Smoking is an addictive activity. You can get affected with number of fatal diseases if you are addicted to smoking. With increase in awareness about ill-effects of smoking, more and more smokers are coming forward and adopting various methods to quit smoking.

As smoking is highly addictive, sudden withdrawal has symptoms like irritability, fatigue, constipation, sweating, headache, insomnia, cough, poor concentration, depression, increased appetite, and cravings for tobacco. To quit smoking requires a strong will power.

Common methods to quit smoking:

• Cold Turkey – If you are smoking a pack of cigarettes a day then you can adopt “cold turkey” method. In this method a date and time is set to lower down the number of cigarettes. Gradually over the period of time the numbers of cigarettes are reduced and eventually last one is also given up.
• Gradual Reduction in time between cigarettes – This involves getting yourself occupied in other activities and reducing the number of cigarettes in a day. With this method a person increases the time interval between cigarettes.
• Nicotine Replacement Therapy – Most of the smokers get addicted to nicotine from cigarettes and when nicotine level gets lowered in body, they feel the need to smoke. In Nicotine Replacement Therapy, a person replaces cigarettes with other form of nicotine intake. Usually Nicotine Patch, Nicotine Gums, Nasal Spray or Inhaler is used in this therapy. These nicotine alternatives reduce a person’s desire to smoke. Gradually the usage level of these alternatives is also decreased and ultimately ended.
• Champix – It is a pill used to quit/ reduce smoking. The chemical “varenicline” gets attached to nicotine receptors in brain and produce feeling of enjoyment. This lowers the urge of smoking cigarette. A proper treatment procedure of 3 to 4 months is followed for complete smoking cessation.
• Acupuncture – It is an ancient Chinese method of healing. With Acupuncture therapy a person’s desire to smoke is greatly reduced.
• Hypnosis – Hypnosis therapy is another method to quit smoking. Though there are no strong evidences of hypnosis being very effective in reducing level of smoking, it is believed that hypnosis increases a person’s will power to quit smoking.
• Low level Laser Therapy – Just like acupuncture, low level laser therapy using “cold laser” is used for stimulation of certain parts of body. The stimulation produces “endorphin” which decreases stress and increases energy. This leads to decrease in desire for smoking.