Are You Struggling to Quit Cigarettes? You May Have a Genetic Predisposition

Smoking is a bad habit and everybody who regularly lights up cigarettes, cigars, or pipes understands this fact. However, millions of people struggle to quit smoking every year, and some never give it up. Is there a chance that this problem is caused by a genetic predisposition in your family? Absolutely, and DNA testing may help.

Quitting Smoking Is Not Simple

People who are not addicted to cigarettes may try to tell you that quitting should be as simple as throwing away your cigarettes for good. That misconception is common with those who don't understand the unique challenges inherent in quitting smoking.

For example, people often have a physical and psychological dependency, even if it's just a dependency on the way that smoking can calm someone's nerves when they are agitated. Other addicted individuals may struggle with other factors related to nicotine addiction, including a genetic predisposition.

Genetics May Play a Strong Role

Before beating yourself up about your inability to quit smoking, ask yourself how many people smoke in your family. Did one or more of your parents smoke for years in their lives? Is smoking something your siblings do or other members of your extended family? If so, there's a good chance that you might have a genetic predisposition for nicotine addiction.

Although just about anybody can develop an addiction to nicotine, those with a predisposition will develop a tighter bond with the drug that can be harder to break. It may seem literally impossible for them to quit, but a DNA test can help them better understand this fact of their lives more easily.

How a Genetics Test Helps

If you believe that you have a lengthy family history of cigarette smoking and you're concerned about this unhealthy habit, you may want to get a DNA test. A high-quality examination of your DNA can gauge if you have any of the markers that indicate a predisposition for addiction. If you do, there are a few steps you can take to manage this situation.

First of all, you can breathe a sigh of relief because your addiction isn't caused by a lack of willpower but your very genetic code. However, you also need to take positive steps to manage your smoking using this knowledge. For example, you can join a cessation group or utilize replacement tools to decrease your nicotine doses over an extended period.

So if you're thinking that your DNA is at least partially to blame for your addiction to cigarettes, don't hesitate to get a DNA test. Even if you don't find any results indicating genetic predisposition, you can get the peace of mind knowing that quitting will likely be easier than if addiction were written into your DNA.

Reach out to a DNA testing company today for more information.