There are many different reasons why a person might choose to quit smoking, but one of them is to decrease any health risks to the heart. Smoking causes plaque to build in your arteries, which makes it harder for the heart to pump as much blood. This requires the heat to work at a higher level of energy putting strain on it. Not only does the heart have to work harder, but it also receives less oxygen because the red blood cells, which carry oxygen, are restricted by the plaque.

Quitting smoking is critical for you to maintain good heart health. One way that has helped many people overcome their smoking habit is to use medication. These are the three most common medications that might be able to help you.

1. Nicotine Replacement Therapy

This is the most common medication that a person can use to stop smoking. This medication either gives the person nicotine in a weaker form, or simulates the effects that nicotine has on the body. It is designed to gradually wean a person off of a need for nicotine by slowly decreasing the overall amount of nicotine that a person is using. This medication comes in several different forms, including nicotine patches and nicotine gum. These can usually be purchased over-the-counter and are not particularly expensive.

Another form of this medication that requires a prescription is a nicotine inhaler. A nicotine inhaler delivers a more potent dose of nicotine, although not as potent as what's found in cigarettes. It is used to help with more severe addictions. 

2. Urge Reducing Medication

Another medication available on the market is one that will be able to reduce your urge to smoke. The urge to smoke usually manifests in negative feelings, such as anxiety or depression. Medications can help reduce and deal with these feelings directly that cause the urge to smoke and deal directly with these feelings and calm the person taking the medication. This makes it less likely for that person to begin smoking again.

Some urge reducing medications also have the ability to block the effects of nicotine should a person begin to smoke again. This is helpful because removing the reason to smoke makes starting smoking again seem much less appealing. This helps shorten the length of any relapses in smoking behavior.

Talk to your cardiologist about how your smoking habits are affecting your heart and get information about the different medications you can use to stop smoking for good. Try speaking to someone at a company like ICE, Institute of Cardiovascular Excellence for more help.

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