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• Q: Is "cold turkey" the best way to quit smoking?
Dr. Kimble Poon, Cardiologist, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii: Quitting smoking can significantly reduce your risk of a variety of health problems, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and COPD. It can even extend your life! While there are many ways to quit, the most important thing is that you do it.
That said, there is some evidence that quitting cigarettes all at once tends to be more effective than cutting back gradually. One study found that people who quit "cold turkey" group were more likely to stick to it both 4 weeks and six months after they quit.
Start by setting a quit date. Whether you're quitting all at once or gradually winding down, your quit date should be the date when you plan to stop smoking completely. Commit to it by putting it on your calendar and telling family and friends, so that they can hold you accountable.
Plan ahead to have strategies in place to manage cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and smoking triggers. This could include avoiding certain places or activities you associate with smoking, staying active with physical activity to release stress and jumpiness, and planning ways to stay busy and distract yourself.
Your plan can also include using a quit-smoking medication. These can include over-the-counter nicotine replacement products like patches or gum, as well as prescription medications. These can significantly improve withdrawal symptoms and even reduce cravings. Studies have found getting treatment with medication and counseling can significantly increase chances of success.
The bottom line is that quitting smoking can be difficult, but there's no wrong way to quit. There are many resources available such as the Hawaii Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-800-784-8669) who can provide you with free patches, lozenges, or gum. Talk with your doctor about what strategies might work best for you.
For additional tips, visit mauihealth.org/quitsmoking.
• Q: Is it too late to get a flu shot?
Marian Horikawa-Barth, Chief Nurse Executive, Maui Health: The expression "better late than never" is true when it comes to your flu shot! Even though the CDC recommends getting vaccinated by October each year, it's not too late now if you and your family didn't get around to it.
Flu season typically runs from October through May, so getting vaccinated at any point can reduce your chances of getting ill, missing work, and spreading the flu to others. And if you do get sick, being vaccinated can make your illness less severe.
Remember that it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to become effective while your immune system ramps up and makes antibodies that can recognize and fend off the virus. So continue to take extra precautions and know you won't be fully protected immediately.
Doctors recommend getting vaccinated even if you've already had the flu this season. Because there are multiple strains of influenza virus in the environment, it's possible to be infected twice. Wait a few weeks until you no longer have active symptoms, then get vaccinated.
Influenza can cause uncomfortable symptoms like coughing, sneezing, and fever. But it can also cause potentially dangerous complications in vulnerable people, including older adults, young children, and pregnant women. By getting your flu shot, even late in the season, you can protect your loved ones, your community, and yourself.
* Physicians, providers and administrative staff who practice at Maui Health hospitals and clinics answer questions from the public in Healthwise Maui, which appears on Thursdays. Maui Health operates Maui Memorial Medical Center, Maui Memorial Medical Center Outpatient Clinic, Kula Hospital & Clinic and Lana'i Community Hospital and accepts all patients. To submit a question, go to the website at mauihealth.org/healthwise.