The nicotine patch

The nicotine patch has been available in markets for a long time. It is used in cases where a smoker is trying to quit smoking. These things are designed in such a way that it will give the body a continuous dose of nicotine be it day or night. It’s also very easy to use! Just put on one in the morning, and at night you take it off, and the next day you use another one.

If you’re a regular smoker, you’ll see that once you’ve taken a puff, you’ll feel satisfied with yourself since the nicotine levels are high in your body, but once it starts to drop, you’ll be itching to have another one. A patch with the proper dosage will result in no urge to have another puff and will help you stay happy and satisfied as you try to lay off cigarettes.

Smokers are recommended to use nicotine patch therapy, by treatment programs that aim to reduce the dependence on tobacco. The treatment can last for up to twenty weeks, or till one can overcome the habit of smoking by abstaining from it. Nicotine patches are generally safe as well, so you don’t have to worry about severe side-effects. Short-lived side effects of prolonged use of patches can be a tingling feeling, a mild itch, or a burning sensation on the skin where the patch is.

The patch gives the body a relatively small dose so that one can control the cravings and gradually reduce the amount of nicotine needed for one’s body. Tobacco smoke contains toxics like carbon monoxide, tar and carcinogens which the patch is free of. Smoking can cause high blood pressure and high heart rates, but there’s nothing of the kind in case of patches, since they deliver it directly into the blood in tiny quantities compared to a cigarette.

Patches deliver a certain amount of nicotine to the body and sometimes bodily demands exceed the supply. This is one drawback of using the patch.
It is common for anyone who’s trying to quit actually changing one’s schedule and giving up the rituals of taking out a smoke and the lighter whenever one’s leaving the house. Breaking a ritual that’s become a part of one’s life is hard, so try and replace them with walks after meals, a bottle of cold water after one wakes up in the morning and trying one’s best to avoid pubs or any place with a lot of smokers around.

The changes you bring to your life when you start using nicotine patches need to be changes that become permanent in your life. Smoking, like any habit, are hard to break once you become accustomed to it. So just like you’ve become addicted to smoking, if you can detach yourself from cigarettes you’ll be able to live smoke free again.

So prepare yourself for the life of a non-smoker. The first few weeks of trying to quit will be the toughest, but remind yourself that in a month or so from now you won’t be craving cigarettes anymore and you will finally have control over your life. It’s important to quit smoking today so your life does not go up in smoke tomorrow.