Here are the most proven methods of quitting smoking Here are the most proven methods of quitting smoking

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Here are the most proven methods of quitting smoking
 August 06, 2019

Smoking continues to be the leading cause of death avoidable throughout the West and kills more than 70,000 people in our country every year. Nevertheless, 10.9 million Italians continue to light up a cigarette every day and, according to data from the Institute for Health and Drug Smoking, a 30-year-old, 30 percent of the Italian tobacco addicts try to quit without success. It is essential to personalize the intervention: for example, you can turn to one of the many Anti-Smoking Centers (toll-free number 800 554 088).


All the damage from smoking, from tumors to impotence
Tobacco is alone responsible for 90 percent of lung cancer cases, 70 percent of those with bladder cancer and thousands of other types of cancer (stomach, liver, larynx, pharynx, pancreas) that are diagnosed every year. The smoke then increases the possibility of damage to the heart and the circulatory system, favoring diseases such as stroke, arteriosclerosis, and peripheral vascular diseases. And to this must be added another long series of diseases: from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Bpco), destined to become the third cause of death worldwide, to bronchitis and pneumonia; from damage to the skin to erectile dysfunction and impotence in males.


First step: do the "identikit" of the smoker (and ask for help)
«When finally a smoker decides to stop and asks for help, based on his« identikit »(how much and when he smokes, because, since how long and his attitude, even psychological, towards smoking) the doctor decides which strategy to prescribe him to help him cope with the symptoms related to abstention - explains Roberto Boffi, a pulmonologist, head of the anti-smoking center of the National Cancer Institute in Milan -. You can opt for a unique method or a mix of strategies depending on the person you are dealing with ».
In short, addiction to cigarettes must be assessed both as a daily quantity of nicotine (for example the intense desire to smoke at more or less regular intervals) and as a symbolic value (if smoking is a remedy for anxiety, a source of pleasure, a facilitator of social contacts, etc.) "Statistics and scientific studies clearly show that the chances of quitting are higher if one turns to an Anti-Smoking Center - adds Pacific -. The smoker is like a patient and the successes of the cure certainly depend on the strength of will and the motivation of the person, but also on the targeted help that can be received ».


Pills, patches, inhalers, and chewing gum
The "nicotine replacement therapy" is a strategy that has been widely proven to be effective and consists of using different devices (candies, patches, inhalers or chewing gum) with a low nicotine content in order to mitigate the withdrawal symptoms. In practice, the goal is to provide the body with nicotine to compensate for the "usual" daily dose that is absent with smoking cessation. The various nicotine-based medicines can be purchased at the pharmacy, without a prescription, but to set times and doses it may be useful to follow the advice of your doctor: generally you should take them for three months, with a daily dosage to be reduced by a third monthly .
The cost of the drugs is entirely borne by the patient, which however goes largely to compensate for the money saved from the purchase of cigarettes. Several scientific studies have indicated that the combination of various replacement therapies seems to increase the success rate, just as it seems to be useful to start gradually with drugs that mitigate the desire before saying goodbye to cigarettes. As for the side effects, those that are most frequently found are minor buccal mucosa disorders, especially following the use of gums, tablets and inhalers, and instead cutaneous side effects for the use of the patches. Obviously, after the suspension of the therapy, these effects regress immediately.


Medicines prescribed by your doctor
Another effective and safe method for cessation is drug therapy based on buproprion or varenicline. Varenicline is a nicotine agonist/antagonist drug that, by acting in a cerebral way similar to it, is able to reduce the desire to smoke and is approved for the treatment of smoking cessation. As well as bupropion, a dopaminergic type antidepressant medicine that can decrease the intensity of nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. These anti-smoking devices are also a valid support for psychological dependence, helping the patient who is quitting to control the moments when the urge to smoke has increased.
The treatment must be prescribed by the doctor who establishes times and dosages and the cost is borne by the patient but goes largely to compensate for the money saved from the purchase of cigarettes. "Several studies have shown - explains Pacifici - that the greatest difficulties for the smoker are evident within 24 hours from the last cigarette and the most critical point occurs in the first 4 days: the symptoms of abstinence tend to diminish from the first week to first month, even if the feelings of discomfort can last even for a few months ». With the use of these medicines, the chances of quitting are more than double compared to not taking any therapy.


Psychological support and self-help groups
Often people who decide to quit smoking need meetings with specially trained staff to motivate them and support them in their choice. Several Italian Anti-Smoking Centers offer psychological support to learn to face the most difficult moments. Cognitive-behavioral therapies and individual professional counseling (in person and by telephone) facilitate discussion on one's own experience, help to gain confidence and strengthen motivation. In group therapies, cognitive and behavioral strategies is then added to the sharing of problems and motivations with other smokers.
Meeting groups have a strong point: the desire to quit smoking can be contagious. Furthermore, several surveys conducted on couples of smokers have shown that the chances of success increase if two are tried and instead decrease when the attempt is made by only one of the two partners. Not all anti-smoking centers organize group meetings for smokers: in the ISS list you can find those (hospitals or the Italian League for the Fight against Cancer - Lilt) that offer this service, usually managed by a "moderator" and for a period of several months.


Books and DIY
Only the most determined and self-disciplined manage to say goodbye to tobacco alone. It is certainly not impossible, but according to the statistics only between 4 and 7 percent of those who try on their own (the fateful «tomorrow I quit») completes the enterprise. Essential requirements are however an iron willpower and an important basic motivation.
For those who try it, some tricks can be useful such as: drinking water (preferably in small sips evenly distributed throughout the day), doing so much movement (to release tension, avoid gaining weight and perceive the rapid improvements due to stop smoking). , such as lowering the frequency of heartbeats and the disappearance of calf cramps when running), involving family members in the attempt (no cigarettes offered and above all no more passive smoking at home or in the car) or avoiding situations linked to the desire for a cigarette. Among the books, it is better to privilege those that do not promise miracles but accompany the smoker in a personalized path towards liberation from tobacco addiction.


Electronic cigarettes
There are two types of electronic cigarettes on the market (also known as "e-cig"): those without and those with nicotine, which in the second case is however absorbed by the body in quantities that are not yet fully defined. According to the World Health Organization, however , e-cig may not today be declared neither effective nor certainly harmless, whether or not their steam contains nicotine and that it is actively inhaled or instead passively being close to those who are using them.
In addition to doubts about health due to their use, especially if continued over time, a limitation of electronic cigarettes is that they maintain the gestures and inhalation so dear to smokers, risking to perpetuate the gesture indefinitely until «exhaustion» and the consequent surrender. Moreover it must be said that while the old generation e-cigarettes do not substantially emit carcinogenic substances but only irritants (such as some heavy metals) with steam, it has recently been shown that the newer ones, which work with tobacco cartridges, are capable to produce carcinogens. There are those who managed to stop thanks to the transition (for a few months) to e-cig, but according to data from the Italian National Institute of Health, the use of electronic cigarettes in Italy has more than halvedMost of the former users have used it for less than six months or for less than a month. It is therefore likely to think, according to experts, that combined with a strong will to stop e-cig is useful, otherwise you go back to old habits.


Sport, relaxation and a diet for those who want to quit smoking
It is important when you want to quit smoking (and not fall back) to get back an effective breathing, especially the diaphragmatic inspiratory one (commonly called "breathing with the belly"). Breath can be re-educated and rehabilitated, at any age and health condition, it is enough to want it and know how to do it, alone or better still with a competent guide, as can be that of your instructor in the gym or in the pool.
The effect, combined with all the activity that is possible (and highly recommended) to do, will be that of a perception of the benefits on our vital energy and on the capacity to resist to efforts, as well as to finally manage to carve out times in the day of healthy relaxation and care for the body and mind. "When you stop smoking you risk the appearance of nervous hunger and increased appetite," says Roberto Boffi, head of the anti-smoking center of the National Cancer Institute in Milan, which recommends a daily menu suitable for those who want to become a non-smoker: