Laser Acupuncture to Quit Smoking

As you probably know, smoking is bad for you. Laser acupuncture to quit smoking is a new approach and all the rage.

Laser Acupuncture to Quit Smoking

Medical spokesman of all types and in all places are in agreement that it is a good idea to quit smoking. There is not much debate taking place on this subject. The why is a pretty much settled question now, but the how is still going strong. The methods used for quitting range from the time honored cold turkey method to several alternative medicine choices. Two of the more popular ones are Hypnosis and Laser Acupuncture.

The two are often lumped together by debunkers. They feel that both of the treatments involve nothing more than playing a trick on the mind. It is easy to do a little exploring and find published clinical studies that claim that experiments were done on two groups of subjects. Both groups were told that laser acupuncture to quit smoking was a proven and successful treatment method. Then one group was given stimulation of the actual points thought to promote calming and reduce anxiety. These points would normally be used in the quit smoking process.

The second group of subjects received similar laser acupuncture treatments, but the points selected had no relation to the actual points. The claim is that the rate of success measured by how many of the test group managed to quit smoking was identical for both groups. The implication was that the laser acupuncture treatments merely fooled the subjects and made them “think” they were being helped. This is called the placebo effect.

Another problem that has emerged in the use of laser acupuncture to quit smoking is the profit potential in it. A large sum of money is spent annually on products and services that advertise their ability to help in the struggle to end nicotine addiction. There are going people seeking to capture a share of this windfall by the use of laser acupuncture clinics. The process is safe and non-evasive. The smoker might not be so concerned with the underlying reason why he is being helped.

The true practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine might be able to make use of laser stimulation in his overall plan of treatment. It is a basic tenet of TCM that it is the whole person that is being treated and not just the symptom. This might be a good way to judge a laser acupuncture to quit smoking clinic. If the laser treatment is just given with no examination, no questions, no use of other tools, it most likely is not going to have the success rate you can find under the care of a true practitioner.

About Author

Alien writes for herbal remedies. He also writes for nature cures

Source: ArticleTrader.com

How Your Smoking Affects Your Loved Ones

Your cigarette, cigar or pipe smoking doesn't only have an affect on your health. The U.S. Surgeon General's report "The Health Consequences of Smoking," released in 2004, states it has been proven that smoking (or living with a person who smokes) can cause disease in nearly every organ of the body, in men as well as women. This means that every time you "light up" you are potentially damaging the health of your children, your spouse and your loved ones.



It is a fact that second hand smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke or ETS) is a major cause of children's illness. As children have developing lungs and have higher breathing rates than adults they run the greatest risk of health effects. In children under the age of 18 second hand smoke has been linked with pneumonia, lower respiratory tract infections, upper respiratory tract irritation, increased severity of asthma and asthmatic symptoms. It has been associated with sudden infant death syndrome, middle ear infections, upper respiratory tract infections (colds and sore throats) and cancers and leukemia. Japanese researchers just released a study that suggests that second hand smoke may affect childrens gums. 70f the children of smokers had a brownish or black pigmentation of their gums.



Statistics show that approximately 3,000 non-smoking adults die of lung cancer each year as a result of second hand smoke. Second hand smoke has been linked to nasal sinus cancer, cancer of the cervix, breast and bladder. Second hand smoke also causes an increased risk of death from heart disease.



If you must smoke, it is essential that you protect your loved ones, especially children. Don't smoke in your home. If you must smoke, smoke outside. Do not smoke in your car when your children are with you. Make sure that childcare providers and others who work in your home or around your children do not smoke.



There are many publications available to you free online that provide information on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and it's affects on your family. Visit the US Environmental Protection Agency at http://www.epa.gov/smokefree/publications.html for a free booklet.



The fact is that it's not only your own health at risk when you smoke. You quitting will make your loved ones healthier, and happier too.

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Article courtesy of http://www.stop-smoking-helper.com









Source: ArticleTrader.com

The Effects Of Smoking On Your Appearance

The Surgeon General of the United States has stated "Smoking cessation (stopping smoking) represents the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives." It may also be the most important step that you can take to improve the quality of your appearance. In 1985 the term "smokers face" was added to the medical dictionary. A study done in Norway in 1998 cited that women emphasize the effect of smoking on physical appearance as a general motivation to quit, whereas men mentioned general health benefits.



I have to say truthfully that vanity had something to do with my decision to quit smoking. I had started smoking at the age of 16 when I started dating a smoker. Unfortunately, when the relationship ended the smoking didn't. I was left with a habit that would haunt me.



It was in the late 70's when I worked in a medical office where we administered chemotherapy to cancer patients. I knew more about the health consequences than most people witnessing it first hand on a daily basis. I even had an ashtray at my desk and smoked in the office. Like most smokers I was in a state of denial. I was in my early 20's and felt invincible. I said to myself "it won't happen to me". Besides, I enjoyed my cigarette and cup of coffee in the morning, and nothing could beat relaxing with a cigarette after a good meal. It seemed all my friends smoked too.



I was in my mid-30's when I met a man whose parents were smokers. When I looked at his mother's aged and horribly lined face I thought "Oh my God, that could be me in twenty more years." Seeing her made an impression on me that I'll never forget. She was obviously a long time smoker with the tell-tale vertical lines all around her mouth. She had a grayish tinge to her skin, which was as thin as it could be. She looked a full 10 years older than her true age. Her fingers were actually stained yellow by nicotine. It was a wake up call for me.



There is no denying the negative effects of smoking on your appearance. Smoking dries out the skin. Smoking causes blood vessel constriction of the top layers of skin which reduces the oxygen levels which leads to a dull complexion. Due to this constriction of blood vessels and poor circulation a smokers skin is thinner than a non-smokers skin. It has been shown in studies to be up to 40

hinner. Smoking reduces the level of collagen in the skin which leads to loss of elasticity and the quick formation of lines and wrinkles.



Of course you have everything to gain trying to quit smoking aside from just the improvement in your physical appearance. Another report released by the U.S. Surgeon General in 2004 entitled "The Health Consequences of Smoking," revealed that smoking (or living with a person who smokes) can cause disease in nearly every organ of the body, in men as well as women.



I was lucky that I successfully kicked the habit almost ten years ago. I do have a trace of those tell-tale lip lines and although you may not notice them, I do. I have spent a fortune over the years in skin care products. I'll never have the face I would have had if I had never started smoking. But today I am a much happier and more importantly, a much healthier person for having stopped.



Whatever your reason, vanity or health - just quit!

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Article courtesy of http://www.stop-smoking-questions.com









Source: ArticleTrader.com