DISORDERS

Description: Tobacco has been used as a mood-altering substance for centuries. It has been ingested by various means, including chewing, sniffing and smoking. Today, it is most commonly consumed by smoking cigarettes or cigars. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemical constituents. The one believed to be responsible for many (if not most) of smoking’s effects, as well as its addictiveness, is nicotine. Nicotine acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system. When nicotine is ingested, adrenaline production increases, raising the blood pressure and heart rate. Nicotine also affects the overall metabolic rate, the regulation of body temperature, the degree of tension in the muscles, and the levels of certain hormones. These and other metabolic changes create a pleasurable sensation in the user that often – and paradoxically – is experienced as a feeling of relaxation. This relaxing effect is one factor that makes tobacco so addictive. Another is the fact that tolerance to the effects of nicotine develops quite rapidly. That is, the dose needed to achieve the desired effect begins to rise almost immediately, encouraging you to increase the amount you smoke – which in turn increases the addiction. Once addicted, your body depends on the presence of nicotine. Smoking creates both physical and psychological dependency.

Symptoms: Physical withdrawal symptoms include an intense craving for nicotine, nervousness, irritability, headache, difficulty concentrating, stomach cramps, tremors, disrupted sleep, and others. The acute physical withdrawal period usually lasts for no more than several weeks. Long-term cravings are more likely a matter of psychological dependence, requiring ongoing effort. Once smoking has become a source of pleasure, it may be so intertwined in the mind with other activities, such as drinking coffee, reading the newspaper, socializing, or whatever, that you find yourself unable to imagine engaging in these activities without smoking. In addition, many smokers fear withdrawal symptoms, weight gain, or a decreased ability to concentrate. All of these factors combine to make quitting very difficult.

Incidence: Cigarette smoking is a factor in approximately 350,000 to 400,000 deaths a year, or approximately 17 percent of all deaths in the United States annually.

Causes: Why do people smoke when it is obviously so unhealthy? Most people know smoking increases their risk of lung cancer, emphysema, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, hardening of the arteries, osteoporosis, cervical cancer, complications of pregnancy, and many other diseases. People who smoke often begin in their teens and early adulthood, or even before that, when they perceive smoking as "cool" or as something to do to fit in with a particular peer group. At this age, most people also tend to feel invincible and immortal and genuinely believe that all of the well-known dangers of smoking somehow will not happen to them – or at least, are something to worry about only in the far distant future. Unfortunately, once you have smoked for any period of time, the nicotine addiction has taken a strong hold and discontinuing its use causes cravings that can seem nearly unbearable.

Treatments: Once you have made the decision to stop smoking, there is a lot you can do to lessen cravings and handle the withdrawal symptoms. The nutrients and suggestions below are recommended to correct probable smoking-related deficiencies and damage while you work to kick the habit. They are recommended also if you cannot avoid second-hand smoke.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2^nd Edition

By James F. Balch, M.D. & Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.

Smart Medicine for Healthier Living

By Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreen, M.D., James B. LaValle, R.Ph.