How Do Stop Smoking Aids Work
Because giving up smoking is known to be a challenging task, many people try to stop smoking by using stop smoking aids. There are a lot of these stop smoking aids such as patches, pills, gums, inhalers, and natural remedies available on the market.
The patch is one of the first things that come to mind when people think about aids to stop smoking. This is because the nicotine patch is well known and commonly available at most pharmacies. The patch is designed to help ease the discomfort caused by withdrawal symptoms.
Since many smokers experience symptoms of withdrawal such as headaches, cravings, anxiety, nervousness, fatigue, and irritability, the patch tends to be very useful. Of course, smokers still experience cravings as well as some other symptoms, but the patch is known to help smokers tolerate their cravings for longer periods. Nevertheless, in order to be successful, an individual must use the patch every day for about three months. It is said that one in every five dedicated quitters will be able to stop smoking with the help of the patch. Still some people experience side effects from the patch, including skin irritation and trouble sleeping. Most people recommend that quitters start therapy along with the nicotine patch.
A popular and well known stop smoking aid is the pill, otherwise known as bupropion or Zyban. This prescription drug and antidepressant pill is actually for those individuals who are depressed. However, it has been proven that this pill also helps smokers trying to quit smoking by suppressing symptoms of withdrawal. In fact, some studies show that Zyban is twice as effective as a nicotine patch. In any case, it is easy to use and non-addictive. Side effects of Zyban include trouble sleeping and a dry mouth. It is certainly worth a try.
Nicotine inhalers and nicotine gum are examples of other stop smoking aids. Nicotine gum assists people in their quest to quit by keeping their mouths busy and delivering small doses of nicotine to ward off intense cravings. Some people are hesitant to quit smoking because of the possibility of large weight gain. In such cases nicotine gum is the most useful option as helps ward off cravings without weight gain. Nicotine gum is chewed like other gums and may be used for about 12 weeks to wean off nicotine addiction.
Nicotine inhalers are stop smoking aids that allow smokers to take a nicotine dose whenever they feel it’s necessary. The inhaler imitates the nicotine effects of smoking, and helps make quitting smoking easier for those trying to stop smoking. Throat and mouth irritation are some of the side effects.
It is important to remember, however, that stop smoking aids can only work when individuals want them to work. That is, individuals must be fully dedicated to quitting smoking. This inner drive and motivation is the only way smokers will be able to quit smoking. Though stop smoking aids such as nicotine patches, nicotine pills, nicotine gum, and nicotine inhalers can help smokers quit, nothing can help them quit permanently except willpower.
