If you have been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, the most important step that you can take in the management of your condition is to quit smoking immediately. The second step is to live smoke-free in a smoke-free environment. Whether you smoke or you are subject to secondhand smoke, cigarette smoke accelerates the damage already occurring in the lungs of pulmonary fibrosis patients. Making the decision to avoid smoke can slow that damage and progression of pulmonary fibrosis and its symptoms.
Now that pulmonary fibrosis is a part of your life, quitting cigarettes can make the difference between living longer and not living at all. The good news is that smoking is a risk factor that you can be in control of. Here is how oxygen concentrator suppliers like Oxygen Always recommends quitting smoking cigarettes:
1. Set a quit date. Setting a date to quit smoking formalizes the attempt to quit, and even though it may take several attempts, the likelihood goes up with every attempt you make. When you choose a date, make sure to keep stress factors in mind and choose a time when you will have the least amount of stress. When you quit cigarettes, stress is a major road block to the necessary behavioral changes needed in the process. As the date approaches, Oxygen Always recommends that you stay mentally and emotionally focused on this being a time for new beginnings and better health.
2. Accept the fact that you are going to feel miserable. It is not going to be easy when you first quit smoking. You can feel moody, miserable, and even depressed. For a few weeks after quitting you may feel hungrier than normal and feel the need to occupy your hands and mouth. Oxygen Always Sales recommends keeping gum or hard candies with you since they can help during the period of oral fixation and are a short term fix for cravings.
3. Identify and stay away from triggers. Everyone’s smoking triggers are different. Triggers can be habitual like smoking a cigarette while you drive or a trigger can come from smelling a cigarette. Remove all tobacco from your home and car completely, and also try to get rid of anything that may remind you of smoking. Retailers of oxygen concentrators for pulmonary fibrosis recommend talking with family and friends about your decision to quit so that they can help you avoid triggers and not be a trigger themselves.
4. Utilize nicotine supplements. Nicotine replacements help reduce a person’s cravings for nicotine. Nicotine replacement therapy includes nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, and lozenges. Oxygen concentrator retailers knows that nicotine replacement therapy does not offer the same effect as smoking cigarettes, but it does work by putting nicotine into your system to halt the withdrawal symptoms and wean you off of nicotine while you get used to not smoking.
5. Understand the addiction to cigarettes. People who have pulmonary fibrosis and smoke may feel guilty and embarrassed, some may even have a sense of failure. Cigarettes are a powerful addiction that create strong cravings. Oftentimes quitting is a cycle of on and off, quitting and then relapsing until you figure out what works best for you and really commit to it.
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