Host: Hello! We are answering questions on health and medical problems, I am joined by Dr. Rosemary Leonard, hello!.
Dr. Rosemary Leonard: Hello!
Host: Got a question from a smoker for you who wants to quit. "I am 55 year old man and I currently smoke 30 cigarettes a day, my health is deteriorating and I know I got to give up. I have tried to quit many times and have always come to temptation. So what's the best method to help me quit?"
Dr. Rosemary Leonard: This is a very familiar story. Most smokers need several attempts before they finally, finally give up. So I would say, first of all don't despair you can, can do it. There is no one best method. You will have one smoker that says I just went cold turkey and gave up and vowed I was never going to smoke again, whereas others have to do it gradually. It seems that using nicotine replacement products can help particularly if you have got heavy nicotine dependence and you will needing to smoke first thing in the morning.
It's available as pouches, as gum, as tablets and there is a also a Nicorette inhaler which mimics the hand to mouth action of smoking.
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And you can get these products on the NHS which can help reduce the cost of it. There is also a tablet Zyban available which can help reduce the craving for nicotine and some people find that very successful, but more than anything else it seems when you are giving out smoking, you need psychological help, you need back help to say yes you can do this.
You need to tell your friends, you need to tell your family all those around you, I am giving up smoking please, please don't tempt me with a cigarette and it also can be helpful to avoid going to the places where you are most likely to smoke. So if you go down to the pub in the evening and you have a drink and you have a cigarette then until you have completely you got over your smoking habit, just don't go down to pub, but warn all your mates first, this is why you are doing it.
Host: So you need the help to get through it?
Dr. Rosemary Leonard: You need the help to get through it.
Host: Do you think at 55 and smoking 30 a day that he is right in thinking that he is health is deteriorating, I think it's highly like.
Dr. Rosemary Leonard: It's highly like the smoking effects every bit of your body and it certainly can increase your risk of heart disease. The other thing in man it can do is increase the risk impotence and that's often knowing that is often the trigger that someone needs to really make an attempt to give up finally.
Host: Well let's hope so in this patience's case. Thank you Rosemary. And if you have a similar problem we hope we might have given you some help, but remember it's always best to go out see your own doctor for medical advice, thanks for watching, we will back with more health questions and answers.
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