Using Nicotine Gum To Quit Smoking
Using Nicotine Gum to Quit Smoking
An addiction to nicotine is a serious one indeed. Many studies have shown that it is one of the most addictive substances known, and most people will gain a dependency to it soon after they start smoking regularly. When you smoke a cigarette, you body receives an instant rush of nicotine - there is a spike in your nicotine levels which slowly dissipates, and when your nicotine levels drop below a certain point you will crave another spike, in the form of another cigarette.
As a smoker, part of your body's physical addition to nicotine has to do with relieving it in these "hits," and it is for this reason that an attempt to quit smoking can be so difficult. The most important thing in any attempt to quit smoking is willpower, and the chances that you will succeed in staying smoke free without the use of willpower are extremely slim. In same cases, however, you can benefit from using a medical aid in addition to your willpower. The most common and well known aids to quitting smoking are those that supply and regulate nicotine in the bloodstream.
A popular choice is nicotine gum. This is gum that resembles ordinary chewing gum, but of course it contains nicotine. The reason nicotine gum can be effective is because is can replicate nicotine spikes in your bloodstream without the need for cigarettes. The problem that some people run into with the nicotine patch - the other popular nicotine supplier - is that a nicotine patch supplies a steady amount of nicotine into your bloodstream. There is no spike, or "hit", with a patch, and for this reason some people still find themselves craving cigarettes when they use the patch: even though the body is receiving nicotine, it desires the hit that the cigarette provides.
With nicotine gum, you can attempt to replicate this hit without a cigarette. The gum is not chewed like normal gum -- rather you hold in your mouth without chewing it for long periods of time, and then give it a few chews when you want a release of nicotine, much as you would take a drag on a cigarette for a quick nicotine hit. A typical guideline for nicotine gum would be to chew it 3-4 times, until you feel a tingling sensation, at which point you should flatten it and place it between your cheek and gum. Repeat the brief chewing process at occasional intervals as necessary. Under no circumstances should nicotine gum be chewed like ordinary gum, as too much nicotine will be released into your bloodstream.
Nicotine Gum comes in 2mg and 4mg strengths (the 4mg is recommended if you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day.) It is recommended that you use the gum every 1-2 hours throughout the day, for a period of up to 3 months. The only drawback of nicotine gum is that you cannot drink anything except water for 15 minutes before and during chewing. For this reason nicotine gum isn't helpful at a bar, which is where many ex-smokers need the most help. Despite this, nicotine gum can be an effective tool -- when combined with your willpower -- in an attempt to quit smoking.
Quit Smoking
Advantages Of Quitting Smoking And Disadvantages Of Smoking
How To Quit Smoking Think Of Yourself As A Non Smoker
Change Your Lifestyle To Quit Smoking
How To Quit Smoking With The Help Of Water Therapy
Smoking More A Habit, Less A Pleasure
How To Make Nicotine Replacement Therapy Work For You
Why Smoke Seven Reasons You Stick With The Habit
Quit Smoking
How To Quit Smoking For Yourself
... Yourself There are plenty of reasons you should quit for yourself. A couple of them even do tie into quitting for others, but with a slightly different slant. For example, you might quit because of your kids, but not for them. By this I mean that you might want to quit so you can enjoy spending more years ...
Quitting Smoking A Personal Analysis
... about your family. They would feel more secure, after your quitting smoking. Your house would be clean, no dirtier walls, or stinking cars. Several genuine reasons are there for quitting smoking. Thus, you can divert your mind easily by thinking these genuine effects of smoking. However, your hands are ...
Six Health Risks Thanks To Your Smoking Habit
... lower level of blood to move into the bones, eventually not allowing the right nutrients to move into the bone areas. If you have an injury with a bone and smoke, it will take a longer time for it to heal as well. Eventually, this leads to lower bone density, which causes osteoporosis later on in your ...
Youre Not Too Old To Kick The Habit
... wish you could stop smoking, but think you're just too old to kick the habit? Research has proven time and time again that you are never too old to stop smoking. As soon as you rub out your last cigarette, you will begin to experience the health and lifestyle benefits of living without smoking. Here are ...
... to have one. In most cases, however, the opposite is the case. If you tell everyone you interact with that you've quit smoking, you'll likely receive lots of support, which is crucial to the overall process. Someone who doesn't support your attempt to quit smoking isn't a true friend, and most people ...