General Health Information

Nicotine withdrawal is one of the most difficult challenges smokers face when they quit.  Symptoms may include feelings of irritability, dizziness, mild chest pains, fatigue and difficulty concentrating; as well as nausea and abdominal upset, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, and more.  It’s not easy to quit smoking nicotine.

Some of these symptoms are due to the emotional and psychological separation from smoking, but more often than not the body’s dependence on nicotine sets the newly reformed smoker up for serious discomfort that can last for weeks.  Nevertheless, it’s important to quit smoking today!

Let’s face it. We are a world of addicts. From television to food, we
can never get enough of the things we crave. Unfortunately, most of our
cravings aren’t doing us any good. A lot of them are downright deadly.

One of the most difficult addictions to break is the addiction to
nicotine. All the warnings and smoke-free workplace laws in the world
don’t change that simple fact. The chemicals in cigarette smoke have
been determined to be more addictive than heroin.

As a former smoker, I know what it feels like to walk into a smoky room
and try to resist the urge. The smoky atmosphere just causes your hand
to slowly drift toward your mouth in that cool, familiar fashion. You
need to find a cigarette. You need one now! And you’re going to track
one down and light up if it’s the last thing you do!

Alright, you get the picture. One of the biggest hurdles to overcome
when you decide to stop smoking is the smoky air smell. It’s the scent
of memories, the scent of a carefree life! Sorry to correct you, but
it’s actually the scent of doom.

So how can you avoid this circumstance in your battle against cigarettes? Negative ions and air purifiers are your answer. When the
air of a room is clean, pure, and fresh you are less likely to think of
smoking. With the right air purifier, you can have the cleanest air
possible.

The question then becomes: what is the right air purifier? Research has
shown that air purifiers using negative ions are the most effective.
Negative ions have been called nature’s most powerful air cleansing
agents. Unfortunately, they are rarely found indoors because of today’s
modern construction techniques. Negative ions are found outdoors, where
the air is naturally pure.

Picture yourself at the top of a waterfall. Imagine breathing the
freshest air possible. This is the air you breathe when using a
negative ion air purifier. This type of purifier removes the
contaminants and allergens from the air by magnetically bringing them
together, making them too heavy to float. They fall to the ground
harmlessly and do not enter your respiratory system.

Since the ions must be replenished to maintain this state, an air
purifier is the best way to keep the atmosphere in your home smoke
free. The constant influx of negative ions keeps the contaminants low
to the ground. The lack of these particles makes the air as fresh as
possible. That smoky smell is gone for good, and you’ll have less
desire to light up.

Research has shown other beneficial effects of negative ions. For one,
they have been linked to a decrease in respiratory illness in Swiss
textile mills. They have also been shown to counteract the effects of
smoking by keeping the cilia (small hairs) that line your throat in a
continual motion. Smoking slows this natural movement down, which lets
pollutants into your lungs. The ions revitalize these hairs, and they
are able to function normally.

So if you’re planning to stop smoking, a negative ion air purifier
would be a great investment. Improve your health, and make your house
smell less like a pub and more like a home.

How are smoking and depression connected? Is one the cause of the
other? Science has shown that smokers are generally more prone towards
depression than non smokers. How can employers combat this and help
employees be as productive as they can be?

The scientific connection between nicotine addiction and depression has
been well documented. A history of depression is a common link between
many people suffering from nicotine addiction. Many smokers start as
teenagers, when peer pressure and anxiety are at their zenith.

Studies have shown that regular smokers have lower monoamine oxidase A
and B activity (Sharma, 2006). These enzymes serve many functions in
the body, one being the regulation of moods. Depression has been shown
to increase when dependant smokers quit using nicotine.

Besides the time lost from smoke breaks, workplace productivity is
severely affected by the depression that accompanies nicotine
addiction. The decreased enzyme activity has also been linked to
attention deficit disorder. The ups and downs of nicotine cravings
further contribute to productivity loss. When a smoker tries and fails
to quit, depression increases.

The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention estimate that $92
billion is lost every year due to cigarette smoking. On average,
smokers take 6.16 sick days while non-smokers take 3.86 days per year
(Halpern, 2001). These two figures give a small example of lost
productivity because of nicotine addiction. Some suggest that the
losses are due to the depression caused by nicotine addiction and
withdrawal.

Because of this loss, employers would love help their employees kick
the habit. But until laws are enacted that completely ban smoking, this
is easier to say then do. Fortunately, there are technologies available
to employers that can help.

Air purifiers that use negative ion technology have been linked to a
decrease in smoking. Negative ions are particles which remove smoke and
other contaminants from the air. They attract these toxic substances
and attach themselves, causing the combined result to be too heavy to
float. No longer able to remain airborne, the contaminant sinks
harmlessly to the floor.

Besides the benefit of clean air, negative ions have also been linked
to positive moods. One of the ways they do this is by increasing the
oxygen flow to the brain. Another way is by eliminating many germs from
the air (Mann, 2003). One in three people are highly susceptible to
their effects.

Because of the mood enhancing properties, many smokers can be
encouraged to quit. The uplifting effects of the negative ions boost
their ability to quit smoking, keeping the depression at bay. With the
pure air surrounding them, employees who smoke are given a breath of
fresh air that invigorates them. They’ll be less apt to light up once
they realize that cigarettes worsen their depression.

Employers are constantly searching for ways to increase productivity.
Millions of dollars are spent trying to encourage employees to quit
smoking and get back to work. An air purifier that uses negative ions
is exactly what they need to get their employees working at full steam.

The ultimate responsibility of parents is to provide a positive role model for our children. If they see us smoke than we have no high ground from which we can advise them of the perils of smoking. If you are or were a smoker and you practiced your bad habit infron of your children, then they are really conditioned to take up the habit even before peer group pressure invites them to join in.

The science is in, smoking can kill.

Consequently it is with this thought that many parents wish their children not to acquire the bad habit of smoking since smoking is addictive, unfortunately many of our children are today caught up in adolescent smoking without any hard knowledge of how harmful it is to their overall health and to their future prospects.

Factors of Adolescent Smoking

Many people would agree that Adolescent smoking is often attributed to peer pressure and bad role models. These two are among the leading causes of adolescent smoking.

1. Peer pressure can be difficult for young people to handle. Unfortunately we cannot choose our childrens friends and they often give in to adolescent smoking just to fit in or to be noticed.
2. Having bad role models to look up to. Like rock stars, movie stars, etc who have created their own stage persona that is perceived to be cool is also a heavy influence on their behavior and the taking up of adolescence smoking.

Doesn’t it all really come back to communication, by communicating with your children, building up a friendship and trust encourages them to communicate their feelings on what is happening in their world . When you have this communication ongoing it is far easier to direct their thoughts away from adolescent smoking by giving them strength of character and the ability to say NO.

By opening and nurturing the lines of communication you will find that the rebellious nature of youth is set aside as there is trust and understanding developed between you. Try not to talk down but rather talk to your children with respect, they in turn will respect you.

In your communications you can bring up the harm of adolescent smoking. Children quickly pick up facts and most are perceptive enough to understand how their bodies and consequently their futures will be affected if they take up adolescent smoking which inevitably leads to becoming addicted to this poisonous drug.

Parents naturally protect their children, however, it is also good for them to face the hard cold facts. It really is their choice and making them aware of the consequences of adolescent smoking will help them in their descision making.
In many cases boredom leads to adolescent smoking, encourage your children to get involved in sport or outdoor activities, not only will this increase their level of fitness, it will develop self confidence and lead them away from adolescent smoking. Self confidence and a positive mental attitude will steer them in the right direction and give them the strength to resist peer group pressure.

By discouraging adolescent smoking, your childs body is able to fully develop thus ensuring a healthy lifestyle rather than one of poor physical development and constant poor health.

Authors Biography: Paul Courtney contributes articles to various paublications pertaining to Alternative Medicine and Herbal Medicine. For more information on smoking please visit http://www.smokingadvisory.com.

What Are The Effects of Smoking During Pregnancy

Complications in the Mother

The complications that they mother may experience because of the effects of smoking during pregnancy are as follows:

2. Develop urinary tract infections,
Since the effects of smoking during pregnancy can cause the mother to have a miscarriage or a stillbirth, psychological problems, such as depression, can arise. Complications in the Child

The effects of smoking during pregnancy on a child can be assigned into four categories. 1. Size of the baby,
2. Genetic abnormalities,
4. Death.

1. Preterm delivery.
The effects of smoking during pregnancy can also cause genetic abnormalities, Such as cleft lip and cleft palate. Consequences can also develop later in childhood.

The effects of smoking during pregnancy are a major issue that women, men, parents, and children have to deal with.

Authors Biography: Paul Courtney contributes articles to various paublications pertaining to Alternative Medicine and Herbal Medicine. For more information on smoking please visit http://www.smokingadvisory.com.

There are many pros that come with a stop smoking medication, for instance it is a very successful stop smoking aid that will help you greatly throughout the incredibly difficult process of quitting smoking, and so obviously this is definitely a positive.

As well, with this type of stop smoking aid you typically only need a few sessions, and so regardless of which specific type of medication you end up using, you will generally not have to use it for that long.

Yet another pro that comes from using a medication to help you quit smoking is the fact that you can do it quietly, without having to let anyone else notice, such as with the patch for instance, which is not as subtle or discreet.

Stop Smoking Medication

With any stop smoking aid or method, there are both pros and cons, and so thus the same goes for the stop smoking medication option. If you are considering taking a stop smoking medication, then you should definitely read on so that you can learn about both the pros and cons of this particular stop smoking aid.

The Pros Of A Stop Smoking Medication

There are many pros that come with a stop smoking medication, for instance it is a very successful stop smoking aid that will help you greatly throughout the incredibly difficult process of quitting smoking, and so obviously this is definitely a positive.

Stop Smoking Medication

There are so many different stop smoking tips that you can use when you are trying to get over the horrible habit of smoking, and so if you are one of the many people out there who are looking to kick the habit, then you are definitely going to want to read on so that you can learn about the best stop smoking tips that you can use for yourself.

Stop Smoking Tips That You Should Know

One of the best stop smoking tips of all is in regards to the ever so popular saying of ‘mind over matter’, and although this may sound a bit silly to you smokers, it is actually incredibly meaningful and powerful.

Stop Smoking Tips

Smokers may need several attempts before they successfully kick the habit. Every time you fail, you will learn what you can improve and what you must avoid. Each attempt will get better if you put that knowledge into good use.

Most of the times, the hard part is to subdue the nicotine addiction. Medication can help you to overcome your craving for nicotine. Just like any medication, they do have some ill effects. However, with the right aid, you can increase your success in quitting smoking. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve 6 medications to quit smoking.

As you set your quit date, you smoke your last cigarette with a
determination to kick your smoking habit forever. The interesting
part during the process of quitting smoking is the events that happen during and after 8 hours. Let’s look at bright sides first.

After 8 hours, the carbon monoxide and nicotine levels in your blood
drop by 50%. The reduction of carbon monoxide causes the oxygen levels
in your blood increases until they reach the normal level. As a result,
your blood circulation begins to improve. You start to feel healthier
than before. You also breathe easier because the mucus begins to clear
out the lungs.

Read the remaining article on the effects of quit smoking in 8 hours.