Quitting smoking is tough but it is one of the best things one can do to be healthy. Tobacco is the single greatest cause of disease and premature death in America today and is responsible for more than a half a million deaths each year. Nearly 25 % of adult Americans currently smoke, with approximately 3,000 children and adolescents becoming regular users of tobacco daily. 22% of all male deaths and 11% of all female deaths are due to smoking. Smoking leads to many health-related diseases including but not limited to:
| Erectile dysfunction |
Cervix cancer |
| Lung cancer |
Heart disease |
| Throat cancer |
Peripheral artery disease |
| Oral cancer |
Blood vessel disease |
| Mouth cancer |
Polycythemia |
| Esophageal cancer |
Female infertility |
| Pancreatic cancer |
Early menopause |
| Kidney cancer |
Vaginal bleeding |
| Urinary tract cancer |
Low birth weight |
| Emphysema |
Miscarriage |
| Laryngeal cancer |
Premature delivery |
| Chronic bronchitis |
Still birth |
| Chronic obstructive lung disease |
Sudden infant death syndrome |
It is a mystery that of the diseases listed above, cancer is the single most feared, but the other diseases are just as pernicious, devastating, or deadly.
In 2010, 7 out of 10 smokers who desired to quit were successful. When smoking is stopped, even for one day, the human body reaps the benefits of overall better health and the decreased risk of cancer, not just lung but any cancer; and within 24 hours of stopping the body starts detoxifying and going through withdrawal symptoms, commonly known as “Quitters Flu.”
Quitter’s flu, also called “Smoker’s Flu,” is a term used to describe the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Smoker’s flu is not an infectious disease, but rather the process the body endures while transitioning to life after quitting. Smoker’s flu refers to the physical effects of detoxing from nicotine and the chemicals in tobacco. These symptoms can mimic those of an illness.
Most of the discomfort that recent former smokers experience is similar to the common cold or flu. Not knowing about this reaction of detoxification can make it difficult to know if one’s got an illness or not. A discerning sign that the symptoms are caused by something other than ‘smoker’s flu’ is a fever. Fevers are not a sign of nicotine withdrawal. If one is running a fever with or without any of the irritations listed below, it is a sign of illness.
SYMPTOMS OF WITHDRAWAL OR ‘SMOKERS’S FLU’
Cravings to smoke
Irritability
Dizziness
Insomnia
Fatigue
Poor concentration
Headache
Coughing
Sore throat
Constipation, gas, or stomach pain
Chest tightness
Smoking cessation can reduce the risks of developing many smoking related illnesses. Within 10-15 years of cessation, a former smokers’ risk of developing lung cancer is only slightly greater than someone who has never smoked. Factors that increase a person’s chance of developing a disease are called risk factors; factors that decrease a person’s chance of developing a disease are called protective factors.
Some of the risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, although one can choose to quit smoking, one cannot choose one’s genetic makeup, which are inherited from parents. Of all the smoking and inherited specific genes that could be considered risk factors, only smoking can be eliminated. Prevention means avoiding the risk factors and increasing the protective factors that can be controlled so that the chance of developing smoking related illnesses, decreases.
Similar to the way people associate certain times of the day with specific activities, such as a shower and brushing teeth in the morning; certain situations or events become associated with smoking in the subconscious. Pavlov showed that if he rang a bell when he fed the dogs, after awhile just ringing the bell would make the dogs salivate. Therefore, even though the individual has made a conscious decision to stop smoking, the association with certain situations will take time and extra effort to disappear.
Before undertaking treatment, the person must become aware of when they smoke and why. Once one has identified the reason for smoking and the trigger, it will become much easier to break the smoking habit and to overpower it. After a while overpowering it won’t be necessary for the desire will only be in passing and soon enough not at all.
While acupuncture will help break the physical addiction to nicotine, many smokers find the psychological addiction difficult to break. This is because smoking is likely to have become ingrained over many years and is now part of the person’s ethos. Sad, happy, unhappy, bored, relaxed, etc., cigarettes are likely to have played a part.
It helps to remember that sometimes we ascribe too much power to cigarettes. They do not have the power to change anything or to make things better. As Freud once said, “Sometimes, a cigarette is just a cigarette.” However, to stop and stay stopped one needs a strong and focused mind. The associations that have been established with smoking are likely to outlast the physical addiction to nicotine. Remembering that even as a smoker working to quit, one is in control; and together with acupuncture and a positive mental attitude, smoking cessation is possible, and the individual can enjoy life as a non-smoker.
MECHANISM OF ADDICTION
Smoking is not just a bad habit, but also a complex addiction. Experts believe that nicotine exerts its powerful addictive effects by altering two chemicals in the brain – the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenalin. Within seven seconds of inhaling, a concentrated dose of nicotine is delivered directly to the brain, producing a nicotine “rush.” Many smokers interpret this rush as one of pleasure, but in reality the pleasure is misunderstood. It only appears pleasurable because it satisfies the craving created by the last cigarette. Over time the smoker has become victim to the classic cycle of addiction.
Most smokers will admit that the first few puffs of smoke were anything but pleasurable. In fact, they probably had to persist with lighting up a cigarette until the addictive cycle had taken hold before smoking gave them any kind of “pleasure.” What smokers perceive, as pleasure is, in reality, simply the relief of satisfying a craving for nicotine. After smoking a cigarette, withdrawal can set in as quickly as 10 minutes later, or even sooner depending on the level of addiction. Despite its addictive nature, nicotine does not stay in the body for long once one has stopped smoking, but for only about 48 hours.
Acupuncture helps people to stop smoking. It eliminates cravings, reduces withdrawal symptoms, and relieves tension. Acupuncture involves needles being inserted into key acupuncture points on the ear lobe, on the leg, on the scalp, and sometimes on the wrist. The process is not painful, and patients feel relaxed after the treatment. Acupuncture treatments build energy and give a sense of wellbeing.
The treatments trigger the release of natural chemicals, including endorphins, which reduce the smoker’s cravings, ease withdrawal symptoms, and increase relaxation. Acupuncture is successfully used as a detoxification method at over 100 different clinics in the United States and is successfully used for smoking cessation in at least 25 other countries. Western science confirms that acupuncture treatments change levels of chemicals in the body and regulate the nervous system.
The 7-step smoking cessation protocol designed by Dr. Osorio and employed at FullCircle Acupuncture HealthCentre is based on years of experience working with smokers trying to quit, after established protocols proved insufficient for best results. It includes:
Ear Acupuncture with intermittent stimulation of the needles
Zhu Scalp Acupuncture
Master Tung Acupuncture
Herbal tea for quitters
Meditation
Nutrition
Counseling
The treatment of smoking cessation starts from the very first phone call the patient places to the practice. If they come on their own accord, they are accepted immediately. If not, if they are forced by someone else to seek treatment, they are thoroughly informed that their chances for success are exceptionally low. One must understand that smoking cessation is a very personal decision and much of a psychological issue because it is an addiction. Individuals must fervently want to quit for the protocol to work.
ARE YOU READY TO QUIT SMOKING?
BEFORE YOU MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SMOKING CESSATION TREATMENT, PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING:
SUPPORT TEAM: While you made the decision to quit smoking, it will still be hard. Have somebody available to you in the next few weeks to provide support when needed.
AFFIRMATION: This is a positive statement to yourself that will awaken the presence within you to see you through. You may say for instance: “The desire to smoke that shows in my body right now is unacceptable to me. I deny it. I reject it. The truth is that smoking is pure poison. I Am healthy. I Am smoke free. I Am life and life is health. Mighty I Am Presence, see me through. Thank you.”
SET BOUNDARIES: Set up contracts with your spouse and friends that are smokers to refrain from smoking in your presence. Do your utmost to stay away from smokers until you have enough confidence with your new status of non-smoker.
COFFEE DRINKING: Coffee drinking causes smoke craving and dehydrates the body. Avoid it. Have your Quitters Tea instead. We have this available for purchase at our FullCircle Acupuncture HealthCentre store.
WATER DRINKING: Keep yourself hydrated. We recommend you prepare water with added minerals, essential silica, and liquid oxygen. We will make some recommendations for the best brands third party and GMP tested supplements that, for your convenience, we have available for purchase at our FullCircle Acupuncture HealthCentre store.
QUICK ANTI-CRAVING SNACKS: Have at home ready to eat carrots, celery, oranges, kiwi, apple, watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries. You will crave sweets. Candies upset blood sugar levels which aggravates smoking-withdrawal symptoms. DO NOT use sugar substitutes of any kind. These substitutes are sweeter than sugar and cause further sugar and smoke cravings. The higher the sugar, the higher the smoke craving.
MANAGING WITHDRAWAL: When cravings attack, eat a carrot, drink your tea, breathe deeply, drink fresh water without ice, repeat the affirmation, walk to another place, call your support person. Cravings only last 1 to 2 minutes and over the next 1 to 3 months they appear less and less often.
You need to complete the following questionnaire before your appointment date. Bring it with you. You will find a printable page on the PATIENT Tab under Forms.
ARE YOU READY TO QUIT SMOKING?
To Print This Form Please go to ‘PATIENTS’ above, then ‘PAPERWORK’
Name____________________________________________________Date_____/_____/_______
- How soon after you wake up do you smoke the first cigarette?
Within 5 minutes_______ 6 to 30 minutes________ more than 30 minutes______
- Which of the following statements best describes your interest in quitting:
I wish to quit now______________
I wish to quit smoking soon, but not right away______________
I want to continue smoking, but have thought about quitting______________
I want to continue smoking and have no interest in quitting____________
- How many attempts ─one day or more─ have you made at quitting smoking in the past year until today?
0_____
1_____
2_____
3_____
4_____
5_____
6+____
- How much pressure do you get from family members or close friends to stop smoking?
No pressure_____
A lot of pressure_____
HOPING YOU MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR YOURSELF, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE CLINIC
LONGEVITY
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________REFERENCES
-Babb S, Malarcher A, Schauer G, Asman K, Jamal A. Quitting Smoking Among Adults United States, 2000–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017;65:1457–1464. DOI: ─http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6552a1.
-http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/
-http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/smokingcessation.html
-The Clinical Experience of Dr. Shi Neng-Yun, Thin Moon Publishing. Copyright Andrew Ellis.
-West Lake Tea, Distributed by Kingsway Trading Inc. Coronia NY 11368, USA
-http://www.rno.org/journal/issues/Vol-3/issue-2/Smoking_cessation_article.htm
-http://www.givingupsmoking.co.uk/why_give_up/inside_a_smoker/
-Above Article Written by Gloria Osorio, L.Ac. 2009.
