Tobacco addiction is a condition that can be hard to get rid of. Individuals who are addicted to the substance usually find themselves at the mercy of several health related ailments caused by it, including tooth stains, discoloration and erosion; mouth sores, gum diseases (including periodontal disease), bad breath, mouth cancer, hypertension, high cholesterol and in the worst case scenarios, heart attacks, strokes and other heart diseases etc.
Sadly, this revelation does little to help these individuals get rid of the addiction that’s slowly eating their lives. And far worse than the addiction to the tobacco found in cigarettes is the addiction to smokeless tobacco which is either snuffed or chewed. Many individuals claim that while it is hard to let go of the addiction to the tobacco found in cigarettes, it is almost impossible to get rid of the addiction to smokeless tobacco. It has also been found out that the withdrawal symptoms for the latter happen to more intense and frequent.
Effective Home Remedies To Help You Quit Chewing Tobacco
We know it would be pretty hard for you to kick this addiction to smokeless tobacco out of your system. Nevertheless, there are certain home remedies that can help you overcome the addiction with minimal side effects and withdrawal symptoms.
1. Choose Other Oral Substitutes
There are other effective alternatives for smokeless tobacco that can curb your cravings for the same. You can shift over to these substitutes after the initial days of using non-tobacco products.Common products that you can use at this juncture to stop chewing tobacco include hard candy, sugarless gum sunflower seeds and beer jerky etc.You cannot combine these products with tobacco that you already use. So make sure you start using these products only after curbing the habit a bit.
2. Opt For Specific Non-Tobacco Products
These products can be obtained from grocery stores and emulate smokeless tobacco in their look and texture (like moist snuff). Made from herbs or plants (like mint, tea or clover leaves), these products come packaged in tins and are available in different flavors (including moisteners such as glycerin).Individuals trying to kick the tobacco addiction can substitute these non-tobacco products for the tobacco that they usually chew. Alternatively, they can combine a small amount of these products with the tobacco that they chew in order to give up on the habit gradually (which is mostly recommended by doctors).
With time, the portion of non-tobacco product in the mixture can be increased while the tobacco content in it can be decreased. And slowly, the individual can completely stop mixing tobacco and rely completely on the non-tobacco products instead. This would in turn help them kick the habit effectively.It is considered essential to opt for non-tobacco products that do not contain any ingredients that you are allergic to. Make sure you check the ingredients in the label before opting for the product.
3. Try Cayenne To Curb A Craving
Cayenne can effectively bring down your craving for tobacco by desensitizing the respiratory lining to the product and other chemical irritants that come with it. Cayenne also contains antioxidant properties that can help stabilize the membranes in the lungs and reduce the damage caused by the smokeless tobacco.Another benefit of cayenne is that it has a peppery taste that can effectively emulate the effect tobacco has on your body and mind. Therefore, it can be easily substituted for tobacco albeit any withdrawal symptoms.
4. Indulge In Activities
Being inactive can increase your cravings for smokeless tobacco. Rather than let that happen, concentrate on shifting your mind and body to activities that would keep you energized and bring your tobacco cravings down.
Jot down the intervals and situations in which your body starts craving for tobacco in a notebook. This way, you can identify potential ‘danger zones’ and can spot the symptoms of a craving as and when they start occurring.Try deviating your mind from the problem at these junctures and try focusing on an activity that would relax your mind and body. Accordingly, you can go for a walk, jog around a park, take a plunges in a swimming pool or just soak in a tub filled with hot water until you feel better and know for sure that you have the craving under control.
5. Increase Your Intake Of Vitamins A, C And E
Tobacco can damage the skin cells and tissues in the body. Increased intake of foods containing Vitamin A, C and E can effectively curb this effect and help the body heal properly during withdrawal. While Vitamin A is necessary for healing mucus membranes in the body that are irritated or damaged due to the tobacco,Vitamin E is needed for the proper oxidation and removal of free radicals from the body. In addition to eating foods that are rich in these Vitamins, you can opt to take supplements to heal the internal wounds caused by tobacco.
