Five Nicotine Replacement Products for Smoking Cessation
1:- Nicotine gum is a substance that slowly releases nicotine when chewed or placed in between the cheek and gum. The gum gives you a much lower amount of nicotine than a cigarette while decreasing your cravings for cigarettes. The amount and frequency of gum you need to use vary from brand to brand. Nicotine gum is not for everyone.
2:- Nicotine patches are self-adhesive strips that contain nicotine. You have to apply one patch a day to your skin, which should be clean, non-hairy, and dry. The patch releases small quantities of nicotine that are absorbed into your bloodstream through your skin.
Put on the patch in the morning and take it off before sleeping - otherwise, it can hamper your sleep. At first, you might need to use the highest strength - 21 mg. This would be the typical dose if you were smoking 20 cigarettes a day.
The two common side effects of nicotine patches are local skin irritation and sleep disturbance. Hydrocortisone cream can ease skin irritation. Sleep disturbance usually happens in people who use the patch for 24 hours, so use it for 16 hours only.
3:- Nicotine Lozenges are hard candies that dissolve and slowly release nicotine into the mouth. Each lozenge lasts for about half an hour. Generally, you can use about nine lozenges a day during the first six weeks and then begin tapering off.
Do not use lozenges beyond three months. The common side effects of lozenges are soreness of gums, throat irritation, and stomach upset. Just like the side effects of other nicotine replacement products, these side effects do not last long.
4:- Nicotine Nasal Spray is a spray pump containing nicotine in an aerosolized form. The smoker sprays it into their nostrils and the nicotine is quickly absorbed into the nasal membranes.
Unlike other replacement products, nicotine is absorbed very fast by this mode. The typical dose of nicotine nasal spray is five times each hour or 40 times per day. Generally, you need to use your initial dose for eight weeks and then start to taper off over 4 to 6 weeks. The common side effects include nose and throat irritation, cough, sneezing, watery eyes. Most of these side effects disappear after 7 to 14 days.
5:- The Nicotine Inhaler or "the puffer" comprises a slender plastic cartridge containing a porous nicotine plug. When you puff onto the cartridge, nicotine vapors are absorbed via the lining of the mouth. A single cartridge can yield 400 nicotine vapor puffs.
The vaporized nicotine will make its way into your throat. During the first three months of its use, you can use 6 to 16 cartridges a day and then reduce the number during the next 6 to 12 weeks. The advantage of an inhaler is that it matches the behavioral aspects of smoking.
The side effects are irritation of the mouth's lining, runny nose, coughs, and digestive problems.
Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death. By quitting smoking, you can drastically reduce the propensity to get cancer and will certainly live a lot healthier and longer life.