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Introduction:
It might be hard to believe, but the stark reality as presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes it clear that a good size of the entire smoking population have a desire to quit. Sadly however, this desire is often faced by challenges such as weight gain, nicotine withdrawal symptoms which can take the form of anxiety or headache among others. As such, even the most determined individual might find his or herself relapsing back to the smoking habit. Buttressing this is a study which indicates that it might take as much as 30 attempts for a smoker to successfully quit smoking.
Uses of nicotine patch:
Interestingly, smokers willing to quit can transition with less stress, given their knowledge of the existence of certain helpful tools. An example of a tool which has proven itself ideal to quit smoking, is the nicotine patch. The nicotine patch which is a form of nicotine replacement therapy, does not only aid to quit smoking. Furthermore, nicotine patch prevents a relapse of the habit. As a result of the addiction of smokers to nicotine, they are usually susceptible to frantically return to their habit of smoking. Thus, in a bid to put at bay the nicotine addiction faced by smokers; the nicotine patch is used to release a pre-quantified dose of nicotine into the skin.
Also, nicotine patches are in most cases made to be used for 24-hours. However, it is often used for only 16 hours as people tend to put it away on or before their bed time. The consequence of taking off a nicotine patch at bed time is manifested in the form of morning cigarette cravings
How it works:
The nicotine patch, as the semblance of a bandage, and it comes in diverse sizes. To put it to use, get it attached to a dry, hairless and clean body part. The body part of choice should be within the neck and the waist region. It is also worthy of mention that the patch should be changed daily, also the location between the neck and the waist wherein it is attached should as well be changed often. This will serve as a preventive measure against any form of skin irritation. Nicotine patches are usually recommended for smoking cessations. Equally, the programs for smoking cessation are usually conducted for 8-weeks. However, in the 8-weeks duration, the doses of nicotine will be in varying degrees.
For instance, the nicotine patch to be worn in the first four weeks will contain concentrated doses of nicotine which will range from 15 to 21 milligrams (mg) daily. Contrarily, the last four weeks making up the smoking cessation program will involve the donning of weaker patches that might only generate 5 to 14 milligrams of nicotine.
Prior to 1996, nicotine patches were only availed based on medical prescription. However, following the approval by the Food and Drug Administration for the over-the-counter sale of the patches, they have become relatively easier to access.
Cons of nicotine patch
The pros of nicotine any nicotine patch is in its uses, such as those stated above. However, regardless of its laudable pros, the nicotine patch also has its fair share of cons, some of which includes:
- Irritation of the skin: This seems to be a common issue faced by users of nicotine patch. Good enough, the challenge of skin irritation can be brought to a bearable minimum if the patch is located in different areas of the body daily. Other cons of nicotine patches are:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Insomnia
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