Smoking
Utilizing the principle of auricular therapy, similar to acupuncture, ear magnets are a Class 1 medical device. This therapy began in Europe and spread to the United States. Two magnets---one large and one small---are attached to the ear. There is no need to have pierced ears; the magnets attract each other and that is how they stay on your ear.
About Ear Magnets
Wear the magnets by putting the small magnet in front and the larger one behind the upper ear. The user must wear the magnets for two-to-four hours daily. There is no call for any additional product or therapy, such as creams, lotions, patches or pills.
There are several brand products from which to choose. One leading brand is Zerosmoke™. The magnets are available over the Internet for around $40 (USD). These magnets are also touted to help people lose weight and to reduce stress. The magnetic acupressure therapy is supposed to eliminate a person's desire to smoke. The magnets stimulate acupressure points in the ear.
Do they work? As with any other product of this type, some people say "yes" and some people say "no." By the seventh day, users are supposed to be able to quit smoking on their own without cravings. Supposedly, the desire to smoke should be completely eliminated by the end of one month of wearing the magnets. As an added feature, most of the magnets are gold or gold-plated to reduce allergic reactions. They mimic the appearance of earrings, although they are barely noticeable on the upper ear.
Reportedly, the magnets induce the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine into the brain. This natural brain chemical is what controls feelings of calm, satisfaction and pleasure in the body. Nicotine in cigarettes triggers dopamine production, which is one reason the person becomes addicted. The feelings of pleasure, stimulation and calm, which a smoker experiences, are caused by the dopamine being released in the brain. The theory is that the magnets will trigger the dopamine production by applying gentle pressure to a particular point on the ear, thereby reducing the smoker's need for nicotine and eliminating the most serious withdrawal symptoms.
Product literature for ear magnets often states that as many as two-million people have kicked the smoking habit using the magnets, although that statistic is unproved. Zerosmoke™ claims an 80% success rate, which also is scientifically unproved by hard evidence. However, magnets have been used in various therapies since ancient times, in early Hindu teachings, by Aristotle and others. Per the Zerosmoke website, their product has undergone numerous clinical trials, years of research, and it is protected by patents.
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