Tag: quitting

Control the Cravings – 1st D of 7D Intervention of Quitting Tobacco and Smoking – Drink Water

Drink Water for Hydration and Managing Cravings

Maintaining Hydration is one the most important aspect of Tobacco Cessation – both smoking and chewing. Water plays an immense role in controlling your cravings. When quitting tobacco there is an increase need for water intake.

When you have an urge, taking 2 glasses of water can magically relieve your cravings. (related – 7Ds of craving)

Physiology – how water helps in controlling cravings?

Tobacco withdrawal symptoms include thirst, dryness of mouth, light-headedness, anxiety, confusion, tiredness and fatigue and sometimes headache. These can be taken care with water and  Deep Breathing exercise.

The Nicotine receptors are present in the cardiovascular system. The nicotine in the body keeps the vascular system constricted and causes increase in heartrate. When you quit tobacco (smoking and chewing), decrease in nicotine the blood vessels dilate (comes to normal state) and heart rate normalizes. This leads to a relative decrease in blood volume and state of physiological dehydration. All the above withdrawal symptoms are signs of dehydration!. The action in such cases have been taking tobacco and going back to the constricted state. The better method is to replenish your body with water and maintain the blood volume and heart rate, part of your quit process.

Water take care of the following as part of the tobacco quit process:

  • Dryness of mouth – a sign water requirement and not smoking. The dryness is usually a trigger for tobacco. Avoid dryness with regular water intake
  • Cleansing of the body – water intake helps throwing away the accumulated toxins through urine and stool. It will take sometime before you start feeling fresh and energetic.
  • Managing cough – when the lungs are healing there is increase mucus secretion to clear the deposited tar and other particles. This requires proper hydration
  • Managing Constipation – water helps regulate bowel movements. Water binds to soluble fiber in the large intestine, this helps increase stool bulk, decrease transit time and make it easier to pass stools.
  • Helps in Digestion – Water helps in digestion and keeps the food moving controlling the bloating and gastric upset sometimes associated with tobacco withdrawals.
  • Weight management – taking water half hour before food, controls satiety, decrease appetite, improve digestion and boost metabolism. This controls the weight gain associated with tobacco withdrawal.

When should one drink water?

Keep yourself hydrated through out the day. This will keep cravings away. Discuss with your tobacco counsellors the triggers and time of cravings.  You would notice that there is a routine. The water intake should be target at those time. Your ICanCaRe tobacco cessation specialist would make a craving chart and recommend the timings of water intake accordingly

In the majority,  the cravings are in the morning, washroom time, before noon, post lunch, past evening and after dinner. In these situation I would suggest to start your day with Water at least two glasses, repeat two glasses in 1-2 hours. This will relieve your morning cravings and aid in bowel movements. A morning drink with antioxidant and nutrition both mineral and Vitamins would avoid fatigue and tiredness sometimes associated with tobacco withdrawal.

Half hour before food – lunch, evening tea and dinner. If you are hydrated enough it would avoid post meal cravings. Water helps in digestion, dilutes the spicy high salt content of the food, avoids bloating, maintains bowel movement. Mostly these are the associated reasons for smoking or chewing tobacco post meals.

Before bed time – Drinking water before going to bed, keeps you hydrated during the night you feel fresh when you get up in the morning. This avoids cravings during the night and also controls the early morning cravings. This facilitates bowel movement also.

What type of water for your body?

Everything that is fluid has water in it. 20% of our water requirement is by food we eat. Rest comes directly from all the fluids that include water, milk, juices, soft, drinks tea or coffee.

During the quit process it is generally recommended to avoid drinks which are reminders for your tobacco intake for eg if you were used to drink with tea, taking tea would again trigger tobacco use. Consciously you would have to replace with healthy nutritious drinks with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and minerals like organic tea, juices, alkaline water, organic haldi drinks, lime honey water, Chaas etc. Do choose foods which are juicy and healthy. Avoid drinks which are less healthy with more sugar and calories or energy drinks which can have high caffeine.

Amount of Water recommended:

Generally, I recommend around 1 litre of water for 20 kg of body weight, to be taken at regular intervals through out the day. During the first week I would suggest a little more around 1.2-1.5 litres of water per 20 kg BW. For ladies it may be little less. You would notice the change in colour of your urine over the period. Your urine colour may be a good guide. Target is to have a urine which is light yellow to transparent. Please note if you are on Vitamin supplements it may alter the colour of the urine.

Carry water bottle with you

Always have water readily available to control the urge. Water is an essential part of your treatment plan. Do carry environment friendly water bottles (earthen, copper, steel) with you and water jugs should be available at all places at bedside, living room, office etc.

Drinking too much of water?

Drinking water is safe and one usually would not drink too much of water in one go as body would not allow it. There is a theoretical situation when a person drinks too much of water (3-5 litres) too quickly. This may cause water intoxication and sudden decrease in Sodium level in body (Hyponatraemia). This can be an medical emergency.

It is advisable to drink water on regular interval, 1-2 glasses at a time and fairly spaced through out the day.

ICanCaRe TOBACCO WELLNESS PROGRAM

Water is essential part of ICanCaRe Tobacco wellness program as a part of seven D intervention. The ICanCaRe tobacco cessation specialist would  chart your triggers and suggest the water intervention schedule. Along with water need may be also to supplement with minerals and vitamins to boost the immunity and take care of comorbid conditions and nutritional deficiencies associated with tobacco use.

ICanCaRe team of Certified tobacco Cessation Specialists and Quit Coaches work with you to make your journey smooth and easy.

ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness Centres with its India’s first digital protocol based assessment process guide intervention as per requirements.

To quit visit us on ICanCaRe or call on 011-430-77695 with the most scientific, medically validated and most successful online cessation program (92% success rate).

References
Perrier, Erica T et al. “Urine colour change as an indicator of change in daily water intake: a quantitative analysis.” European journal of nutrition vol. 55,5 (2016): 1943-9. doi:10.1007/s00394-015-1010-2

Evidence Based Approach for Successfully Quitting Tobacco

Quitting Tobacco is easy but staying quit is difficult! People quit tobacco to restart and this cycle goes on leading to frustration and loss of confidence. With increasing awareness people come to me with “Please don’t tell me why, TELL ME HOW TO QUIT”.

Why is it So difficult to quit?

Why is it people are not able to quit tobacco, in spite of so much of awareness about Tobacco.  According to World Health Organization Tobacco is a DISEASE (and not just a habit). And it is a Complex disease. Like any other disease it has to be treated. Complexity lies in the fact that there are various component of this disease that includes – social, psychological, and physical.  Each of these components have to be recognized, explored and treated.

When to quit?

Earlier the better. Continuing Tobacco use is definitely going to harm you and it is just not cancer, it can be cardiovascular, respiratory, Central nervous system, skin, dental every part of our body is harmed by tobacco besides unidentified mineral and vitamin deficiency. Has tobacco started affecting you – it is important you check yourself and recognize any of the 27 early signs of Tobacco use. If you quit hopefully these may be reversed and you can get back to normal. Continuing will lead to more of any of the 19 diseases   And if one still continues it would cause major 10 advanced disease which would cause morbidity, pain and death.  Remember all tobacco users will have some or the other disease, better quit now.

Components of Tobacco Disease – Is your will power enough to quit tobacco? This is the dilemma. A proper assessment by Fagerstrom grading system into mild, moderate and severe grade of the tobacco addiction disease is to be done. Recognizing the predominant component of the tobacco disease – social, psychological and physical for the person and treating accordingly.  A tool is available to assess the will power of the person (free APP for android  – ICANCARE). The treatment of this disease is done accordingly.

Methods of Quitting – The intervention therapy includes – Behavioral therapy and Pharmacological therapy. Both intervention are important and essential part of the treatment.  The proper intervention includes individual and group counselling and treatment with medication to decrease the withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are the biggest deterrent of successful cessation. Now specific medicine is available which decreases the withdrawal symptoms and at the same time blocks the nicotine receptor in the brain.

Who can help me quit– Most of the people have tried quitting multiple times before they actually seek help by a professional who is trained for the purpose. Most of the doctors fail to help as tobacco addiction is a complex disease and everyone are not trained to handle this. There are two types of doctors – AAR (ask, advise and refer) or 5A (ask, advise, assess, assist and arrange). Training program – Certificate Course has been introduced  for the first time in India to upgrade the skills of the doctors to be able to treat these large number of patients of tobacco addiction. Recognized ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness centers are coming up to specifically help these patients.

Relapse  – The cycle of tobacco addiction includes the planning phase, active phase and maintenance phase. The whole cycle lasts for 2 years. A person may relapse at any point of time so has to be vigilant and recognize any triggers. Most common cause of relapse is social, and one trail means you have to START once again. A Tobacco Wellness App is available to keep track of the tobacco habit for the patient.

Tobacco is a complex endemic disease. It is well recognized and now diagnostic methodology, specific medicines and counselling process are available to treat this disease. The book WIN OVER TOBACCO MADE EASY authored by Dr. Pawan Gupta is a comprehensive guide for those willing to quit and also for doctors. It is moral responsibility of all doctors taking training to understand the intricacies of the disease and advise the patient in an evidence based method for tobacco quit to be successfully.

Max Super Specialty Hospital understands the need and ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness center is now serving tobacco addicts to help them quit the habit at the Vaishali unit of Max Hospital. Current success rate is 92%. Do visit ICanCaRe site to know more about the quit process and to register for seeking professional help for quitting today!

(The Author – Dr Pawan Gupta M.Ch. is Director of Surgical Oncology at Max Super Specialty Hospital, Vaishali and has written many book on tobacco and is highly recognized for his work on Oral Cancer and Tobacco Cessation.)

Make quitting tobacco a pleasure journey. Talk to the experts!! Call ICanCaRe Quitline 011-43077695 or visit  www.icancare.in.

Coughing After Quitting Smoking What To Do?

POST QUIT Smokers Cough – Take Care

Some may notice increase in coughing when they stop smoking. This is only for short period of time and is not a part of the withdrawal symptoms. So why does it occur?  One thing is for sure – DO NOT GO BACK TO SMOKING! Post quit smokers cough is a bodies reaction to healing and need to be managed.

COUGHING – OUR BODY’S NATURAL PROTECTION

The respiratory system – Trachea and bronchus are lined by mucus and Cilia (which are hair like projections). The sticky mucus layer traps the harmful particles we inhale and the thousands of cilia which lines the tract, with rapid movements push the trapped harmful particles with affected mucus upwards out into the throat which is now either spitted or swallowed. This natural protection keeps our trachea healthy and free from infection and diseases.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON SMOKES?

The protection is overwhelmed. The tar in smoke gets deposited in the trachea forming thick layers. The chemicals added in cigarettes paralyses the cilia. The person is prone for higher infection and the inhaled toxic particles from smoke, inhaled dust, germs etc remain inside the lungs with increase risk of infection and respiratory diseases like chronic bronchitis and lung cancer.

COUGHING ON CESSATION (QUITTING SMOKING)

On cessation the body starts healing and the cilia starts recovering! With gradual recovery the mucus with toxic materials is pushed out into the throat. This causes cough for the first couple of months till one is free of toxins and complete recovery of ciliary function is attained.

WHAT TO DO FOR THE COUGH?

The fact is cleansing should continue, it is helping our body get rid of toxins and pollutants –

  • No cough suppressants, but mucolytic and bronchodilators where indicated may be used.
  • Drink plenty of water, juices or tea. (4Ds of Tobacco Cessation )
  • Ayurvedic drink like mulethi (licorice) or Kaadha or just honey can soothe out the throat. Watch video – Natural Home treatment for Smoker’s Cough
  • Nebuliser with simple saline water or otherwise steam inhalation to keep the tract humidified
  • Acapella a magnetic respiratory device helps in opening up the alveoli and loosen mucus increasing the oxygenation power of the lungs.

SOMETHING IS SERIOUS IF YOU SEE THESE SYMPTOMS?

If any of these symptoms below are noticed, the doctor has to be consulted – mostly it is due to inflammation and can be treated. Any other hidden signs need a Specialist’s attention.

  • Breathing difficulty – breathlessness on mild exertion or at rest.
  • Wheezing – stridor like sound indicates airway constriction
  • Blood in sputum -Blood in cough

Well friends, smoking or tobacco withdrawal do cause some discomfort, but these are part of healing process and are temporary. These should not be deterrents of cessation.

The benefits of quitting smoking are undeniable although the quit journey may be a little bumpy. It is better and easier to quit before you start showing symptoms of change in your body due to tobacco use.

ICanCaRe team of Certified tobacco Cessation Specialists and Quit Coaches work with you to make your journey smooth and easy.

ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness Centres with its India’s first digital protocol based assessment process guide intervention as per requirements.

Call 011-430-77695 or visit ICanCaRe Webpage to seek assistance for quitting tobacco completely. Make your journey of quitting easy and pleasurable with the experts.