Šalje: QuitSmokingTips [bwprice@quitsmokingsupport.com] Poslano: 30. srpanj 2000 17:07 Prima: List Member Predmet: QuitSmokingTips - Volume 2 Number 26 QuitSmokingTips - http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com Sunday July 30, 2000 Welcome to QuitSmokingTips brought to you by QuitSmokingSupport.com If you feel that the material in this newsletter may be of benefit to anyone you know please feel free to pass it on! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Plan to visit QuitSmoking.com Excellent Information and Products to Help Smokers Quit http://www.quitsmoking.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TRYING TO QUIT SMOKING? Using the Nicotrol Inhaler? * Harris Interactive invites you to participate in a research study designed to learn more about your experiences using the NicotrolŽ Inhaler. * Participation involves completing up to six short surveys over the next seven months, either by phone or internet. * Qualified participants will receive payment for each interview completed, totaling up to $60. * You must be over the age of 18 and using the NicotrolŽ Inhaler to enroll in this study. * For more Information Call: 1-877-889-8593 OR, go to: http://survey.harrispollonline.com/11662f.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SOME GREAT QUITTING TIPS: Getting Ready to Quit * Set a date for quitting. If possible, have a friend quit smoking with you. * Notice when and why you smoke. Try to find the things in your daily life that you often do while smoking (such as drinking your morning cup of coffee or driving a car). * Change your smoking routines: Keep your cigarettes in a different place. Smoke with your other hand. Don't do anything else when smoking. Think about how you feel when you smoke. * Smoke only in certain places, such as outdoors. * When you want a cigarette, wait a few minutes. Try to think of something to do instead of smoking; you might chew gum or drink a glass of water. * Buy one pack of cigarettes at a time. Switch to a brand of cigarettes you don't like. On the Day You Quit * Get rid of all your cigarettes. Put away your ashtrays. * Change your morning routine. When you eat breakfast, don't sit in the same place at the kitchen table. Stay busy. * When you get the urge to smoke, do something else instead. * Carry other things to put in your mouth, such as gum, hard candy, or a toothpick. * Reward yourself at the end of the day for not smoking. See a movie or go out and enjoy your favorite meal. Staying Quit * Don't worry if you are sleepier or more short-tempered than usual; these feelings will pass. * Try to exercise-take walks or ride a bike. * Consider the positive things about quitting, such as how much you like yourself as a non-smoker, health benefits for you and your family, and the example you set for others around you. A positive attitude will help you through the tough times. * When you feel tense, try to keep busy, think about ways to solve the problem, tell yourself that smoking won't make it any better, and go do something else. * Eat regular meals. Feeling hungry is sometimes mistaken for the desire to smoke. * Start a money jar with the money you save by not buying cigarettes. * Let others know that you have quit smoking-most people will support you. Many of your smoking friends may want to know how you quit. It's good to talk to others about your quitting. * If you slip and smoke, don't be discouraged. Many former smokers tried to stop several times before they finally succeeded. Quit again. If you need more help, see your doctor. He or she may prescribe nicotine gum or a nicotine patch to help you break your addiction to cigarettes. Questions and Answers About the Benefits of Smoking Cessation: Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. The risk of premature death due to cigarettes depends on the number of years of smoking, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, the age at which smoking began, and the absence or presence of existing disease or illness at the time of quitting. The health benefits from smoking cessation (quitting) are immediate and substantial. Many factors contribute to the benefits of smoking cessation. 1. What are the immediate benefits to quitting smoking? There are many physical benefits to quitting smoking. Almost immediately, a person's circulation begins to improve and the carbon monoxide (chemical carcinogen found in cigarettes) level in the blood begins to decline. A person's pulse rate and blood pressure, which are abnormally high while smoking, begin to return to normal. Within a few days of quitting, a person's sense of taste and smell return, and breathing becomes increasingly easier. 2.What are the long term benefits to smoking cessation? People who quit smoking live longer than those who continue to smoke. After 10 to 15 years, a previous smoker's risk of premature death approaches that of a person who has never smoked. 3.How does the risk for the development of certain cancers change when a person has quit smoking? Smoking cessation greatly reduces a person's risk for developing cancer, and this benefit increases the longer a person remains "smoke free." Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women, and the most significant risk factor for the development of lung cancer is cigarette smoking. The risk for developing lung cancer (and cancer of the pancreas) gradually declines until, within 10 years, the risk is 30 to 50 percent below that of a person who continues to smoke. The risk for the development of cancers of the mouth, throat, and esophagus lessens significantly 5 years after quitting. The risk of developing bladder cancer and cancer of the cervix is also reduced after just a few years of being smoke free. 4.At what age is smoking cessation the most beneficial? Smoking cessation benefits men and women at any age. Some older adults may not perceive the benefits to quitting smoking; however, research shows that people 60 to 64 years of age who quit smoking are 10 percent less likely to die during the next 15 years than regular smokers. Individuals who quit smoking before the age of 50 see even greater health benefits. Their risk of dying in the next 15 years is half that of a person who smokes. Additional, immediate benefits (such as improved circulation, and increased energy and breathing capacity) are also good reasons for older adults to become smoke free. 5.Are there benefits to smoking cessation for persons who have an existing health or medical condition? There are many benefits to smoking cessation for persons who are sick or who have already developed cancer. Persons who quit smoking reduce their risk for developing another primary cancer. Persons who quit also have a longer survival expectancy. Smoking cessation reduces the risk for developing infections, such as pneumonia, which often causes death in patients with other existing diseases. 6.What are the short-term side effects of quitting smoking? Quitting smoking has short-term effects, especially for those who have smoked a large number of cigarettes for a longer period of time. People who quit smoking are likely to feel anxious, irritable, and frustrated. They may also have difficulty concentrating. Smokers who quit report an average of 4 pounds of weight gain after quitting. These side effects do subside. For individuals who kick the habit, the potential for a healthier, manageable future exists. 7.What if efforts to quit result in a relapse? Relapse is very common among smokers. However, one should not give up quitting smoking after a relapse. In fact, most people report having tried to quit a number of times before achieving success. Smokers must consider that quitting cigarettes will result in short-term side effects, such as nicotine withdrawal. However, after an average of 3 weeks, many people are successful in their attempt to quit smoking. 8.What role do health care providers play in the smoking cessation of their patients? Health care providers play an integral role in helping their patients quit smoking. Studies show that patients are more likely to be successful at quitting smoking when it is recommended by their physician. The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) has established guidelines and recommendations for effective smoking cessation programs for health care providers. You can order a copy of these guidelines by calling the AHCPR at 1?800?358?9295 or the Publication Ordering Service of the Cancer Information Service (CIS) at 1?800?4?CANCER (1?800?422?6237). The CIS can also send information and publications about smoking from the National Cancer Institute. SIX MYTHS ABOUT AGING Getting Up In Years Doesn't Mean You're Getting Down in Your Ability to Thrive By John W. Rowe and Robert L. Kahn Special to The Washington Post Tuesday, July 20, 1999; Page Z12 Society is in persistent denial of some important truths about aging. We view the aged as sick, demented, frail, weak, disabled, powerless, sexless, passive, alone, unhappy and unable to learn -- in short, a rapidly growing mass of irreversibly ill, irretrievable older Americans. To make use of new scientific knowledge and to experience its benefits, we must "unlearn" the myths of aging. Myth: To be old is to be sick. Fact: The theory that older people become sicker and more dependent with increasing age is losing favor. MacArthur studies and other research show that older people are much more likely to age well than to become decrepit and dependent. Only 5.2 percent of older people reside in nursing homes, down from 6.3 percent in 1982. Furthermore, most older Americans are free of disabilities. Of those Americans aged 65 to 74 in 1994, a full 89 percent reported no disability whatsoever. While the proportion of elderly who are fully functioning and robust declines with advancing age, between the ages of 75 and 84, 73 percent reported no disability. Even after age 85, 40 percent were fully functional. The reduction in disability appears to be accelerating. This is true at all ages, even among those over age 95. Myth: You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Fact: The pervasive belief among young and old that the elderly cannot sharpen or broaden their minds creates a disturbing cycle of mental inactivity and decay. Certainly, the less people are challenged, the less they can perform. But research shows that older people can, and do, learn new things -- and learn them well. True, the limits of learning, and especially the pace of learning, are more restricted in age than in youth. And the conditions for successful learning are different for older people than for the young. Three key features predict strong mental function in old age: regular physical activity; a strong social support system; and belief in one's ability to handle what life has to offer. Happily, all three can be initiated or increased, even later in life. Research has demonstrated the remarkable and enduring capacity of the aged brain to make new connections, absorb new information and thus acquire new skills. In one experiment, older people who showed declines in inductive reasoning and spatial orientation made significant and long-lasting improvement after five training sessions. Myth: The horse is out of the barn. Fact: Many believe that, after decades of fat-laden foods, no exercise and overindulging in alcohol, what they have lost is gone forever and cannot be recovered. But nature is remarkably forgiving. Research shows that it is almost never too late to begin healthy habits such as smoking cessation, sensible diet and exercise. And it's never too late to benefit from those changes. The risk of heart disease begins to fall almost as soon as you quit smoking -- no matter how long you've smoked. In five years, an ex-smoker is not much more likely to have heart disease than someone who never smoked -- and the good effects of quitting hold regardless of age, how much or how long you smoked. Similar results can also come from changes in obesity, blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and exercise. Myth: The secret to successful aging is to choose your parents wisely. Fact: While the role of genetics in aging is important, it has been tremendously overstated. A common error is to assume that one's genetic predisposition is equivalent to genetic "control" of life expectancy, and that we are all preprogrammed for a given duration of life. With rare exceptions, only about 30 percent of physical aging can be blamed on genes and only about half of changes in mental function. This leaves substantial room for healthy lifestyle to protect the mind and body. Also, as we grow older, genetics becomes less important and environmental factors more important. The likelihood of being fat and of having hypertension and high cholesterol, and the rate at which one's lung function declines with advancing age are, by and large, not inherited. These risks are due to environmental or lifestyle factors. How we live and where we live have the most profound impact on age-related changes in the function of many organs throughout the body. Myth: The lights may be on, but the voltage is low. Fact: This myth suggests that older people suffer from inadequate physical and mental abilities. Sexual activity does tend to decrease in old age. However, there are tremendous individual differences in this intimate aspect of life. We know that these differences are determined in part by cultural norms, by health or illness, and by the availability of sexual and romantic partners. When it comes to sexual activity, as in so many other aspects of aging, chronological age itself is not the critical factor. Certainly there are older people who have lost interest in sex and are glad to be done with it. But that is not the dominant view of older men and women in the United States today. One study found that about 70 percent of 68-year-old men were sexually active on a regular basis. At age 78, this dropped to about 25 percent, due mostly to health. Among older women, the major factor for declining sexual activity was the unavailability of an appropriate partner. Apart from sexual activity, the basic human need for affectionate physical contact, which is apparent even in newborn infants, persists throughout life. The voltage is never too low for that -- in fact, it may help keep the lights on. Myth: The elderly don't pull their own weight. Fact: The unstated assumptions are that everybody who works for pay is pulling his or her weight and that those who do not are a burden. The truth is, some people who are paid do little or nothing useful while unpaid but productive work -- in the home or as a volunteer -- is uncounted. As people age, and especially as they retire from paid work, their continuing productive activities are increasingly unpaid. One-third of older Americans work for pay and one-third work as volunteers in churches, hospitals and other organizations. Others provide informal, much-needed assistance to family members, friends and neighbors. It would take 3 million paid caregivers, working full time, to provide that assistance to sick and disabled people. Also, for many people retirement, while not legally compelled, is nevertheless involuntary. Many employers seem to believe, mistakenly, that older workers are less productive, more often absent or are liabilities in some other respect. Millions of seniors are ready, willing and able to increase their productivity, both paid and voluntary, given a chance. John W. Rowe is a physician and the president of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Robert L. Kahn is professor emeritus of psychology and public health at the University of Michigan. This article is excerpted from their book "Successful Aging" (Pantheon 1998). Š Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Take care! Blair support@quitsmokingsupport.com QuitSmokingSupport.com http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to quitsmokingtips-unsubscribe@listbot.com Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb