Asthma and Smoking

July 18, 2014

Asthma and Smoking – Drug Addiction

It is never fan smoking your life into destruction. cigarette smoking has no place in human life

Have you ever heard someone speak about smoking in total praise of good result they get from smoking? When you listen to cigarette being marketed through the media do they scare you with their remarks of dangers of smoking? Do the cigarette packets communicate good nutrition to you? Will you be healthy after smoking? Get the answers to these questions for yourself and follow me on this article and I believe that together we can be of help to many people addicted to cigarette smoking. I want to believe that this is not the first time you are hearing of poor relationship between asthma and cigarette smoking. You may not have appreciated that abstinence or quitting smoking when diagnose with asthma is the most important way you can take to protecting your lungs, facilitating treatment and preventing of asthma symptoms. To be honest with you if you’re suffering from asthma yet you’re still smoking you are doing your health a lot of injustice.

Reasons for Quitting Smoking

I am persuaded that you have heard the effects of smoking to you or to individuals diagnosed with asthma and to the general health of smokers and to those around them. It is a pity that some of our actions make us cause injuries to the innocent people around us. It is because of the great dangers and our desire to help you get the best life can offer that I write passionately about addiction and possible solutions. If you are smoking or you know of a friend or somebody smoking you can be of help to them by sharing this link to them so that they can get the following tips to help them enjoy the benefits of quitting smoking which include the following:

Because of reduced health risks your life will be prolonged.
Attainment of good health; Smoking is associated with several increase of health risk like lung cancer, throat cancer, a lung disease called emphysema (also known as COPD), heart disease, high blood pressure, ulcers, gum disease quitting reduces these risks significantly.
Feeling healthier; quitting smoking will reduce and eventually eliminates coughing, poor athletic ability, and sore throats.
Good looking appearance; smoking can cause face wrinkles, stained teeth, and dull skin which will go away by quitting smoking?
Improve your sense of taste and smell
You will be saving money by quitting since you will no longer spend on cigarette.

Possibilities of Quitting Smoking

Cigarette smoking is an addiction that is not east to recover from, because of this it becomes a problem since there is not particular formula applicable in quitting smoking particularly to those suffering from asthma however a smoking cessation program may be helpful with the help of your doctor taking you through smoking cessation programs in your community. Before you choose to quit all at once (“cold turkey”) it is important that you set a plan which will help progress. The plan may incorporate the following:

Settle on a date to stop smoking, and work toward achieving it.
Document when and why you smoke this is helpful in identification of some of your triggers.
Have in record what you do when smoking and try doing the opposite like smoking at different times and different places to break the connections between your smoking habit and certain activities.
List down all your reasons for quitting and memorize them before and after you quit.
Engage in positive activities to take the place of smoking.
Always consult your doctor concerning using nicotine replacement products such as gum, lozenges, and patches. Some people find these aids very helpful.

Asthma and Smoking – Quitting Time

On your choice day of quitting, begin that morning without a cigarette. Then follow the following tips:

Never concentrate on what you are longing for instead think about what you are gaining.
Encourage yourself that you are a great person for quitting.
When you are tempted to smoke take a deep breath and hold it for about 10 seconds and then release it slowly.
Disengage from activities that were connected to smoking like taking a walk or read a book instead of taking a cigarette break.
Don’t carry a lighter, matches, or cigarettes.
Go to places that don’t allow smoking, such as museums and libraries.
Eat low-calorie, healthful foods when the urge to smoke strikes. Carrot and celery sticks, fresh fruits, and fat-free snacks are good choices. Avoid sugary or spicy foods that may lead to cigarette craving.
Drink a lot of fluids. Avoid alcoholic drinks. They can make you want to smoke. Select water, herbal teas, caffeine-free soft drinks, and juices.
Exercise. It will help you to relax.
Hang out with non-smokers.
Seek support for quitting. Tell others about your milestones with pride.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking

After twenty minutes stopping smoking: Your blood pressure and pulse rate begin to decrease. Circulation and the temperature of your hands and feet begin to increase.
After twelve hours of not smoking: The carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal.
After two weeks to three months of not smoking: Your chance of heart attack decreases and your lungs function better
After one to nine months of not smoking: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease
After one year of not smoking: Your risk of heart disease decreases to half that of a smoker’s risk
After five to fifteen years of not smoking: Your risk of getting mouth, throat, or esophagus cancer drops to half that of a smoker.
After ten years of quitting smoking: Your risk of dying from lung cancer drops to almost half that of a smoker and your risk of other cancers, such as cancer of the bladder, larynx, kidney, and pancreas decreases
After fifteen years of quitting smoking: Your risk of heart disease decreases to that of a nonsmoker.

It is important noting that the temptation of smoking again (relapse) will always come. If they do be encouraged that you are not alone many people who have successfully quitted relapsed three times before the success. It is because of these challenges that you will need to be in constant touch with addiction professionals all the way and therefore being at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care you will be professionally assisted overcome all your challenges by focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. This way you will live a health life free from all elements of addiction.

Asthma and Smoking – Drug Addiction

Smoking and Heart Disease

July 18, 2014

Smoking and Heart Disease – Drug Addiction

Smoking causes heart disease and the solution is to quit smoking it is fatal

Those who are addicted to cigarette smoking may not know that they are smoking their life out of their system. They are also not aware that by sticking to this habit of smoking they have deliberately chosen the first lane leading them to their early grave. I will make effort in this article to state things as they really are because it is more helpful to know the whole truth as they are. The objective is not to scare you in anyway but to give you the clear picture of what cigarette smoking can do to you and the people around you. Because there is no safe smoking I will put it that by choosing the highway of smoking you are quietly committing suicide you may not agree with that but if the end result is that fatal then you are truly on that high speed locomotive of death. Throughout this article we will be interrogating the human heart one of the most vital organs in the body and how smoking affects its functions.

It is true that many people link cigarette smoking with respiratory problems and lung cancer which is just one of the many negatives of smoking but what many do not know is that smoking is also a major cause of heart disease to both genders. It is estimated that about twenty percent of deaths reported in the U.S are related to heart diseases explaining the reason why smoking is a major cause of heart attack.

Heart (attack) Disease

Heart attack has it characteristics. The risks of those characteristics are significantly multiplied in the systems of smokers. For instance if you smoke on a daily basis one pack of cigarette your risk of heart attack will twice more than non-smokers. This is the general effects to all genders but specifically to smoking women and are using birth control pills, such individuals will have their risk of heart attack, blood clot, stroke and peripheral vascular disease significantly increased.

The dangers of smoking cigarette do not only affect smokers but also people around them. Even though the people around smokers may not be smoking in their own right they will develop health problems related to the environmental tobacco smoke also known as secondhand smoking or passive smoking. Children are the most affected as a result of passive smoking but generally secondhand smoking causes chronic respiratory conditions, heart disease and cancer. Research has established that about 35,000 passive smokers die annually from heart disease. Now reflecting on the highway of death you can now begin to appreciate that indulgence in cigarette smoking is for sure suicidal.

Smoking Increase Heart Disease Risk

The nicotine present in cigarettes is transported straight to the bloodstream and the result is:

Insufficient oxygen to the heart.
Undue blood pressure and heart rate.
Increase in blood clotting.
Mutilation to cells aligning coronary arteries and other blood vessels.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking to your Heart and Lifestyle

Now that you are appreciating how smoking is harmful to your health and those around you, the following are some of the benefits of quitting smoking:

Extend your lifetime significantly.
Decreases your risk of contracting disease (including heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, lung cancer, throat cancer, emphysema, ulcers, gum disease, and other conditions).
Feel healthier. After quitting, you won’t cough as much, you’ll have fewer sore throats, and you will increase your stamina.
Look better. Quitting can help you prevent face wrinkles, get rid of stained teeth, and improve your skin.
Improve your sense of taste and smell.
Save money.

How to Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is not an easy task however the first step is to have that self-conviction that you want to quit smoking and not to be motivated by the desire to please your friends or family. You must in the process be ready to all rounds emotionally and mentally this will helps in planning for your recovery. To get started you may choose from the following guidelines:

Put down all your reasons for quitting in writing and read them daily before, in the process and after quitting. You may want to consider these tips:

Remember to write down when you smoke, why you smoke, and what you do when you smoking. This will help you know your triggers and avoid them.
Choose to stop smoking in certain situations (such as during your work break or after dinner) before actually quitting.
Create a list of activities you can do instead of smoking. Be ready to do something else when you want to smoke.
Ask your doctor about using nicotine gum or patches. Some people find these aids helpful. There are also drugs to help you quit smoking, such as Chantix and Wellbutrin.
Join a smoking cessation support group or program. Call your local chapter of the American Lung Association to find one.

How Will I Feel When I Quit Smoking?

When you stop smoking, you may crave cigarettes, be irritable, feel very hungry, cough often, get headaches, or have difficulty concentrating. These symptoms of withdrawal occur because your body is used to nicotine, the active addicting agent within cigarettes.

When withdrawal symptoms occur within the first two weeks after quitting, stay in control. Think about your reasons for quitting. Remind yourself that these are signs that your body is healing and getting used to being without cigarettes.

The withdrawal symptoms are only temporary. They are strongest when you first quit but will usually ease within 10 to 14 days. Remember that withdrawal symptoms are easier to treat than the major diseases that smoking can cause.

You may still have the desire to smoke, since there are many strong associations with smoking. People may associate smoking with specific situations, with a variety of emotions, or with certain people in their lives. The best way to overcome these associations is to experience them without smoking. If you relapse do not lose hope. Seventy-five percent of those who quit smoke again. Most smokers quit three times before they are successful. If you relapse, don’t give up! Plan ahead and think about what you will do next time you get the urge to smoke.

The good news is your risk of a heart attack is cut in half within two weeks of quitting smoking. After 15 smoke free years, your risk is similar to that of a person who has never smoked. Dear reader listen to the good news in this last paragraph isn’t it what you want? You will get it at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, an addiction facility founded by Doctor Akoury who has a passion in helping addicts recover from their addiction irrespective of the magnitude. Doctor Akoury together with her team of experts of several decades will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. What an opportunity the ball of good health is in your coat.

Smoking and Heart Disease – Drug Addiction

Embracing Green Tea To Fight Cancer

July 17, 2014

Green Tea’s Ability To Fight Cancer Discovered

Green Tea Seemingly, cancer research institutions, research individuals and concerned doctors are not ready to quit doing research studies to find out more ways of cancer treatment. Very many alternative cancer treatment methods have been developed in the recent years, thanks to the researchers and doctors who have continued to work tirelessly to make cancer treatment better for the patients as well as well avail helpful information to those who want to stay cancer free.

Even with the many research studies and new discoveries relating to cancer treatment, it has still continued to rob us of our loved ones posing another valid reason for doctors to continue in their endless research to save the situation. Among the most common type of cancer is the breast cancer which has become synonymous to death of many women throughout the world, prostate cancer that is a problem to most men worldwide, colon cancer, rectal cancer and liver cancer among others. In the United States alone breast cancer has been claiming at least 40,000 lives from 2010. Generally cancer has been a major cause of death not only in the United States but also in the rest of the world.

Are Conventional Cancer treatments still a choice for cancer victims?

Conventional Cancer treatments like chemotherapy are feared by most patients because of the severe side effects on the patients associated with it. Known treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy not only kill the cancerous cells in the cancer patient but also kill the healthy cells. This leads to the cancer patient having a poor health condition after the treatment as most healthy cells are trying to recover. Some of the side effects associated with chemotherapy include weight loss, loss of hair and loss of appetite. Conventional cancer treatments are also associated with severe pain forcing most of the cancer patients to look for better alternatives to treat cancer.

One of the alternatives that cancer patients are using is nutrition. Some foods are useful in fighting cancer and green tea has been mentioned to be one of them.

Scientists have emphasized the role of nutrition in fighting cancer there are foods that are useful in fighting cancer. Nutrition can be modified or better yet be balanced to help in fighting cancer. When you eat foods that are rich in antioxidants, they will fight the free radicals and other malignant cells that may turn cancerous. Other foods that are said to be effective in fighting cancer include; berries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, carrots, grapes, and even oily fish.

Over the past years researchers have been promoting the green tea and its extracts as a treatment for cancer as well as other diseases but there has never been an explanation to why the green tea could be of value in cancer treatment. Scientists have done many researches on the green tea to find out which property does it have that enables it to fight cancer and inhibit growth of cancer cells.

A recent study that was published online by the journal Metabolomics provides a basis of explanation to why green tea can help in cancer treatment. Researches may build on this basis to do more research and come with more reliable explanations. In the study report, it’s stated that an active green tea component known as EGCG changed the metabolism of pancreatic cancer cells by suppressing the expression of an enzyme associated with cancer, LDHA.

Green Tea

The research report also stated that oxamate which is an enzyme inhibitor also reduced the activities of the LDHA thereby disrupting the metabolism system of the cancer cells.

“Scientists had believed they needed a molecular mechanism to treat cancer, but this study shows that they can change the metabolic system and have an impact on cancer, By explaining how green tea’s active component could prevent cancer, this study will open the door to a whole new area of cancer research and help us understand how other foods can prevent cancer or slow the growth of cancerous cells.” expressed Wai-Nang Lee, MD, the author of the study and a Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) lead researcher.

The researchers used sophisticated metabolic profiling methods that helped them to find out how EGCG altered the balance of “flux” in the cellular metabolic network. Flux refers to the rate of turnover of molecules through a metabolic pathway. The research proved that EGCG disrupted this balance just as oxamate does. Oxamate is known as a LDHA inhibitor.

The researchers made a conclusion after the observations that both EGCG and oxalate found in the green tea help in reducing the risk to cancer by inhibiting the activities of the LDHA which is an enzyme that promotes metabolism in cancer cells hence maiming cancer cell metabolic abilities.

“This is an entirely new way of looking at metabolism, it is no longer a case of glucose goes in and energy comes out. Now we understand how cancer cell metabolism can be disrupted, and we can examine how we can use this knowledge to try to alter the course of cancer or prevent cancer.” Dr. Lee. Concluded.

Cancer treatment is a crucial subject and you need to be equipped with information not only on cancer treatment but also on how you can prevent cancer. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) has been reaching many people who are seeking cancer treatment through her website where she has always availed very useful information not only about cancer but also on other health threatening diseases like addiction among others. You surely need to get in touch with her so that you may tap in her huge knowledge and experience on health issues.

Green Tea’s Ability To Fight Cancer Discovered

Quitting Smoking

July 17, 2014

Quitting Smoking – Drug Addiction

If there is anything good you can do for yourself, is to quite smoking and kick it out of not just your life but also out of your neighborhood.

Have you ever wondered how and why smokers turn themselves in kitchen chimney that billows smoke from the very vital organs of their bodies! What amazes me is that all smokers are not ignorance of what the dangers they are putting themselves to. Despite of all the warnings visibly indicated on the packaging and all adverts run people still smoke as if smoking gives them certain values in life. This is very disturbing and we have deliberately decided to create an impact into seeing people adopt positive behaviors that do not endanger their own lives and that of others around them. It is my wish that reading this article will help you make the right decision of quitting your habit of smocking and if you are not a smoker then you will be able to help someone who is already smoking. I will then ask you a simple question do you want to quit smoking? If your answer is yes then I hope this article will be helpful to you.

Dear reader I want to bring to your attention a few facts about smoking and quitting. It is all about good news in stopping smoking because just within hours of stopping cigarettes smoking, your body begins to recover almost immediately from the effects of nicotine and all additives. Blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature all of which are raised because of the nicotine in cigarettes normalize to healthier levels. The capacity of your lung also increases and the bronchial tubes feels relaxed making breathing much easier. The toxic carbon monoxide in your blood also decreases permitting the blood to transport more oxygen within the body’s systems. I can tell you for sure that quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your own health.

Challenges in Quitting Smoking

This is not an easy exercise by all means but it is not impossible either, the difficulties will depend on a number of factors like:

The number of cigarettes sticks you smoke on a daily basis.
The kind of association you keep if you relate with smokers and spend time with them a lot then there will be problems.
What motivates you into smoking (weight control, social situations, peer pressure)

These are challenges you are likely to face in your journey to quitting smoking and you must be ready to face them positively.

Smoking is so addictive

One will not be penalized to blame nicotine the main drug element in tobacco, for their smoking addiction. When you smoke the brain quickly becomes friendly to the nicotine and develops tolerance for it increasing the urge to smoke more so as to achieve the same rush you often get from smoking a single stick of cigarette. Smoking cigarette is addictive and for your information nicotine acts on the same pathways as cocaine. However tolerance will occur when your brain attempts to keep itself balanced. Chemicals from the cigarette cause the brain to discharge chemicals called norepinephrine and dopamine. Too much discharge of these two chemicals causes the brain chemistry to get unbalanced and discharges its own anti-nicotine chemicals when one smokes. These “anti-nicotine” chemicals would make you feel down, depressed, and tired if you were not smoking and over time the brain will be able to foresee when you need to smoke and discharges the ant-nicotine chemicals which will make you feel tired, depressed and desires to smoke a cigarette.

Addiction to cigarette smoking is influenced by different trigger. A trigger is anything your brain associates with smoking easily. Smokers do not have the same triggers it could be:

The smell of cigarette smoke
A cigarette smoke ashtray put next to you
Seeing a carton of cigarettes at the store
Having certain food or drinks
The ending a good meal
Talking to someone with whom you normally smoke cigarettes.
Sometimes just the way you feel (sad or happy) is a trigger.

One of the biggest keys to quitting smoking understands the triggers that make you crave for smoking.

Desire to Quit Smoking – There is many ways of quitting smoking and they work differently to people some work better than others. The best approach is to choose a method which will challenge you to quit, but also one that you can achieve.

Behavioral therapy – With behavioral therapy, you visit a therapist who will help you find the most effective way to quit. The therapist will help you to identify your triggers, come up with ways to get through cravings, and provide emotional support when you need it most.

Nicotine replacement therapy – Nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, sprays, and lozenges are nicotine replacement therapies also known as NRT. Replacement therapy works by giving you nicotine without using tobacco. You may be more likely to quit smoking if you use nicotine replacement therapy however for persons age 18, your doctor’s consent to use nicotine replacement therapy will be necessary. This therapy works best when combined with behavioral therapy and lots of support from friends and family.

Medicine – Some drugs, including Zyban and Chantix, are formulated to help people quit smoking. You must never administer these on your own a prescription must come from your doctor.

Combination treatments – Using a combination of treatment methods can increase your chances of quitting e.g. by using both a nicotine patch and gum may be better than a patch alone. Other confirmed combination treatments include:

Behavioral therapy and nicotine replacement therapy
Prescription medication with a nicotine patch
Nicotine patch and nicotine spray.

What If I Start Smoking Again?

To go back to your old habit is known to us relapse which is normal in strong addictions like smoking. If this happens to you, you must not give up because you are not alone in relapsing. Many people will relapse many times before quitting permanently. I want to encourage you not to give up on this journey quitting is a process that might take some time and you will need the advice and guidance from addiction experts. Dr. Dalal Akoury is one of the many you can seek help from. She has been offering addiction treatment in a very unique way to many people globally for over two decades now. In her quest to serve you better she founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a facility offering exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to all people from all works of life including other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. Your condition will be best attended to at this facility where only qualified professional serve. Welcome and be part of this truly successful and fast addiction recovery treatment.

Quitting Smoking – Drug Addiction

Opioid Epidemic: Veterans Remain At High Risk

July 17, 2014

Stay Away From Opioids, They Are Addictive!

Opioids Opioid addiction is an ugly state, as we have always written about in this blog. Over the years, we have heard of celebrities who have succumbed to opioid addictions and we wonder, where is the problem? Addiction is a gradual process, and so are its effects in the body. Let’s discuss this topic in this post.

What are opioids?

These are drugs that are known to be relievers of pain. They work by lowering the number of pain signals your body sends to your brain and also changing how your brain responds to these pains. There drugs normally they are safe, but when they are misused they are very addictive.

What is Opioid addiction?

This refers to the pleasurable desire created in your body by the misuse of opioids which makes you want to use them every time.

Which are the examples of these opioid drugs?

The opioid drugs include:- opium, fentanyl, codeine, heroine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methadone, oxycodone, tramadol paregoric just to mention a few.

What is opioid drug tolerance?

Tolerance to drug refers to when your body over time gets used to the effects of the drug. When this happens, you may have to take a higher drug to attain the effect you used to attain before. When you use opioids for a long time, especially when abused, a time will be reached when your body gets used to the drug and it cannot have any reasonable effect to your body. If this becomes the case, if you want to use opioids to cure pains, it won’t be possible.

What about opioid dependence?

This refers to a point reached when the person has used a drug for a long time, such that his/her body works changes because they have taken drugs. Withdrawal effects are a common thing in this case, and the victim cannot stop taking the drug. The withdrawal effects prevent the person from stopping taking the drugs and therefore in everyday life, the person will need to take these drugs for survival.

How to spot addiction?

Craving for drug is a common way of knowing that you are addicted to a drug. In this case, you will feel like you cannot control your urge for the drug. The opioid addicted person will every minute want to take the drug not as a matter of choice but forced by the body urges.
If you find that you keep using the drug every without doctor’s prescription, even if the drugs are causing harmful effect on you, you may be addicted. This taking of drugs in most cases will not be a personal choice but you just find yourself taking them.
An increased tolerance for the drug is normally an indicator that the drug has gotten used to your body and consequently resulting to addiction. For instance, if the opioid addict has some pain and takes the drug that used to previously help in similar situation, It may not have any significant impact. This will require usage of a more powerful drug than the one the person used to previously take.
If you find that you are spending excess in terms of time and money on drugs, this could be an indicator of addiction. Since the addicted person will not be able to do without the drugs, it is common that the person will be a regular visitor to the drug dealers to purchase the drug every now and then. This will translate to the person spending too much money and time to acquire the drugs.
Addiction to opioids is also known to cause excess weight gain or weight loss. If you find that you are gaining weight or losing weight abruptly and you healthy status is good, then the reason could be that you have been addicted in opioids.
Another indicator of addiction in opioid that we cannot overlook is the act of turning to crime to pay for more opiates. This is a common case in places where people are not economically developed. This person will need money to purchase the drugs but since the money is not there, the person may end up in criminal activities while sourcing money for the purchases of the drugs. This will commonly result in pretty crime activities.

How is opioid addiction treated?

The treatment of opioid addiction is never an easy task, since opioid addiction is a complex disease which has physical, mental, social and emotional factors associated. For any successful treatment therefore, all these factors must be addressed. This treatment may be administered as outpatient program but in some cases in patient is the only option. This is normally the cases when it has caused mental problems to the addict.

opioids

The following are some of the key treatment methods:-

Detoxification – this is often the first attempt at treatment. This involves supervised withdrawal from the drugs. This is normally supported with medication to help the patient withstand the withdrawal effects.

Medication – here the addicts are sometimes introduced to milder opioids, whose quantities are drastically reduced during the medication period. This is normally helpful in helping the addict slowly withdraw from the drug usage.

Treatment facilities – this is a method of treatment in which the patient may be referred to a self-help group which helps the person in the recovery time.

Therapies – these are therapies which may be prescribed to the patient. This could be an activity like exercise. This will help the patient emotionally by not thinking about the drug every time.

So now we have seen all the consequences and solutions of opioid addiction. Are you ready to recovery from this addiction? All you need is to call or visit AWAREmed and you will be helped out by highly experienced professionals.

Stay Away From Opioids, They Are Addictive!

Category Archives: addiction