Quitting Smoking : Home Remedies, Artificial Intelligence And Other Methods To Quit Smoking

How to achieve this? Each person can find the rhythm or action that helps them. Some people just set a date on the calendar to establish that it is the last day, others gradually reach the goal, and there is also a group that requires professional support.

Regularly when talking to cancer patients who smoke, they receive two complicated pieces of news: the first is confirmation of their illness and the second is that they are prohibited from smoking, explains José Manuel Mier, from the Institute of Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery, in Mexico, during the First Latin American Forum on Nicotine and Risk Reduction: Science, Regulation and Activism.

A fundamental part of the treatment you will receive requires immediate actions based on a healthy lifestyle, which is not always easy to adopt.

“The best time to quit smoking is today so that patients do not suffer the consequences of smoking,” says Jessica Esquivel, a physician at the Institute of Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery.

The benefits of quitting smoking are almost immediate, says the World Health Organization, WHO. Within 20 minutes, the heart rate decreases. Within 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal. Between the second week and three months, circulation and lung function improve, so it is important to know what alternatives exist if you want to quit this habit.

Florence, an artificial intelligence

This WHO option has been available for two years.  It allows users to discuss healthy living issues and receive support in creating a strategy to quit smoking. Florencia discusses some doubts related to smoking and in particular offers important ideas for implementing an action plan.

Talking to as many people as possible about their intention to change their lives is one of the ideas that she discusses with users.

Trimodal therapy

Dr. Esquivel explains that there are three key elements involved in motivating the patient to give up this habit.

Psychotherapy explains that the patient needs to see a therapist who can help him identify the risk factors. This goes hand in hand with pharmacotherapy and the third pillar is nicotine replacement therapy using patches, gum, and mouthwashes.

Acupuncture

The American Cancer Society says that solutions like this method have helped some patients quit the habit, but there is little evidence to show its effectiveness. This is a therapeutic technique in traditional Chinese medicine that involves inserting needles into specific points on the patient’s body.

Mind-body practices

Some studies have looked at quit-smoking programs using yoga, mindfulness, and meditation to help people quit. The results were not clearly in favor of these methods, although some reported less craving and less habit. More research is needed, and some studies of these practices are still ongoing. Cognitive behavioral therapy methods have also been studied.

When you experience withdrawal symptoms, take part in a pleasant physical activity, such as going for a walk, or other activities that help this process.

Herbs and Supplements

There is little evidence on this subject. The truth is that when you stop smoking you go through withdrawal symptoms feel certain emotions and even have trouble falling asleep. To help reduce these symptoms we can use some teas that help you relax and facilitate a good night’s rest.

Electronic cigarette?

Javier Fernández, a Mexican activist, shares that more than 12 years ago he lost a job and became anxious about what he was going to do to make a living.   “He smoked a lot out of anxiety and nerves and his wife motivated him to look for an alternative to quit smoking.”

He wanted to give up cigarettes because he didn’t like the ash taste, he explains. He gave up cigarettes for three weeks and tried electronic cigarettes, but when he tried traditional cigarettes again, he couldn’t stand them. Today, he is changing his habits and started vaping less and less. He considers this a risk-reduction tool and recognizes that it is not harmless and has studied the consequences of its use.

Hernández is a hard-working man with a family, and it has taken him more than a decade to fight to quit this habit.   “The best advice I was given is not to give up and not to suffer when we sometimes fall back into it because it is part of the process,” he adds.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that e-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or adults who are not currently using tobacco products.

“While e-cigarettes have the potential to benefit some people and cause harm to others, scientists still have much to learn about the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in helping adults quit smoking,” it says on its website. Esquivel adds that it is important to follow the research and regulations on the matter.