Get Optimized | Break Free from Smoking, Vaping, Chewing

Tag: Smoking Side Effects

Do Side Effects of Quitting Smoking Include Rashes?
Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things a person can do. Quitting cigarettes and nicotine has been said to be in the same realm as kicking a cocaine or heroin habit. It is a serious undertaking. There are many side effects that occur when quitting smoking. The brain is used to a certain amount of nicotine and other chemicals every day and denying it of those chemicals has side effects.

One of the many side effects of quitting smoking are itchy rashes that can break out all over the body. This article will discuss the reasons for rashes to occur after quitting smoking, the side effects of smoking, and using drugs such as Chantix combined with behavior modification therapy to help with quitting smoking.

Why Do Rashes Occur When Quitting smoking

Nicotine restricts blood flow in the blood vessels. The vessels take blood to every part of the body, including the skin. It will take some time for the body to get normal blood flow back to all of your skin after you quit smoking. Most people will develop a type of rash that looks like eczema on their feet, legs, and hands. This is temporary and will go away when the body gets used to being nicotine free.

Stress is another factor that can cause itchy rashes when quitting smoking. Stress from not having nicotine delivered to the brain all the time can play all kinds of tricks on the body. When quitting smoking, the body is not used to being deprived of all the chemicals and carcinogens that cigarettes provide. The body attempts to ‘fix’ itself and this can lead to rashes.

Most people will also experience a reaction on their face. This is the most exposed part of the body and tends to dry out faster than anywhere else. When you quit smoking your skin is trying to heal itself and is flooded with nutrients and oils. If these oils build up enough, a rash or acne will occur.

Changes in diet are also a cause for rashes related to quitting smoking. Smoking cigarettes, or ingesting nicotine in general, cause people’s appetite to be decreased. Once someone quits smoking the appetite comes back. Some people tend to eat unhealthy foods once they start eating regularly again and their body is not used to all the calories and other substances being consumed, causing the body to react to this change by developing a rash.

Ingesting nicotine (chewing tobacco, pipe smoking, quitting aids such as gums and lozenges, and smoking cigarettes) for a long period of time puts a lot of harmful chemicals and carcinogens into the body. When you quit smoking the body is trying to get rid of these chemicals. As these poisons are coming out of you, they can cause itchy rashes on the skin. The good news is that they are temporary for as long as you cease smoking! The body is a remarkable machine that has the ability to heal itself. There will be some discomfort at first but it will subside and the rashes will go away. Once your body has rid itself of the harmful chemicals caused from nicotine use, there should be no more rashes and you will live a long and healthy life!

The Side Effects of Smoking

Besides skin rashes there are many other adverse side effects to smoking. Nicotine does very harmful things to the body and mind. There are many side effects that come with smoking. Some are mild and some are severe. These side effects include:
- Cancers
  - Larynx
  - Esophagus
  - Liver
  - Stomach
  - Lung
  - Kidney
  - Cervix
  - Bladder
  - Pancreas
  - Colorectal
  - Blood
- Diseases
  - Stroke
  - Heart disease
  - Eye degeneration
  - Bone weakness
  - Pneumonia
  - Diabetes
  - Erectile dysfunction
  - Pregnancy complications
- Diminished Appearance
  - Yellow fingers
  - Stained teeth
  - Wrinkled skin
  - Noxious odor
- Death
Using Chantix and Behavior Modification Therapy to Quit Smoking

Recently a new drug has entered the market, called Chantix. Chantix is a behaviour changing drug that works concurrently with behaviour modifying therapies so that the smoker no longer craves cigarettes and can avoid situations where they would want to smoke. These types therapies include group counselling, one on one visits with your doctor, or hypnosis.

By using these two methods together there is a much greater chance that you will quit smoking successfully. As with any quitting smoking method, there are side effects. Always make sure you talk to a qualified medical professional when attempting to quit smoking.

Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

There are always going to be withdrawals when quitting anything that goes into your body, and cigarettes are even more so. When going through a traumatic time like quitting smoking, you need all the help you can get.

Joseph R. Giove is a certified Clinical Hypnotist with over 30 years of experience in Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. He uses only the power of the mind to help you quit smoking, not dangerous chemicals or carcinogens. He will gently alter your brain patterns so that you will no longer want cigarettes, even despise them.

At the end of the day you will live a longer and healthier life when you quit smoking. There are some side effects to quitting that include itchy rashes but those will subside. The body is trying to get rid of many years of harmful toxins that have built up inside it. By using Chantix and behaviour modification therapy such as Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, you have a great chance for a long and healthy life!
August 15, 2016
Why Am I Experiencing Muscle Twitching After Quitting Smoking?
When a person quits smoking, their body goes through many difficult changes because it is trying to rid itself of the poisons from smoking. These are called nicotine withdrawals. Withdrawals present themselves in a variety of ways and can vary in terms of severity.

Smoking cigarettes is very damaging to the health of the smoker for many reasons. Some of the dangerous side effects of smoking range from cancer and diabetes, to yellowing of the fingers and other physical symptoms. Quitting smoking will greatly improve the quality of your life as well as increase longevity.

When you quit smoking there are always side effects, but they are much less severe than what lays in store health-wise should you continue to smoke. One of the less severe withdrawal symptoms sometimes experienced is twitching or spasms of the muscles. While this is an irritating condition, it is temporary. This article will discuss muscle spasms, withdrawal symptoms, the ways to make the spasms subside and how Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy can help alleviate these symptoms.

What Are Muscle Spasms?

Muscle spasms can occur in many parts of the body. These spasms are caused by dehydration, overuse, and decreased electrolytes. They are usually abrupt and painful, but generally short-lived. Muscles spasms generally occur when they are over-used or tired, over-stretched, or have been inactive for a long period of time. The muscles run out of fluids that keep them loose and become hyperexcitable, which then forces a contraction of the muscle. Muscle spasms can also occur with the narrowing of the arteries, making it hard for the heart to get blood to all the areas of the body. This is common in smokers because nicotine slows blood flow by restricting the blood vessels in the body. This also means that the vessels are not receiving enough oxygen.

Muscle twitching is different than a muscle spasm in that it is the uncontrolled movement of a small segment of a larger muscle and can be seen under the skin. Many people who have just quit smoking will experience muscle twitching or spasms because their body is trying to rid itself of all the toxins that come from smoking. As the heart grows stronger and can process blood to all the areas of the body more efficiently, the spasms and twitching should go away. If the twitching persists after a month or so, you should check with your doctor to see if there is more permanent damage.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Along with muscle twitching and spasms there are some other withdrawal symptoms that you could experience. These can vary in intensity and should only last a few weeks. Some of these symptoms include:
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Coughing
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
These are all symptoms that come with quitting smoking and vary with intensity. They are usually mostly mild but some can be quite severe. Fortunately, muscle twitches are one of the less severe withdrawal symptoms, and should go away quite quickly. Unfortunately, they can also be one of the more annoying symptoms!

Ways To Make Muscle Twitching Subside

Besides being a symptom of smoking withdrawals, another cause of muscle twitching and spasms is stress. Stress tightens muscles and weakens the blood supply to them, causing them to contract. Often times the act of quitting smoking can be stressful, particularly to those who have been smoking for a long time. There are many ways to alleviate stress. Some options include:
- Exercise
- Going out with a friend
- Reading a good book
- Taking a hot bath
- Massage
- Eating comfort foods
The main idea is to find something that you enjoy doing. Not only will that take your mind off your withdrawal symptoms, it will relax the muscles and allow the twitching to subside. Since the arteries in your heart are constricting the flow of blood to the other muscles in the body, the best way to get the blood back them is to exercise. Start off slowly and stretch a lot because your heart and muscles may not be used to the strain. As your body gets more and more exercise, the blood flow will return to normal and muscle spasms and twitching will subside. Remember, one cause of muscle spasms is inactivity in the muscles, so get out there and activate them!

Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

There are always a few people who have withdrawal symptoms worse, or longer lasting than others. This is due to how long they smoked, how much they smoked, and body chemistry. Muscle twitching after quitting smoking is quite common and most people may not even notice it. If you are someone who is experiencing muscle twitching or spasms in an uncomfortable way, there are ways to subside them. Combined with the techniques above, Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy can help you tolerate the muscle twitching more easily.

Joseph R. Giove is a certified Clinical Hypnotist with over 30 years of experience in Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. By using the power of the mind, he helps people quit smoking and deal with the after effects of withdrawal symptoms. He uses no chemicals or carcinogens, just gently altering brain patterns to relax you and help you quit smoking.

Quitting smoking will give you a longer and healthier life. Twitching of the muscles is a small price to pay for adding years to your life. By having a relaxed mind and body, your muscle twitching problems will be much easier to handle and subside more quickly!
August 10, 2016
Will My Sperm Count Increase After I Quit Smoking?
Smoking does disastrous things to the body and the mind. Nicotine and the other 7000 chemicals that the body takes in with every cigarette causes more and more damage to just about every part of the body. Cancer and diseases can show up just about anywhere, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other vital organs. In addition to cancer and disease, smoking cigarettes decreases the male sperm count and affects fertility, decreasing your chances of a successful conception.

Cancer and other diseases can take years to develop but a low sperm count can happen more quickly. While these other symptoms are obviously very serious, a low sperm count can affect a man’s ego as well as his ability to procreate. If a man is looking to get a woman pregnant, he must be in the right mindset, as well physically fit. The best way to get your sperm count back to normal is by quitting smoking.

This article will examine the effects of smoking on sperm count, what happens to the sperm count after quitting smoking, and infertility, and how Joseph R. Giove can help you quit smoking using hypnotherapy in order to improve your sperm count.

How Does Smoking Affect Sperm Count?

Smoking will damage your sperm count and motility (this is the ability of the sperm to make its way through a woman’s fertility track). Once this happens it makes it that much harder for the man to fertilize the woman’s egg.

While scientists are still testing many theories as to why this is, one doctor has come up with a theory. Dr. Mohamad Eid Hammadeh and his research team have found that sperm is comprised of two main chemicals, protamine 1 and protamine 2. In non-smokers these two are at an even ratio and are considered healthy enough to fertilize an egg.

The problem that comes with smokers is that they do not have enough of the protamine 2 chemical. This imbalance can cause the sperm to become highly vulnerable to DNA damage. This means that those sperm will either not fertilize an egg, lead to a miscarriage, or the child will develop birth defects.

Smoking damaged sperm cannot fight off destructive oxygen molecules, called free radicals, to the same degree as healthy sperm. Smoking then leads to oxidative stress, and therefore more free radicals. Free radicals are much more prevalent in smokers than nonsmokers and also cause sperm motility issues in addition to fertilization problems.

This means that smoking will decrease your sperm count as well as the quality of the sperm. If the sperm quality is low than there is an even greater chance that it will not be able to fertilize an egg.

What Happens to the Sperm Count After Quitting

Women unfortunately have a limited number of eggs that can be fertilized over their lifetime, but men are a little luckier. After you quit smoking, your sperm count and motility should return to normal reasonably quickly. This is because sperm has a regenerative property that allows it to replace itself every 70 to 90 days. However, it may take a little longer if you have been a heavy smoker for a long time. Smoking takes its toll on the whole body, the reproductive system included. If you want your sperm count and motility rate to get back to normal you should quit immediately. If you are trying to conceive a child, the chances of fertilization and fewer complications greatly increase after 3 months of being smoke free.

Not only does smoking decrease sperm count and motility for men, it affects women too. Smokers of either gender are much likelier to develop fertility problems than non smokers. Some of these problems include:
- Genetic issues
- Reproductive organ damage
- Ovulation issues
- Premature menopause
- Damage to the eggs
- Cancer of the reproductive system
- Increased risk of miscarriage
- Hormonal issues
- Erectile dysfunction
All of these factors are increased when one or both of the parents smoke. Secondhand smoke can cause any of these fertility issues as well. So if you and your partner are trying to conceive, it is best that both of you quit smoking right away.

Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

Smoking has been linked to dozens of health problems ranging from cancer to erectile dysfunction. Many of these health problems are associated with the reproductive system, including low sperm count in men and infertility in women. While a low sperm count is just one of many problems associated with fertility, it is also the most correctable. By quitting smoking, your sperm count and motility will increase back to healthy levels. Sperm only takes about three months to regenerate itself so if you are planning on conceiving, now is the time to quit, and Joseph R.Giove can help.

Joseph R. Giove is a certified Clinical Hypnotist with over 30 years of experience helping people who are trying to conceive a child quit smoking. He doesn’t use chemicals or carcinogens that could be damaging to your body or the future baby’s body. He simply uses the power of the mind to slightly alter your brain pattern so you no longer crave cigarettes. For your health and the health of your future child, quit smoking now with the help of Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy!
July 15, 2016
Dangerous Things People Smoke Weed Out Of
Smoking weed is becoming more and more popular, not just with youth but with people of all ages. Weed, or marijuana, is also on the verge of becoming legal in much of the United States, as well as other countries.

That being said, the long term health effects of smoking weed have not been fully studied as most people who smoke weed either lie about it or greatly understate how much they smoke. This is because marijuana is still a schedule 1 narcotic in most places, alongside heroin and acid, and many states still have fairly harsh penalties for marijuana possession.

This article will discuss marijuana risks, the dangerous paraphernalia that can be used to ingest weed, the effects of smoking weed everyday, and how long weed stays in your system.

The Risks of Smoking Marijuana

There are health risks to ingesting smoke of any kind, and weed is no different. The tar that is ingested when the resin in weed is smoked has the potential to build up in the lungs. This tar is similar to the tar produced by cigarettes.

While the tar produced from weed smoke is less than that of cigarettes, there is still a risk that the same kinds of nicotine cancers could develop. Long term health effects studies are currently ongoing and becoming more accurate as marijuana gradually becomes legalized and more prevalent in our society.

Personal safety and well being is also something to consider when smoking weed because it is still illegal in most of North America and many other countries around the world. Procuring weed could prove to be risky as ‘dealers’ can be shady individuals and could potentially be carrying weapons.

Additionally, different States have different laws affecting those who get caught with weed. Some might have no charges for a small amount, while others may have incredibly strict laws with mandatory jail time.

Some people choose to combine tobacco with weed and smoke it that way. This is obviously dangerous to your health and lungs because of the many risks associated with tobacco and nicotine use.

Dangerous Paraphernalia Used for Smoking Weed

Weed can be smoked or ingested in a variety of ways. Some of these methods are more dangerous than others. While there is no scientifically proven “safe” way to smoke weed, there are some that are more hazardous than others.

Marijuana can be smoked in a rolled cigarette-type paper, called a joint, which is obviously the most common, but also through constructed “bongs,” “spots,” and “hash oils.”

Smoking weed in a joint form is one of the safer ways, however there is the risk of a lit joint falling onto a bed or couch and causing a fire. This is also common in instances where people fall asleep while smoking cigarettes in bed, and the same danger applies with weed.

Smoking weed through a bong is another common form that has become more popular over the years. There is a perception that it is “cleaner” than smoking a joint, mainly because of the smoking of paper and that joints looks like a cigarette. However, smoking through a constructed bong can be dangerous depending on what it is constructed of. One form a bong is the use of a sideways tin can whereby holes are poked through the side and the weed is smoked through the mouth of the can. This means that there are potentially harmful chemicals being ingested from the burning of metal.

“Spots,” “dabs,” “knives,” and “hot knives” are all synonyms for a way of smoking weed by rolling small amounts of resin-rich weed and placing them between two hot knives. The smoke that then comes from the ‘spot’ is inhaled by the user.

Another way to smoke “spots” is by using a pipe, either glass or plastic, and heating it with a blowtorch to produce the smoke. The dangers of using a blowtorch indoors aside, the ultra hot smoke is much more harmful to the lungs. Putting ice in the bottom of the pipe cools the smoke but still has the inherent dangers.

There is also the danger of smoking through a plastic pipe which could melt and then the chemicals in the plastic would be inhaled. This method has been referred to as the ‘smoking crack method’ of smoking weed.

The Effects of Smoking Weed Everyday

Smoking weed everyday is dangerous to your health. As stated, smoking weed produces a tar that can build up in the lungs similar to smoking cigarettes and prolonged, steady use will only increase health risks in the lungs. Other factors of heavy weed use include:
- Shallow Breathing
- Increased Appetite
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Red eyes
- Dilated Pupils
- Lower Testosterone Levels
How Long Does Weed Stay In Your System

Unfortunately there is no exact scientific way to determine how long weed, or more specifically THC, will stay in your system. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana that gives the user a “high.” Other factors depend on how long you’ve been smoking weed, the amount of times per week, the amount smoked per day, as well as the body type and its metabolism. Below is an approximation of how long weed can be medically detected in the body’s urine:
- Occasional Users – 4 – 8 days
- Frequent Users – 10 – 25 days
- Daily Users – Up to 63 days
Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

The effects of smoking marijuana are still being studied but the ones that have been completed suggest that there are connections to memory loss, dementia, and schizophrenia. Weed is also an addictive and dangerous drug, perhaps not as much so as cigarettes, but the two share similar properties.

Quitting smoking weed is different than quitting smoking cigarettes in that there are fewer treatments such as gums and lozenges, but the cravings will still be there. The most effective way to quit smoking, and deal with the cravings is with Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy.

Joseph R. Giove is a certified Clinical Hypnotist and has over 30 years of experience helping people quit smoking. His methods are not intrusive and use no chemicals or carcinogens, only the power of the mind. By gently altering the brain patterns, the cravings can be subsided and the behavior towards smoking weed can be changed.

With Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. Joseph R. Giove can help you get on your way to a smoke free life.
June 8, 2016
How Many People Die From Smoking?
Smoking causes more deaths per year than murder, suicides, AIDS, car accidents, and alcohol and drug use in the United States.

This equates to more than 480,000 deaths per year. Most of these deaths are caused by the direct effects from smoking cigarettes. However, secondhand smoke is also a major factor in smoking related deaths and both will be discussed in this article.

Another term for secondhand smoke is “passive smoke.” This is a term that has been created by the big tobacco companies in an attempt to soften the concept of “secondhand smoke.” Smoking related diseases such as cancer, lung disease (COPD) and heart disease are the major factors that contribute to this incredibly high number of deaths per year in the United States.

This article will discuss these numbers, as well as worldwide statistics, secondhand smoke deaths, and how Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy can help decrease smoking related deaths.

Smoking and Cancer

Smoking cigarettes directly contributes to the development of cancer-causing cells. Nine out of ten instances of lung cancer are caused by smoking cigarettes.The damage done by smoking is two-fold, not only does cigarette smoke cause cancer, but it also weakens the immune system so the body cannot properly fight the damaged cells. The cancer can then spread freely throughout the body without being stopped by the body’s natural blocking systems.

Over 7300 people die each year as a result of someone else’s smoking, whether by cancer or any number of other smoking related diseases. Secondhand smoke is an entirely preventable problem, and help to quit smoking is always available. Joseph R. Giove can help curb this epidemic using Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, one of the most effective methods of smoking cessation.

Smoking Deaths

In the United States alone, 480,000 people die each year from smoking and smoking related illnesses. Despite the numerous warning labels, advertisements, public service announcements and disclaimers on cigarette packages, the death toll nevertheless continues to increase every year.

The US government has put in place enhanced regulations to restrict cigarette advertising in television, movies and print, and they might have helped. However, these restrictions have forced the American tobacco companies to go overseas and prey on developing countries in order to sell their products.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 6 million people worldwide will die this year due to tobacco use. By 2030, that number will be 8 million. These numbers are appalling in of themselves, but here is an even more appalling number: 83. That is the percentage of the 8 million people who will die that reside in low- and middle-income countries.

Just because the advertising restrictions are working in the United States doesn’t mean it is being applied elsewhere. Tobacco companies are clearly preying on lower-class families around the world.

Secondhand Smoke Deaths

Of the 480,000 deaths in the United States, nearly 48,000 were caused by secondhand smoke. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus defines secondhand smoke as “tobacco smoke that is exhaled by smokers or is given off by burning tobacco and is inhaled by persons nearby.” According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) when children are exposed to secondhand smoke they can experience the following conditions:
- Ear infections
- Increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Frequent and severe asthma attacks
- Coughing and shortness of breath
- Bronchitis and pneumonia
The health effects from secondhand smoke in adults are equally catastrophic. They range in severity of the following symptoms:
- Heart disease – Estimations of secondhand smoke related deaths reach 34,000 people per year in the United States.
- Lung Cancer – Lung cancer in secondhand smokers causes 7,300 deaths each year in the United States.
- Stroke – The risk of a stroke is very high for people who have been exposed to high amounts of secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke is an extremely dangerous side effect of smoking nicotine, and one that nonsmokers have little control over. While children are the most susceptible, anyone can develop the serious conditions associated with secondhand smoke.

A person smoking nicotine for their own personal abuse is one thing, but when it is affecting an innocent bystander, or worse, a child whose parents smoke, it is quite another. Children and others who unwittingly ingest secondhand smoke are victims of the people who smoke on a regular basis.

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease basically means that a person will have difficulty breathing normally. It is also a progressive disease, meaning that the more a person smokes, the worse this condition will get.

People whose lungs are affected by COPD have trouble breathing due to the damaged air sacs in the lungs.

Other symptoms of COPD include the following:
- Coughing
- Producing mucus when coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Tightness of the chest
- Wheezing
COPD is a disease caused by smoking nicotine for prolonged periods of time. The two main symptoms of COPD are emphysema and bronchitis. These diseases are incurable and can only be slowed by the cessation of smoking. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States and many people are not even aware they are afflicted with this disease.

Quitting smoking with Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy is the most effective option to quit smoking for life.

Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

It is no secret that smoking cigarettes and nicotine in any form will increase the likelihood that a person will contract heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes, and any number of fateful diseases associated with smoking.

The numbers do not lie. When people start smoking cigarettes, their overall health decreases quickly. To stop or slow down these symptoms, people need to quit smoking all together. Joseph R.Giove can help people quit smoking using the power of the mind with Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy.

Joseph R. Giove is a certified Clinical Hypnotist with over 30 years of experience in assisting people with their smoking cessation efforts. He uses no additional chemicals or carcinogens that other methods of quitting smoking utilize. If you do not wish to be part of these alarming statistics then Joseph R. Giove can help you quit smoking for life.
May 26, 2016
Smoking and Breastfeeding – A Harmful Combination
The effects of smoking and nicotine on adult men and women as well as children and youth are well documented. There is a laundry list of adverse effects, both physical and psychological that those who smoke are subjected to. Also well documented are the harmful effects of secondhand smoke on both smoking and nonsmoking individuals. But what about newborn infants with smoking mothers, specifically those who require breast milk?

Smoking carries with it many health risks, not only for the mother as we well know, but for the newborn baby who rely on their mothers for sustenance, ingesting all their vitamins, minerals, protein and anything else that may be present in breastmilk – such as nicotine. In this article we will explore the often overlooked risks smoking inflicts on both mother and baby while breastfeeding.

The Health Effects on Mother and Baby

There are many factors that can adversely affect a newborn baby when the mother continues to smoke while breastfeeding. Not only does it affect the baby, which we will discuss further on, but it can affect the mother’s ability to care for a newborn baby. Some of these include:
- A Lower Milk Supply – Mothers who smoke tend to have a lower milk supply than mothers who do not smoke. Having an adequate supply of milk is critical in order to ensure the feeding of a newborn baby. This is especially critical because a baby’s appetite follows its own schedule, and won’t have patience for a depleted milk source to replenish. There are also problems with milk let-down, which is the time taken to get the milk from inside the breast to the baby’s mouth when it begins to suckle, and lower levels of prolactin, which is the hormone needed for the synthesis of breast milk.
- Effects on Breast Milk and Quality of Care – There are additional risks to the decrease in breast milk quality that come along with smoking. Studies have shown that due to the aforementioned symptoms, smoking mothers tend to have to wean their babies earlier than nonsmokers, which means the baby will not get all of the nutrients from its mother it needs to fully develop.
- Nicotine Transfer – Nicotine absorbed into the mother’s body by smoking is transferred to the breast milk in twice the quantity than it would have been into the placenta, meaning it affects newborn babies more significantly than unborn babies. While breast milk can somewhat counter the effects of nicotine with the nutrients provided by milk itself, there are still levels of nicotine higher than what is safe going into the baby’s system that will cause problems – safe levels being none.
- Effects on the Baby – Smoking while breastfeeding causes nicotine to be transferred into the breast milk and can cause health problems for the baby. Babies with smoking mothers experience diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps at much higher rates than babies with nonsmoking mothers, and also develop colic far more frequently.
- Psychological Effects on the Mother – As previously noted, smoking can lower the production of milk, which can have adverse psychological effects on the mother. Postpartum depression and feelings of being overwhelmed are common in new mothers, and a lower milk supply could add more stress and feelings of inadequacy. Additionally, smoking and nicotine can affect the mother’s sleep pattern, and new mothers are often sleep deprived as it is, as they must adhere to their baby’s unforgiving schedule.
Is It Safe to Smoke While Breastfeeding?

First of all, it should be stated that smoking and ingesting nicotine in any capacity are hazardous to any individual’s health, regardless f they are breastfeeding. The health benefits of quitting smoking are enormous to both the mother and the baby. Simply not breastfeeding in favor of smoking is also not ideal for the health of a newborn.

Quit smoking For Your Baby’s Health” width=”160″ height=”107″ />

Minimizing the Health Risks

One of the larger issues related to smoking while breastfeeding is the second hand smoke, which the small child will now be exposed to through both the milk they consume as well as through the air they breathe. The damaging health effects to a baby when one or both parents smoke greatly exacerbates their chances of contracting many dangerous health conditions. While quitting smoking as soon as possible is the best option, there are also some ways to minimize the health risks to a breastfeeding baby in the meantime:
- Do not smoke immediately before or during breastfeeding. This is very dangerous to the baby’s health and also affects let-down.
- When anyone does smoke, whether it be the mother, father or another member of the household, make sure they are outside the house.
- If smoking is necessary, doing it immediately after breastfeeding allows the maximum time for the nicotine to metabolize and leave the body.
Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

There are many problematic side effects to smoking while the mother is breastfeeding. Some affect the mother, but unfortunately most affect the baby – its development, and overall health for many years to come. There are many ways to quit smoking, but many include nicotine and other substances that will continue to seep into the mother’s breast milk, and in turn their babies. Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy have been proven to help many people quit smoking, and uses no chemicals. Hypnotherapy relies on the power of the mind to help alter behaviors, alleviate cravings and leave cigarettes behind forever.

Joseph R. Giove is a certified Clinical Hypnotist with over 25 years of experience helping mothers and mothers-to-be (as well as many other people) to quit smoking. His methods are very effective and use no additional carcinogens or chemicals that are in many other quitting devices such as the patch or E-cigarettes.

If you or someone you know wishes to quit smoking for the benefit of the prolonged health of themselves, their baby or those around them, then the Joseph R. Giove Clinic can help.
April 20, 2016
Quit Smoking and Live Your Life!
It should go without saying that quitting smoking has immense benefits for improving your overall health. Whether you have been smoking for 20 days or 20 years, as soon as you can break your smoking habit, your life expectancy will lengthen and your health will improve. No matter what age you are now or how long you’ve been smoking, the health benefits of quitting smoking increase every day that you do not smoke.

In this article we will discuss the act of quitting smoking, health benefits and other immediate improvements that come with it such as:
- Non-Life-Threatening Conditions: Smoking can cause serious issues with fertility as well as bone and optical health.
- Life-Threatening Conditions: There are many serious conditions that can be minimized by quitting smoking.
- The Immediate Improvement of Your Outward Appearance: There will be substantial positive changes to your appearance as soon as you quit smoking.
- Smoking By the Numbers: Statistics on quitting smoking.
- Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy: We speak with qualified clinical hypnotist, Joseph R. Giove, who talks about how hypnotherapy has helped thousands successfully quit smoking.
Non-Life-Threatening Conditions

There are numerous health risks that go along with smoking. The conditions that are most talked about are the more serious problems related to smoking, such as terminal cancers. However, there are also many, many non-life-threatening conditions that can be caused or accelerated due to smoking. The following are just some of the health problems that can occur from smoking:
- Impotence and fertility problems
- Cataracts and optic neuropathy
- Tooth loss and gum disease
- Osteoporosis
While these conditions are not life-threatening, contracting any or all of these can become a major problem in your life and could worsen over time, becoming serious health issues. These conditions, while not immediately life-threatening, can lead to a shorter lifespan and a more distressing lifestyle with hefty medical bills. Quitting smoking can drastically reduce your chances of contracting or exacerbating these conditions.

Life-Threatening Conditions

Aside from the aforementioned ‘side-effects’ that can develop from smoking, there are far more serious conditions that you can contract. Smoking is extremely dangerous to a person’s health. The previously listed non-life-threatening effects pale in comparison to what can happen to the vital organs of the human body. The heart, lungs, and other internal organs all are damaged with every cigarette that is smoked. Here are some of the conditions that can affect both quality and length of life:
- Most Cancers
- Heart Disease
- Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema
You will notice that ‘cancers’ is pluralized. Smoking causes cancer in the lungs, mouth, throat, esophagus, larynx, bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach, liver, colon, cervix, and rectum. It can also cause acute myeloid leukemia, which affects the blood. In addition to heart disease and COPD, smoking greatly increases your chances of a stroke or aortic aneurysm, which is a balloon-like bulge in an artery near your heart.

Quitting smoking has immense benefits to your overall health. Chemicals and toxins will cease building up in your heart, lungs, stomach, and other vital organs, allowing you to breathe easier, exercise longer, and eat healthier. By quitting smoking you are greatly improving your quality of life, health, appearance, and longevity.

The Immediate Improvement of Your Outward Appearance

As we can see, quitting smoking will greatly improve your overall health. These improvements happen not only internally (heart, lungs, etc.), but outwardly as well. There are several immediate improvements to a person’s physical features, which continue to improve the longer they go without smoking. Some of these items are:
- Improvements around the mouth and teeth
- Sense of smell and taste return
- Everyday activities become less taxing
As soon you quit smoking, even only after a few days, your physical features will begin return to normal. Smoking causes the teeth, fingertips and fingernails to turn to a yellow-brownish color, but soon after you quit smoking your teeth will be white again and your fingers will return to their normal color. Along with staining, smoking causes bad breath, which will also subside the longer you refrain from smoking.

Most smokers are imperceptive to their own bad breath because they have a diminished sense of taste and smell. These senses gradually begin to regenerate when someone quits smoking. They often find that food tastes better and everything smells better than they can even remember.

Simple activities like exercising, walking or even doing simple chores will be much easier after quitting smoking. Everyday things that would normally have smokers out of breath can now be completed with ease. People who have been smoking for a long time have had to go outside for a cigarette break since most buildings and facilities are now smoke-free. After quitting smoking, people will no longer have to go outside every hour.

Smoking by the Numbers

These are obviously very serious and life-threatening conditions that smokers risk contracting at a much, much higher rate than non-smokers. Not only will these conditions drastically reduce your life expectancy, Here are some of the statistics about quitting smoking:
- If you quit smoking before the age 35, your life expectancy will return to that of a non-smoker
- If you quit smoking before age 50, your risk of acquiring cancer or disease decreases by 50{cb12661b2b7fd86e618703ac3a1bf5df9897d897450d7668a57e7745cc225577}.
Every day that you continue to smoke, your risk of getting one or more of these cancers or diseases increases dramatically.

Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

Quitting smoking is extremely beneficial to a person’s health. There are physical factors that can be reversed, such as yellow teeth; and then there are the internal factors that may not be so reversible, but can certainly be lessened by eliminating cigarettes. Heart disease, cancer and respiratory issues are just some of the harrowing risks that accompany a smoking habit.

Many people who have been smoking for some time want to quit. If you are a smoker you have many reasons not to quit, but you only need one reason to stop smoking. Perhaps you have started to see some of these symptoms; maybe it is for a loved one. No matter what the reasons are, quitting smoking can be very difficult. We spoke with Joseph R. Giove is a certified Clinical Hypnosis specialist, who said that hypnotherapy is one of the easiest and most effective methods available to help quit smoking. In his 25 years of experience in the smoking cessation industry, he has seen first-hand how effective this treatment has been with his patients, and the low recidivism rate. If you are thinking about leaving cigarettes behind, it is time to consider hypnotherapy.
April 14, 2016
Secondhand Smoke: You are Not Alone
It should come as no surprise to anyone that people who smoke cigarettes will most certainly get one or more of the multiple health risks that come along with smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes and any other product that burns tobacco for inhalation purposes. The truly troubling issue is how other people’s cigarettes, and any of the other aforementioned products, affect the people around them who may not smoke.

Secondhand smoke is dangerous to everyone who encounters it, and it is unfortunate when it becomes unavoidable.

In this article we will discuss the following points related to secondhand smoke and the ways that it is just as dangerous smoking cigarettes firsthand.
- What is Secondhand Smoke? When smokers exhale smoke from cigarettes and other devices the smoke is inhaled by a second party.
- The Effects of Secondhand Smoke on Everyone: Tobacco smoking contains many chemicals and potentially life-threatening carcinogens that are passed on through secondhand smoke.
- The Effects of Secondhand Smoke on Children: Secondhand smoke is even more harmful to children and youth.
- Secondhand Smoke By the Numbers: Studies and connections between secondhand smoke and diseases.
- How Joseph R Giove Can Help You and Others Quit smoking: Joseph R Giove is a Clinical Hypnotist and Hypnotherapist who can help you, or those around you, quit.
What is Secondhand Smoke?

Secondhand smoke is exactly what it sounds like. When someone smoke a cigarette, a cigar, e-cigarette, a pipe or anything else that burns tobacco and the chemicals that are contained within the product, it produces smoke that is instantly inhaled by people in the smokers vicinity. Secondhand smoke is also known as Passive Smoking or Environmental Tobacco Smoke.

Often times these are people that do not smoke, but nevertheless are placed at risk for many of the same afflictions that affect real smokers, sometimes, with dire consequences. Secondhand smoke is extremely dangerous for the people affected by it, and it’s most troubling because they did not opt to undertake this risk on their own accord.

The Effects of Secondhand Smoke on Everyone

There are many health risks that come from smoking cigarettes and other tobacco inhaling products. Some of these factors include strokes, blindness, cataracts, macular degeneration, periodontitis, aortic aneurysms, coronary heart disease, pneumonia, atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, asthma, diabetes, reproductive defects, hip fractures, ectopic pregnancy, erectile dysfunction, rheumatoid arthritis, immune dysfunction, overall diminished health and causes 15 types of cancer.

As we can see by this extensive list, there are many conditions and diseases that can afflict people who smoke cigarettes. Alarmingly, however, it is possible for all of these conditions to affect regular, non-smoking people that are habitually around those who smoke. For instance, only a few years ago you could smoke inside public areas, including bars, restaurants, lobbies and numerous other places. Non-smoking bartenders, servers, hostesses, concierge and numerous other patrons were continuously placed at risk for all of these conditions.

The Effects of Secondhand Smoke on Children

The effects of secondhand on the adult population are numerous and alarming, however there are even greater risks for young children. Often a parent or other member of the household smokes cigarettes in their homes in close proximity to the children who live there. This is one of secondhand smoke’s biggest problems. Firstly, the lungs of small children may not be fully developed, and thus unable to counteract a long list of deadly side-effects. Some of these side-effects include:
- Middle ear disease
- Problematic respiratory symptoms
- Impaired lung function
- Lower respiratory illness
- SIDS (Sudden infant death syndrome)
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is obviously the most severe and traumatic of the list. There is no doubt that secondhand smoke is extremely dangerous to, not only everyone, but especially young children. Not only are they mentally influential at a young age and may take up smoking in the future, but they are at serious and immediate risk if their parents, or anyone else, is smoking around them.

Secondhand Smoke by the Numbers

The effects of secondhand smoke, or passive smoke, are evident. There are also some sobering statistics that have been compiled by multiple studies and experts over the last few decades. In addition to studies being done in the United States, there have been many other studies conducted in other countries around the world that are equally concerned with the health effects of secondhand smoke.
For example, a study done by the National Asthma Council of Australia has published the following results:
- Asthmatic adults have found that secondhand smoke gives them symptoms of an attack
- Living in a smoking household increases a child’s risk of developing asthma
- Children who have asthma are more susceptible to other diseases when one or both parents smoke
Another study from France has concluded that secondhand smoke causes between 3000 and 5000 premature deaths per year. In 1992, a study from the United States found that secondhand smoke caused 35,000 to 40,000 total deaths per year. We can clearly see that it has been proven without a doubt that there is a very real and very dangerous link between secondhand smoke and the risk of lung cancer.

Quitting smoking obviously will help improve your health and life longevity, but it will also greatly benefit the health of those around you. If you are smoking around other people, then you are inflicting them with the same chemicals and carcinogens that you as a smoker are taking in voluntarily. Children are an especially vulnerable segment of the population, as they have little or no choice except to breathe in whatever air you provide for them. Children do not and will not understand the health factors of cigarettes unless they are educated as early as possible.

How Joseph R. Giove Can Help You and Others Quit smoking

If you are interested in quit smoking, for your health and for the loved ones around you, then seeing a hypnotherapist such as Joseph R. Giove can help. He is specialist with over 25 years of experience in Clinical Hypnosis which has been proven to be one of the most effective methods to quit smoking. Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy has helped many people quit smoking for good, greatly benefiting both themselves and those around them.
April 11, 2016
The Five Most Alarming Facts About Smoking
It is no secret that smoking cigarettes, pipes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes and all other tobacco products are dangerous to your health and potentially fatal. Scientists and researchers have examined in great detail all of the chemicals involved in the manufacturing of cigarettes, and have laid out many of the troubling outcomes of prolonged cigarette use. This article will focus on the most alarming of these.

The Harmful Chemicals in Cigarettes

A cigarette is more than just tobacco rolled in paper, in fact there are more than 7000 chemicals that are released when a cigarette is lit and smoked. Additionally, more than 600 ingredients go into the farming, manufacturing and production of cigarettes. Obviously there are too many to list here, but here are some of the more common and most harmful components:
- Ammonia- also found in household and industrial cleaning supplies
- Arsenic – commonly used as poison to kill rodents
- Benzene – a complex chemical used in many industrial products such as plastics, rubber cement, gasoline and pesticides
- Butane – the main ingredient in lighter fluid
- Carbon Monoxide – also found in car exhaust
- Formaldehyde – commonly used in glues, plywood and insulation materials
- Lead – used in batteries
- Nicotine – used in insecticides
- Tar – used for paving roads and roofing
These are just a few of the ingredients that can be found in cigarettes. There are many, many more, all with varying side effects and complicated names that obscure their harmful effects. Cigarettes have warning labels on them but they are often not nearly specific enough. Most of the household or industrial products that contain these same chemicals carry warning labels stating that consuming these products are harmful to your health, some even list the number for poison control. Meanwhile, warnings on cigarette packages simply carry a mild warning of lung cancer or potential impotence.

E-Cigarettes: Not a Safe Alternative

E-cigarettes are a nicotine delivery system. They heat flavoured nicotine (and many of the other dangerous chemicals found in cigarettes) with a battery operated ignition. Puffing an e-cigarette activates the heating device which then vaporizes the flavored liquid, and the user then inhales. This process is called ‘vaping’, and although it is often touted as a safer alternative to smoking, it nevertheless makes use of the aforementioned chemicals also found in cigarettes.

Studies from the Harvard School of Public Health found at least one of the most toxic chemicals found in regular cigarettes in over 50 flavors of e-cigarettes. These chemicals are diacetyl, acetoin and 2,3 pentanedione. In a quote from the report, author Joseph Allen says “the amount of diacetyl in 39 of the e-cigs exceeded the amount that was detectable by the laboratory.” This means the amount was too great to even measure, and as such we are unable to determine what effect such an unfathomable amount would have on a person’s health.

The test results regarding e-cigarettes are only now becoming available to the public, and they are showing us that the risks associated with e-cigarettes are at least equivalent to, and in some cases greater than conventional cigarettes. Big tobacco companies have found a way push these products onto the public with the message that e-cigarettes are a ‘healthier’ alternative, or even an effective way to quit smoking. “Vaping”, which is what smoking an e- cigarette is called, may seem like a healthier alternative to a conventional cigarette, but they contain many of the same chemicals, as well as additional chemicals, often in significantly higher concentrations. One of these chemicals, found in the flavoring component of several e-cigarettes, is formaldehyde, and will therefore not only cause addiction but also severe lung damage.

Secondhand Smoke and Our Youth

The damaging health effects of smoking cigarettes by smokers aside, there is significant danger from secondhand smoke, particularly for children. Any time parents, teachers, babysitters, grandparents or anyone else smokes around children or youth, it is a tragedy. Children are not only susceptible to the horrific health risks that come from secondhand smoke, but are also influenced by behaviors of those around them, especially their parents.

Youth are starting to take up smoking at younger and younger ages, due to peer pressure, advertising on TV, or because they have a parent who smoked. E-cigarettes are being offered in flavors such as cotton candy and fruit squirts, making smoking more appealing to those under the age of 18. Most wish later in life that they had not started smoking, and find it difficult to quit.

Everyday, more than 1800 youth and adult casual smokers become daily smokers. Many of these people were one of the 3200 people who smoked their first cigarette before they were 18 years of age, or even younger. The addictive characteristics of cigarettes and other tobacco products means that nearly 7 out of 10 adults now want to quit smoking but only about 4 in 10 have made an attempt to quit.

Smoking Causes Many Forms of Cancer

Smoking cigarettes can cause and exacerbate all forms of cancer. Some of the leading cancers that can come from prolonged smoking are cancer in the lungs, mouth, throat, kidney, liver, stomach and colon. Smoking can also cause acute myeloid leukemia. These are only a few of the disastrous long term cancerous effects of smoking.

There Are No Safe Ways to Smoke

Many people think there are safe ways to smoke. There are not. Smoking tobacco and nicotine will always be harmful to your health. Waterpipes, hookahs, pipes, bidis, and kreteks are all different ways of smoking tobacco. These methods use different methods to ingest the smoke by using water or other seemingly ‘natural’ products, but still have the same dangerous and cancerous effects that come with smoking conventional cigarettes.

Health and Hypnotherapy

Youth and adults alike are not receiving proper health information regarding the risks and dangerous effects of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products. Problems associated with smoking do not just affect the original smoker, secondhand smoke is passed on to other people, including people’s own children. Surely this is reason enough to make an attempt to quit.

One of the most effective tools for those wishing to quit smoking is the proven method of Clinical Hypnosis. Certified Hypnotherapist Joseph R. Giove has over 25 years of experience working to help people of all ages leave cigarettes behind for good. His methods are unintrusive, and pose no additional risk factors such as increased carcinogen or chemical intake that come with other quitting smoking methods. Joseph R. Giove Clinical Hypnosis provides the tools to help rewire your brain so you are no longer dependent on cigarettes, allowing you to live a healthier, smoke-free lifestyle that benefits both you and everyone around you.
April 3, 2016
E Cigarettes And Spitting Up Blood
Smoking has been part of this country for centuries. After all, tobacco farms were part of the earliest economy in the nation. But today, things are changing. Medical science has recognized the numerous dangers associated with smoking and most Americans have taken steps to stop smoking. Teen use of cigarettes is lower than ever, and the number of people using them in general is falling annually.

But along with the decline in smoking traditional cigarettes has come a dramatic rise in the number of people using electronic cigarettes. Also called e-cigarettes or e-cigs, these devices are marketed as a safer way to stop smoking. And thanks to the marketing and the various flavors offered, these trendy devices are growing in popularity among everyone – including teens.

But are they really safe? There are plenty of things you need to understand about these e-cigs including the fact that many users report spitting up blood after use. That’s just one issue, but it’s one that can be incredibly alarming. At Joseph R. Giove Clinical Hypnosis, I think it’s important to take a closer look at these devices and why when you’re ready to stop smoking, hypnosis is a better option.

What Is An E Cigarette And How Does It Work?

First, you’ll want to learn the basics of what an e-cigarette is. These units are either shaped like a cigarette, or shaped somewhat like a pipe with a large box-like chamber with a thin column coming out of it. Either way, they work with the same basic principle.

A chamber within the e-cig is filled with a liquid mixture including nicotine and a compound similar to water. Flavorings ranging from mint to cotton candy and beyond may be added as well. When the user takes a ‘drag’ from the electronic cigarette, a battery activates a heating element which vaporizes the fluid inside. The resulting vapor is inhaled like one would inhale smoke from a cigarette.

The idea is that since you’re inhaling only vapor and nicotine, these are a safer option than traditional smoking. But while there are fewer carcinogens found within the e-cigarette vapor so far, there are still risks that have been found – and more likely will be uncovered in the future.

E Cigarette Use And Spitting Up Blood

One problem that many e-cigarette users report experiencing is spitting up blood after use – whether short term or long term. This issue can also occur with traditional smoking, and some online forums suggest that the blood and phlegm being coughed up is actually caused by your body getting rid of the remnants of your smoking past, not by the electronic cigarette itself.

But consider some of the following reasons that an e-cig can cause you to spit up blood and you’ll see that it goes beyond just ‘I used to smoke’ as an excuse.
- The lungs and the mucus membranes within them and your airways are incredibly sensitive. Not only will they quickly absorb compounds that they come into contact with, but they can also be damaged easily. The chemicals in some vape mixes can cause damage fast.
- For many, the flavorings are a major draw of e-cigs. But there are some that can irritate the mucus membranes significantly, and some people may actually have allergies to the different ingredients. These irritants can cause the bleeding to occur as well.
- In some instances there have been reports of e-cigs overheating. If this occurs the vapor you inhale could be much hotter than normal, and may damage the mucus membranes of the lungs and airways. This may result in coughing or spitting up blood.
- Irritation from coughing due to vapor inhaled may also damage the airways and the lungs. This can trigger the problem of spitting up blood as well.
- The respiratory system is very delicate and as a result it can easily become infected. When you expose it to chemicals and irritants like those found in electronic cigarettes, you can worsen those infections dramatically. These infections can lead to significant problems as well.
All in all, your respiratory health is directly related to how you take care of yourself and your body. While e-cigs might very well be safer than cigarettes – and the evidence isn’t conclusive on that yet – the fact remains that every puff you take off an e-cig is putting your body at risk of damage. That damage can directly lead to spitting up blood.

The Problem With The Research

There’s a big problem when you start looking at e-cig related research that needs to be addressed as well. That problem is simple – the evidence is too new. There haven’t been nearly enough studies into e-cigs yet. However, the research that has been done has uncovered that they’re not as safe as once thought. In fact, just the flavorings used in them have been found to contain multiple types of cancer causing compounds.

And because electronic cigarette use is still so new, it’s too early to know about the long term effects of these products. There are ongoing studies happening now, but at the moment we’re just not sure how they will impact the health and wellness of users on a long term basis. Some additional research may uncover more reasons that spitting up blood could occur from e cig use.

Stopping Matters

Simply put, stopping smoking is one of the best steps you can take for your health. But that includes all types of smoking – even electronic cigarette use. As such it’s important that you consider taking the right steps towards a healthier you.

Spitting up blood is cause for concern for sure, and could be a sign of an even more serious problem. E-cigarettes can irritate the airways dramatically and as a result of this, they’re not a ‘stop smoking safely’ option. Instead, consider using natural and highly effective methods of putting down the smokes for good. Hypnosis is one option that is backed by decades of research, and one that’s much healthier than the e-cigarette can ever be – and you won’t have to worry about spitting up blood when you use it, either.
February 3, 2016

Call Now Button