Do Nicotine Patches Work?

There are several different types of nicotine patches on the market and they all give very similar results.

They work by releasing a specific amount of nicotine that is absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream.

The brain receives the message that it is getting the nicotine that the body is craving.

The various brands have patches that come in a variety of strengths and the patch that you will start wearing will be determined by the number of cigarettes you would smoke during the course of a normal day.

As the nicotine is released at all times that the patch is worn some people might need to remove the patch at night as they won't be used to receiving a supply of nicotine to the body during the hours that they would be sleeping.

Usually there are very few side effects although some people can experience headaches and nausea when they first start wearing the patches. Others might also get stomach upsets and possibly even dizziness although this is usually due to either a dose that is too high or the fact that the reduction of nicotine can cause some withdrawal symptoms.

The biggest problem that most people will have is skin irritations from where the patch is worn particularly if they have sensitive skin.

Patches can be bought over the counter now whereas in the past they were only available on prescription.

They can be quite expensive but this needs to be compared with the cost of cigarettes and also the ongoing expense of continuing to smoke both in the purchase of the cigarettes and the health expenditure than generally follows those who smoke.

People get very good results with nicotine patches and they are responsible for helping many people to break the habit.

Even with the help of the patches you still need to be ready to quit as that will determine your ultimate success or failure.

One word of caution is to never smoke when wearing a nicotine patch as the combination of the two sources of nicotine could cause the levels to reach a danger point in the body.