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Usual cure
The best treatment for smoking related diseases
is to STOP SMOKING before it is too late. It is never too late
to quit. The sooner smokers quit, the more they can reduce their
chances of getting cancer and other diseases. Within 20 minutes
of smoking the last cigarette, the body begins to restore itself.
Quitting smoking is not easy, and some people try several times
before succeeding. There’s no one right way to quit. Quitting
for good may mean using many methods including using step-by-step
manuals, self-help classes or counseling, or using a nicotine
replacement therapy (see next question). Smokers may also need
to make changes in their daily routine to help them not smoke.
To help smokers kick the habit, nicotine patches
and nicotine gum are available over-the-counter, and a nicotine
nasal spray and inhaler, as well as a non-nicotine pill, are currently
available by prescription; all help relieve withdrawal symptoms
people experience when they quit smoking. Nicotine replacement
therapies are helpful in quitting when combined with a behaviour
change program which addresses psychological and behavioral addictions
to smoking and strategies for coping with urges to smoke.
Nicotine replacement therapies are medications that
provide nicotine without the other harmful components of cigarette
smoke. NRTs are available as patches, gums, inhalers, nasal sprays,
or lozenges to help decrease or stop a smoker's withdrawal symptoms.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved all of
these products as smoking cessation aids, although some require
a doctor’s prescription. These products help smokers break
their psychological dependence on cigarettes.
Not everyone can use nicotine replacement therapy.
People with certain medical conditions and pregnant women should
not use it. When using the patch, it’s very important that
users do not smoke cigarettes or use tobacco in any form.
Another medication, bupropion (Zyban) is also FDA
approved for helping people quit smoking. This medication, which
does not contain nicotine, is available with a doctor’s
prescription.
Treatment for smoking related
diseases
The risk of having lung cancer and other smoking-related cancers
is related to total lifetime exposure to cigarette smoke, as measured
by the number of cigarettes smoked each day, the age at which
smoking began, and the number of years a person has smoked. The
risk of having lung cancer and other cancers can be reduced by
quitting. The risk of lung cancer is less in people who quit smoking
than in people who continue to smoke the same number of cigarettes
per day, and the risk decreases as the number of years since quitting
increases.
If you can't prevent cancer or other smoking related
diseases, the next best thing you can do to protect your health
is to detect it early. Recognizing symptoms, getting regular check-ups,
and performing self-exams are just a few ways you can do this.
Your doctor will diagnose and treat you accordingly. Together
with changes in lifestyle and a ‘quit smoking’ program
designed for your condition, you can treat the health problem
caused by smoking.
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