You might be surprised, but smokers have an increased risk of getting carpal tunnel syndrome. Because smoking lowers the supply of oxygen in the blood, including that which flows to the hand and wrist, smoking increases the chance of getting carpal tunnel syndrome. Smokers also have an increased risk of capillary tightening and inflammation. Therefore, if you smoke, quitting smoking can greatly reduce your chances of getting carpal tunnel syndrome flareups if you don't yet have them, and can reduce their severity if you already have carpal tunnel syndrome.
But, of course, quitting smoking in and of itself poses an enormous challenged to many people who smoke. Smoking is one of the most addictive habits in the world, so addictive that even though the people who do it know that it's extremely unhealthy and diminishes their physical performance capacity, they still do it and do it gleefully. Smokers feel that tobacco gives them a mental surge and helps to keep them calm under pressure. They also like the taste and the whole sensual experience of smoking. State and local governments have started taking advantage of this addiction to fill their coffers by imposing obscene taxes on tobacco sales. Of course, they sell this to the public with the statement that such high taxes will cause many people to voluntarily quit smoking. But they know better: relatively few people have, or will, quit smoking as a result of these taxes which the governments are depending on to make them even richer. This, again, just goes to show how hard it is to quit smoking.
Another problem with quitting smoking is that no two people are entirely alike, and so there is never certainty that what enables one person to quit smoking will enable another person to do so. So many different methods have been devised to help people put and end to their insidious habit.
One product on the market that has helped many smokers quit is the nicotine patch. The nicotine patch delivers a small but steady dose of nicotine in transdermal fashion, into the bloodstream so that the smoker who is trying to quit as their nicotine cravings subdued somewhat. It's thought that if nicotine is continually supplied to the body (even though a different method and at a lower dosage than that gotten through cigarettes), it takes the edge off the cravings just enough that smokers stand a good chance of quitting smoking. Some nicotine patch programs utilize a "step down" method, whereby decreasing dosages of nicotine or delivered over a period of time as the program continues. And indeed, the nicotine patch has been shown to be quite effective, with up to 55% of people using them having the ability to quit. However, patches aren't cheap and many people don't like having to wear them. In addition, they can be irritating to the skin, and it can be inconvenient to have to remember to change the patch every day. Beyond that, the nicotine patch only addresses the nicotine addiction, not the other reasons smokers smoke.
Other people take the psychological approach to quitting smoking. They may do a "build down" program where they slowly start smoking one to five fewer cigarettes per day than normal. Once they become comfortable with a new level, they lower it a little bit more, until they reach the point where they only smoke a few cigarettes per day and from there go on to quit. Others have quit by keeping an unopened pack in their garage or house and then making themselves quit cold (knowing that the pack is always there "just in case").
There are also other methods to quitting smoking, such as vitamins and herbs supplements, and other treatments. Again, most of these work for some people, but quitting is hard regardless and may not work for all people.
If you would rather take care of your carpal tunnel syndrome without having to try to quit smoking, there are exercises available that can diminish the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome if you have them, and that can prevent you from getting carpal tunnel syndrome if you don't have it. In some cases, these excises may be able to reverse damage that's already been done. If you're a smoker and you have trouble with carpal tunnel syndrome, give these exercises a try to see if they can help you.
But, of course, quitting smoking in and of itself poses an enormous challenged to many people who smoke. Smoking is one of the most addictive habits in the world, so addictive that even though the people who do it know that it's extremely unhealthy and diminishes their physical performance capacity, they still do it and do it gleefully. Smokers feel that tobacco gives them a mental surge and helps to keep them calm under pressure. They also like the taste and the whole sensual experience of smoking. State and local governments have started taking advantage of this addiction to fill their coffers by imposing obscene taxes on tobacco sales. Of course, they sell this to the public with the statement that such high taxes will cause many people to voluntarily quit smoking. But they know better: relatively few people have, or will, quit smoking as a result of these taxes which the governments are depending on to make them even richer. This, again, just goes to show how hard it is to quit smoking.
Another problem with quitting smoking is that no two people are entirely alike, and so there is never certainty that what enables one person to quit smoking will enable another person to do so. So many different methods have been devised to help people put and end to their insidious habit.
One product on the market that has helped many smokers quit is the nicotine patch. The nicotine patch delivers a small but steady dose of nicotine in transdermal fashion, into the bloodstream so that the smoker who is trying to quit as their nicotine cravings subdued somewhat. It's thought that if nicotine is continually supplied to the body (even though a different method and at a lower dosage than that gotten through cigarettes), it takes the edge off the cravings just enough that smokers stand a good chance of quitting smoking. Some nicotine patch programs utilize a "step down" method, whereby decreasing dosages of nicotine or delivered over a period of time as the program continues. And indeed, the nicotine patch has been shown to be quite effective, with up to 55% of people using them having the ability to quit. However, patches aren't cheap and many people don't like having to wear them. In addition, they can be irritating to the skin, and it can be inconvenient to have to remember to change the patch every day. Beyond that, the nicotine patch only addresses the nicotine addiction, not the other reasons smokers smoke.
Other people take the psychological approach to quitting smoking. They may do a "build down" program where they slowly start smoking one to five fewer cigarettes per day than normal. Once they become comfortable with a new level, they lower it a little bit more, until they reach the point where they only smoke a few cigarettes per day and from there go on to quit. Others have quit by keeping an unopened pack in their garage or house and then making themselves quit cold (knowing that the pack is always there "just in case").
There are also other methods to quitting smoking, such as vitamins and herbs supplements, and other treatments. Again, most of these work for some people, but quitting is hard regardless and may not work for all people.
If you would rather take care of your carpal tunnel syndrome without having to try to quit smoking, there are exercises available that can diminish the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome if you have them, and that can prevent you from getting carpal tunnel syndrome if you don't have it. In some cases, these excises may be able to reverse damage that's already been done. If you're a smoker and you have trouble with carpal tunnel syndrome, give these exercises a try to see if they can help you.
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