Even though it is smokeless, there is nothing good about chewing tobacco over cigarettes. According to a study in centers of disease control and prevention, more than 3% of US population over 18 years of age has reported the use of smokeless tobacco, making it a large source of human exposure to certain types of cancer.
Whether you’ve started to see some negative effects or not, it’s better to quit this habit to maintain your oral health. Quitting sooner than later will help you get rid of side effects caused by it and possibly lower the risk of causing cancer.
The use of smokeless tobacco is not only linked with short term effect but also with long term too.
Here are some simple ways that will help you to quit chewing tobacco and prepare you to stay on your track with healthy habits.
Before that, have a look on those short term effects caused by chewing tobacco on regular basis.
Short Term Effects Of Chewing Tobacco
The following are some short term effects of smokeless tobacco:
- Gum diseases
- Bad breath
- Receding gums
- Tooth decay
- Mouth sores
- Teeth staining
On the other hand, long term effects can lead you to experience life threatening diseases like cancer.
In fact, smokeless tobacco contain cancer causing agents that put you at risk of increasing risk of developing cancer on mouth, tongue, cheek, gum and even esophageal(throat).
Simple Ways To Quit Chewing Tobacco
Here are some effective ways to successfully quit chewing tobacco.
1. Make A Plan
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Once you have decided to quit chewing tobacco, this is the first thing you need to do. Set short term goals as well as long terms with a solid plan to achieve them.
Immediately, pick a concrete date to quit, which can be about a month or two in the future. Picking up a date will help you to prepare you emotionally and physically for the cleansing process ahead.
Moreover, ease the process by decreasing the amount of tobacco on regular basis between each tobacco usage. As you succeed in managing and taking lesser amount of tobacco you will get motivation to quit it completely from your life.
2. Keep Your Mouth Busy Always
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People who are addicted to tobacco have a habit of chewing always and it becomes harder for them to control against tobacco.
So, to control yourself from chewing tobacco keep your mouth engaged. You can chew sugarless gum, eat cloves, sunflower seeds, carrots and celery sticks. You can even carry some dry fruits and nuts.
If you are working on a computer throughout the day, just keep pencil or pen in between your lips.
3. Practice Deep Breathing
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Deep breathing is the best way to control the symptoms of nicotine such as, anxiety, restlessness, strong cravings etc. Regular practice of deep breathing will improve your mood that help to quitting.
According to a study in 2011, mindful meditation will also help you to improve attention and self regulation through the interaction between the central nervous system and body. The best part about meditation is, it can also help to remove toxins from your body.
4. Drink Plenty Of Water
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Smokeless tobacco contain huge amount of nicotine and the best way to overcome this addiction is just by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Generally our body needs water to stay hydrated and drinking plenty of water also results in flushing out all the toxins too.
Try to carry a bottle along with you wherever you go, which keeps your mouth busy and this is a good habit too.
5. Choose Nicotine Replacement Therapy
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Nicotine replacement therapy is one of the best tools to fight against the symptoms of nicotine.
In general, this therapy has minimal adverse effects especially for those who wish to quit smoking and chewing tobacco.
According to a study in 2007 conducted by drug and alcohol dependence, nicotine therapy is completely safe and should be considered as initial therapy in the clinical setting among tobacco users who use more than 3 cans per week.
6. Don’t Forget To Exercise
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Quitting tobacco is not an easy thing once you have addicted, it requires strong mind and body to accept it physically and mentally. So, taking up healthy exercises like running, swimming, jogging, improves not only your health, but it also helps in quitting tobacco too.
Exercise can also seed up the process of recovering and it can serve as a distraction to keep your mind focused to avoid nicotine.
