good ...

Questions About Smoking, Tobacco and Health - One-stop browsing for extensive Q&A from the American Cancer Society on health risks of developing heart, lung and other diseases, the effects of second-hand smoke, facts on nicotine addiction, immediate & long-term rewards of quitting smoking, a guide to smoking cessation aids and medications, related statistics, and links to additional resources and support.

Smoking - Steps to Help You Break the Habit - Quick guide to self-care with simple steps that smokers can take on the road to quitting, plus tips on stress management, and information on monetary and health benefits.

How to Quit - Excellent collection of informative articles on helping smokers kick the habit including facts on smoking cessation products, related health benefits, guides specifically targeted to African Americans, teens and clinicians, with related links & resources.

WhyQuit.com - Billing itself as "the Internet's leading cold turkey quit smoking resource" with a wealth of tips & advice on quitting, information on nicotine addiction, smoking's effects on the lungs and circulatory system, personal stories, related video clips, forums & discussion boards.

Quitting Smoking - Information from the American Lung Association with facts on nicotine replacement therapy including details on the nicotine patch, nicotine gum, prescription medications and a link to their free online smoking cessation program.

Quit Smoking - Online resources from the Canadian Cancer Society offering a self-help program, smoker's hotline number, support for those who want to help others quit, and an interactive calculator showing how much money can be saved by kicking the habit.

Giving Up Smoking - The UK campaign from the National Health Service with tips, expert advice, health information for teens and pregnant women, tools for calculating trigger points or how much money smokers spend on cigarettes, plus toll free telephone numbers for locating personal counseling, support groups & related NHS stop smoking services.

Quit Now - Australia's national campaign with information on health benefits, online self-help booklet, interactive Quit Coach, tips on stress relief, related screen savers, video ads.

also see related feature -> Don't Just Quit. Take the Next Step

also see -> Cancer | Lung Cancer | Teen Health

Men's Health | Women's Health

This information is intended as reference and not as medical advice.
All treatment decisions should be made by medical professionals.