Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Information About Stop Smoking

Who has had the experience of trying to quit smoking knows that reality is far from desire. In general, only 5% of people who try to quit are successful in the venture. According to medical Jacqueline Issa, a cardiologist and director of the Treatment of Tobacco INCOR (Heart Institute), most people who start a program to quit smoking is the third or fourth attempt.

Fabiana Treu is one of those people who know that the practice is far from comfortable. Smoker for 17 years, the public relations (already smoked two packs of cigarettes a day) has come to stop the addiction for a year. However, in a complicated time, had a relapse. "I lived a stressful situation at work and asked for a cigarette to a friend," he says. Now, five years ago she tries to stop again, but can not.

Fabiana's experience shows that many doctors consider to be a major challenge for smokers: the emotional dependency. If you have no doubt that nicotine is indeed addictive (the understanding that smoking is a drug addict is only about 15 years), is also considered that the error is not only in substance but also the pleasure, in safety or satisfaction that smoking brings. "The addiction to smoking is a matter of drug addiction and behavioral," says John Paul Lotufo, doctor in charge of Tobacco Control Project, University Hospital of the USP (Universidade de Sao Paulo).

This explains the data of the Ministry of Health, even with the low success rate when trying to quit smoking, 95% of people who can do it yourself. Those who control the anxiety and the mechanisms of addiction leading to light a cigarette have more chance of success. "The smoker highly motivated to follow the instructions (chewing gum or patches) With care can not stop yourself, "says Jacqueline. But she said, the rate of effectiveness is very low compared with the total number of people trying to quit smoking.

For those who can not stop smoking, medical guidance is needed to enable the professional to verify, in addition to the most appropriate medicines, which makes the patient unable to kick the habit. That is why the vast majority of treatments to quit smoking combines a series of actions and includes medical care. The drugs alone, only decrease your cravings or withdrawal symptoms. "It's more efficient to attend a support group to take the appropriate remedy to stop smoking", says Lotufo. The project of the University Hospital, for example, and offer repositories of nicotine (gum or patches) And medication (bupropion), Includes weekly meetings of four or five weeks.

The program of the Incor assists through the SUS (Unified Health System), the patient who already have any cardiovascular problems and was treated at the institute. However, as demand for help was great, opened the possibility of participation of people who have health insurance. In both cases, there is also the follow-up appointments and the patient is discharged only after at least one year after starting treatment.

The largest program nationwide is the Ministry of Health INCA (National Cancer Institute), national coordinator of anti-smoking campaign, register and enables basic health units in various municipalities in Brazil to meet smokers want to quit smoking. The free program distributed repositories of nicotine and also offers the antidepressant bupropion. Anyone who wants to learn about the sites that offer treatment in your town should call the Health Hotline: 0800-611997.

Getting treatment is the first step, but we must be aware that the facility to stop smoking also depends on the degree of dependence of each smoker. Those who are dependent on very strong in general need to address other issues related to addiction before, such as depression and anxiety, and then thinking about quitting smoking.

In any case, experts are unanimous in agreeing that the time to cut tobacco consumption does not help in treatment. In general, the target date to quit smoking is one week after the start of the program. It is necessary to follow the plan with great determination.