How to get through the first hard days of quitting smoking
SReplace the act of sucking on a cig by sipping cold water through a straw. It releases a brain chemical that can help ease bad moods. Oh, and eating small meals can also help you get through the urge to light up. But choose lean, healthy foods to avoid weight gain.
Quitting tobacco comes with some instant rewards: you feel more in control, save money, smell nicer, food tastes better and you are more energetic. Keep a list as you notice them, and look on that list to remind yourself of the gains when the urge strikes. Way to brush your teeth Your mouth and breath smell better the instant you quit. Keep it that way by brushing often. You will be less inclined to light up and foul that clean freshness.
Alcohol breaks down your restraint and shakes your commitment to quitting. Many connect drinking and smoking, so one might make you tend to the other. Just avoid the liquid.
Find your own no-smoking zone and go there for safety when the urge to light up strikes. It could be going to a movie, a library or a store, somewhere that is distracting and makes it harder to light up until you are able to ride out the craving. It’s in your head, silly Be specific. Write out your reasons for stopping smoking. Post them all over the place wherever you spend time—kitchen, work table, bathroom mirror. They should be in cientists have come a step closer to a single blood test that can detect eight different types of cancer—making them easier to manage with early start of treatment.
The result of the study trialled at Johns Hopkins University has left the science world in a buzz.
Cancer cells die and release their DNA and other proteins into the bloodstream. Humans are made of DNA but the DNA from cancer cells are quite different, and the new blood test can distinguish between them and normal DNA.
The test, called CancerSEEK, looks for 16 different cancer “driver genes”—which are associated with tumours—and eight proteins, researches reported in the journal Science.
The test can potentially detect cancers of the ovary, liver, stomach, pancreas, throat, colon-and-rectum, lungs or breast—most of which have no screening programmes for individuals at average risk.
Researchers put 1,005 patients through CancerSEEK and found it positive in 70% of the eight cancer types.
The reported the sensitivity of detecting the cancers reached places where you can easily glimpse them. They are useful to keep you on track.
Exercise offers a powerful distraction from cravings. When you’re active, your body sends out natural chemicals that help your mood and ease your stress. Walking is one of the simplest options. Choose a few different activities to help you stay motivated. Set aside time to be physically active every day, especially in the first month after you’ve quit smoking.
In the first few weeks, pack your calendar full with things to do. eat meals with friends, spend time with family, anything to avoid smoking temptations. The busier you are, the more distracted from smoking you will be. as high as 98% for cancers of the ovary, liver, stomach, pancreas and throat, for which no screening tests are available.
In more than 99% of the cases, the detection of cancer was specific.
“The sort of ultimate vision is that at the same time that you are getting your cholesterol checked when you are getting your annual physical, you will also get your blood screened for cancer,” said lead study author Joshua Cohen, a medical and doctoral student at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Researchers hope the test can help detect cancers before symptoms begin to show.
Ovarian, stomach, throat, liver and pancreatic cancers typically don’t cause any symptoms until they reach more advanced stages when mouth is part of the urge to smoke. Instead of a nicotine stick, pop a candy, chewing gum or some other munchies anytime you feel like lighting up. And have your cigreplacement with you at all times. Lifeline You most probably will not be able to do it alone. ask someone to be there for you, and don’t be shy about it. The best choice is a friend who is also a former smoker, to guide through the patches. But anyone who cares for you and wants to see you quit should be able to help when the going gets tough.
Caffeine may help you get alert and going in the morning—and keep you humped up during the day. But it can also make you feel tense, jittery and all nerves. If it makes you jumpy, cut back on it. Nicotine addiction makes the effects of caffeine worse. Stress, anger and frustration are treatment becomes difficult.
But experts say the test still needs to validated in large scale studies that negative emotions that push people back to smoking. They happen to everyone, and you can’t avoid them. Find way s to distract yourself. Spend time with friends, do something you enjoy, anything to create positive emotions around you.
Avoid them. You may not always get the support you want from friends and family. Some people might feel threatened by you wanting to quit and try to undermine your efforts. You don’t need them. Stay away from them. If you can’t do that, sit down with them and explain why quitting is important to you, and seek their support.
Once you have crossed the first two-week mark, you are likely on your way to life free of nicotine addiction. Be prepared. One lapse doesn’t make you a failure. Find out what went wrong. Discover ways to handle it, without smoking. could evaluate thousands of healthy individuals to confirm its sensitivity and specificity.