Article Keyword Videos to Watch
Health
Click on the image to start the video.
|
Related Topics
Images - Links - Articles
Denver
Related Images
|
The Patch that Kills Smoking
"I wish i knew how to quit you"
-Brokeback Mountain, 2005
Webster defines "vice" as "an abnormal behavior pattern in a domestic animal
detrimental to its health or usefulnes." Evil as it may sound, vice is
coupled with another evil, which comes in the form of what we call
"withdrawal symptom." It starts as soon as you stop a vice, therefore making
it difficult for you to take control over it.
Smoking, being one of the most widely practiced vices, is one jealous lover...
It haunts the smoker, making it almost impossible to part with puffing. The
nicotine in it creeps through the bloodstream, much like a poison,
controlling and defeating the host.
Nicotine, by the way, is a poisonous alkaloid that is the principal active
ingredient in cigarettes. It is addicting, habit forming and is responsible
for negative emotions such as depression, anger and lack of concentration.
But the God of the 21st century - technology - has given hope! Recent studies
have found ways to neutralize the luring effect of withdrawal symptoms,
completing every long-life-and-healthy-living advocate's fight force against
the ill effects of smoking. Every aspiring quitter's inherent want to stop
smoking is now made easier by the wonders of nicotine patches.
I am talking about a skin patch much like a topical sticker, which contains
a pad of nicotine. Because the skin is a natural absorbent, once the
nicotine patch is applied, the skin absorbs the nicotine from the pad to the
bloodstream. Over a period of time, the nicotine patch maintains and ensures
the presence of nicotine in the blood, therefore, avoiding the onset of
withdrawal symptoms. But nicotine levels are kept low enough so that it
won't substitute cigarette smoking. The patches just supplies a minimum
amount of the substance in the body to combat the withdrawal symptoms while
the person recuperates. It acts as a stop smoking aid that provides a dose of
nicotine that's gradually lowered over a period of a few weeks to eliminate
dependency.
In an article written by Jarred Mitchelle in an emagazine, he further
pointed out that, "Nicotine patches come packaged under varying trade names
- most popular being Habitrol which are predominantly round in shape and are
available in varying strengths - twenty one, fourteen or seven milligrams of
nicotine per patch and the efficacy period of any particular Habitrol patch
being twenty four hours. Conversely Nicoderm CQ patches are rectangular in shape and come in are
available in varying strengths of twenty one, fourteen or seven milligrams
of nicotine per patch with a efficacy period of twenty four hours which
makes the two patches but a variant of identical concepts and the efficacy
spectra could well be identical - there being little to choose one over the
other.”
But let it be known that these patches are not the absolute treatment. It
only aids and lighten up one's burden during the adjustment period. In the
end, it has to work hand in hand with self-help groups, other treatment
modalities, professional counseling and most of all, one's inner desire to
break smoking habits.
Other articles from the same author:
How To Finally Be Nicotine Free
About the Author: Ariane L. Amantiad, 22, is a registered nurse.
|
