If you’re a smoker, kicking the habit for good is the single most important action you can take to improve your health and protect your long-term well-being. No matter what your age, how much you smoke, or how long you’ve been smoking, the benefits of quitting are immense and invaluable.
At Fivestar Pulmonary Associates in Allen, McKinney, and Plano, Texas, our board-certified pulmonologists offer comprehensive smoking cessation support services that aim to help you gain the upper hand over:
Here, our experienced team takes an in-depth look at five smoking cessation tools that can sustain and enhance your efforts, making it easier to kick the habit successfully.
Quitline services — including call centers, national texting portals, and apps — provide access to free expert help when you need it most, strengthening your smoking cessation efforts. While the coaching and support strategies they offer are much like those you get from stop-smoking classes or with doctor support, they can be a valuable complement to physician care.
When you call a quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW, or 1-800-784-8669, is a good place to start), you can speak confidentially with someone who’s trained to help people quit smoking. Whether you need someone to listen to you, encourage you, advise you, or all the above, you can call almost any time. You can receive similar support via text message by texting “QUITNOW” to 333888.
Craving a cigarette is a common symptom of nicotine withdrawal when you first quit smoking. When you have the urge to smoke, it can feel like that’s the only thing you’re able to focus on. Self-distraction — or consciously redirecting your attention — is an effective way to cope with cravings, and one of the most effective distraction techniques is physical activity.
Whether you head out for a walk, hop on your bike, go for a swim, or hit the gym, exercise can keep you busy until your cravings pass. Even better, studies show that short sessions of aerobic activity actually reduce your urge to smoke, and those diminished cravings last for about an hour after exercise.
Nicotine’s highly addictive properties are what make smoking cessation so difficult. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) makes the process easier and less intense by providing your body with gradually lower doses of nicotine over time, without exposing you to the many harmful chemicals found in cigarettes.
Over-the-counter NRT options, which are approved by the FDA and available without a prescription to anyone aged 18 and older, include:
Nicotine patches deliver a measured dose of nicotine through your skin. They come in several strengths so you can gradually decrease your dosage over time. Nicotine gum and lozenges are fast-acting forms of NRT that come in two dosage strengths; spacing your dosages throughout the day can help you control your cravings.
The FDA has also approved two nicotine-containing prescription medications for smoking cessation: One is delivered via nasal spray, and the other is delivered through an oral inhaler. Both are fast-acting, dose-adjustable options that deliver nicotine quickly to your bloodstream, easing your cravings.
With a prescription nicotine inhaler, you don’t inhale the medicine all the way into your lungs; instead, you puff on the inhaler device and the nicotine is mainly absorbed at the back of your throat. With a prescription nicotine nasal spray, the nicotine dose is absorbed mostly through your nose. The nasal spray is typically prescribed to help treat severe nicotine addictions.
There are also two FDA-approved prescription medications for smoking cessation that don’t contain nicotine: bupropion SR and varenicline. Both are taken in tablet form for about 12 weeks.
Bupropion SR eases your withdrawal symptoms by affecting the brain chemicals that drive cravings. It can be helpful if you’ve tried to quit smoking with other medicines without success. You can use it in conjunction with NRT. Varenicline reduces nicotine withdrawal symptoms as well as the pleasure you get from smoking.
To learn more about the various tools available to support your smoking cessation efforts, call or click online to schedule a visit at your nearest Fivestar Pulmonary Associates office. Get started now by filling out our lung cancer prescreening form and COPD assessment test (CAT) today.
