Tag: HealthyLife® QuitWell™

E-cigarettes go by lots of other names: vapes, vape pens, mods, hookah pens, e-hookahs, e-cigs, e-juice, e-liquid, smoke juice, juuls, and more. While some are made to look like regular cigarettes, others look more like pens or flash drives. Some larger devices look very different and bear little resemblance to cigarettes at all. There are hundreds of different e-cigarettes on the market.

E-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco and don’t produce smoke. Those are the only good things you can say about e-cigs! Most still contain nicotine, and all have toxic chemicals. Like cigarettes, e-cigarettes are harmful to your lungs and addictive. Nobody has invented a healthy e-cigarette yet!

The FDA regulates the production of e-cigarettes by licensed manufacturers, but there are many unlicensed cartridges being sold from pop-up shops or on the street. These black-market cartridges can contain additional dangerous additives like solvents or pesticides. These products should be avoided at all times.

Can they hurt if they’re not “real” cigarettes?

It may seem like e-cigarettes are a safer option because they don’t contain tobacco or because they are available with different amounts of nicotine. Even though they do not have tobacco, e-cigarettes still contain addictive nicotine and toxic chemicals just like “real” cigarettes. Heating these chemicals and inhaling the vapor brings dangerous substances into your body. Some of these can cause cancer. Some of these may cause serious lung injury.

In the summer of 2019, the rapid rise of hospitalizations and deaths among e-cigarette users prompted emergency action by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and many state governments. While many health issues from smoking cigarettes do not show up until many years of use, serious lung illness and death has occurred in relatively young, short-term users of e-cigarettes. Long-term problems are still unknown, as e-cigarettes are new and researchers do not know what will happen to the body after 20 or 30 years of usage.

If you use e-cigarettes and have any of the following symptoms, ask your healthcare provider to check for lung injury. Vaping-associated pulmonary illness is very serious and can be deadly.

*   Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain

*   Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

*   Fatigue, fever, or abdominal pain

“Fun-flavored” Danger: E-Cigarettes and Teens

E-cigarettes have quickly become popular with teenagers, partly due to e-juice that comes in “fun” flavors like cinnamon roll and bubble gum. These flavors, the myth that vaping is harmless, and the lack of lasting odors, create the perfect storm for teens who want to experiment or “fit in” without the stigma of smoking cigarettes. What they don’t realize is the danger of addiction and health problems.

Can E-Cigarettes Help You Quit Regular Cigarettes?

Some people have used e-cigarettes to cut back on the amount of nicotine they smoke until they are ready to quit entirely. The FDA has not approved this method of quitting, as there is no evidence that it leads to long-term cessation. Some studies have shown that adults who used vaping to quit cigarettes were more likely to relapse.

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that can damage the cardiovascular system. The narrowing of coronary arteries and breakdown of heart tissue can increase the risk for hypertension, increase inflammation in the body, and complicate existing heart conditions. If you previously smoked cigarettes, the heart is already damaged and additional use of nicotine could worsen this damage. Continued nicotine use also complicates diabetes management and associated conditions, such as eye health, risk for stroke, weight management and circulation problems.

If you are using an e-cigarette to quit smoking, it is important to reduce the amount of nicotine you are consuming and plan to quit using the device completely. Continuing to use an e-cigarette will increase your risk of returning to regular cigarettes, along with all the problems that come with the e-cigarette itself.

Relying on the e-cigarette as a way to cope with stress, as entertainment when bored, or to mimic smoking while driving in the car, does not change much about your smoking habit. Without making changes to your routines or learning to cope with challenges, it may make it easy to have a cigarette when the e-cigarette is unavailable, needs a re-fill, or a cigarette is offered.

If you are looking for a way to step down nicotine safely and feel a little better when quitting, the QuitWell™ program recommends FDA-approved options in addition to support:

*Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT):FDA approved, can safely be used by most people, available in a patch, gum, lozenge, nasal spray, or inhaler

*Pharmaceutical Aid (e.g. Chantix, Zyban):Requires a prescription from your doctor, does not contain nicotine

In 2020, the average price of a pack of cigarettes in the United States was $6.30. In some states, the average price was over $10 per pack. A pack-a-day smoker in those states spends $70 per week on cigarettes. That could buy a week’s worth of groceries, two to three tanks of gas, or pay a month’s utility bill. Over months and years, the possibilities go even further.

A can of chewing tobacco costs an average of nearly $3. A two can-a-week habit costs over $300 per year. A can-a-day habit costs nearly $1,100 per year. Think of all the things you could do with the money instead of dipping or chewing. It adds up.

Find out how much money you will save when you quit. The chart below is based on U.S. averages.

We will teach you four skills to relax:

*Relaxation Reflex:Getting rid of muscle tension.

*Mental Imagery:Thinking of calm, restful places.

*Deep Natural Breathing:Feeling relaxed by breathing in more oxygen.

*Spend Time with Animals:Feeling relaxed, happy and secure.

These relaxation strategies are not designed to take your stress away. Done correctly, they will help you calm your body and mind so that you can think more logically, see major problems as manageable challenges, and get through a tough day.

If something helps you-even a little-add it to your quitting tool kit. Remember, you will probably need a lot of strategies to be successful in the long run. One strategy may work on Monday morning, but you’ll need another tool on Friday afternoon!

Hands:

To take the place of holding a cigarette or e-cigarette, try holding one of these:

*  A paper clip

*  A hand grip or stress ball

*  A rubber band

*  A hair tie

*  A pen or pencil

Mouth:

These can be placed in your mouth instead of tobacco:

*  Toothpicks

*  Coffee stirrers or cocktail twisters

*  Sugarless gum or candy

*  Sugarless breath mints

*  Cinnamon sticks

*  Crunchy vegetables (e.g. carrots or celery sticks)

Mind:

Make use of the gaps of time when you used to use tobacco. You might:

*  Play cards

*  Sketch an idea or make a list

*  Do yard work

*  Crochet or learn a new skill that uses your hands

*  Stretch or exercise

*  Write a letter or send an email

*  Read

*  Learn the words to a new song-or how to play it on an instrument

*  Wash and wax your car or motorcycle

All physical activity has benefits for the body and mind. View exercise as a break from your day. Use this time to focus on the present, instead of past or future problems and worries. What are your favorite ways to be physically active?

Physical activity can help you quit and stay quit. It can also improve your energy level, ability to learn, and focus.

Emotional Health

Exercise releases endorphins and increases levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. These brain chemicals help create feelings of happiness and euphoria. You may start to feel these benefits after just a few minutes of moderate exercise. This leads to a happiness buzz and overall mood boost!

Stress Management

Norepinephrine is a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress. Exercise helps to increase that chemical. Exercise can decrease worry and tension. These may be triggers for you to smoke, dip, or vape. Exercise also enhances the mind’s ability to deal with daily stressors. Managing stressors can reduce urges to reach for your old habit. The calming effect of exercise can last at least four hours after the exercise is over.

Physical Health

Exercise helps strengthen your muscles and bones. This helps you have good posture and keeps your joints and body more aligned. Exercise strengthens your heart muscle so your heart is more efficient. This also helps reduce your risk of having a heart attack or blood clot. Exercise can also help lower your blood pressure. Your ability to breathe also improves, especially as you reduce and eliminate smoking. Exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood that fight off viruses and bacteria. Exercise also helps combat damage done to cells, tissues, and organs.

Recommendation: Be physically active for at least 2 ½ hours (150 minutes) per week. You can do this for 10, 15, 20, or 30 minutes at a time. Consult your doctor before beginning an exercise routine if you:

*  Have a chronic health problem, such as heart disease or diabetes.

*  Have high blood pressure.

*  Feel faint or dizzy when you try to exercise.

*  Have an injury or bone or joint problems, such as arthritis, that have been or could become aggravated by exercise.

Reduce Sit-Time

Find ways to move more throughout the day.

*  Set an alarm on your watch or phone to get up every hour, if sitting.

*  Stretch and walk for a few minutes to get more oxygen flowing through your body.

*  Drink water regularly so you need to use the bathroom every few hours.

*  Get up during commercial breaks on TV to tidy up a room or dust.

*  Walk outside for a few minutes. Take a deep breath of fresh air.

*  Walk to get lunch.

Move in Different Ways

All exercise and movement help give you the benefits. Finding activities you like doing and that you will keep doing is important for long-term success.

Cardiovascular (cardio) training uses large movements that involve multiple muscle groups, such as your legs, buttocks, and abdominals, all at once. Popular aerobic activities are brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming, and dancing.

Resistance training uses body weight or weights to build muscle. Move slowly through exercises, breathing regularly. Squats, lunges, push-ups, calf raises, and bicep curls are basic resistance movements.

Stretching helps your body be more flexible. This helps you prevent injury during exercise and everyday activities. Stretching can also help you relax.

Secondhand smoke is the smoke that occurs when a cigarette, pipe, or cigar is lit. The secondhand smoke going into the room from the end of a burning cigarette is not filtered. People breathing in secondhand smoke are breathing in this smoke, as well as what the smoker blows into the room. Secondhand smoke puts non-smoking bystanders (maybe your loved ones) at risk for the same health problems as the smoker.

Some of the toxins found in secondhand smoke are tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen dioxide, cadmium, benzpyrene, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, acetone, pyridine, and formaldehyde. Although secondhand smoke becomes mixed with the air, there are safety risks for both the smoker and non-smokers, as well as pets who breathe these vapors in.

Infants & Children

Children of smokers are at a higher risk for respiratory infections, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and middle ear infections. Asthma can become more severe. Children of smokers are also much more likely to start smoking.

Pets

Your beloved fur ball can develop serious health problems, including nose and lung cancers, from secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke can also cause respiratory illness in cats and dogs and make skin conditions worse. Thirdhand smoke, or the smoke residue that settles on surfaces, can be especially damaging to cats. When cats lick their fur to clean themselves, they lick the toxins from smoke. This makes cats more than twice as likely to develop malignant lymphoma, a type of cancer.

Protect Your Loved Ones

To protect others from secondhand smoke, avoid smoking in enclosed spaces that you share with others, like your house or car. If you are going to smoke, go outside and make sure windows are closed to the house near the area you are smoking. Avoid using a “smoking room” in the house or smoking in an attached garage-smoke will still get into the rest of the house.