Smoking cigarettes is probably one of the most common vices around the globe. It is common for every community, or even household, to have at least one person who is addicted to cigarettes. Unfortunately, this bad habit has become a global problem especially due to the rise of lung and oral diseases it causes.
Surprisingly, despite the worldwide call to stop smoking, there are still some people who just can’t quit this bad habit. If you are one of these people, this article should help you further understand the harmful effects of nicotine on your body. After reading, you may realize that it is time to use a nicotine vape prescription and slowly quit smoking.
Table of Contents
Understanding nicotine on cigarettes
Nicotine comes from the family of tobacco plants. Its origin can be traced from South Africa and it slowly spread to North America, Africa, and Australia. In the past, native people do not really light up tobacco for leisure or stress relief. As part of their religious rituals, tobacco plants are chewed and smoked.
The history of using tobacco for leisure and stress relief started during the rise of structural racism. There was a demonstrated study that states that adults who have experiences with interpersonal racism were likely to smoke. Because of the rise of consumers of tobacco and cigarettes, businessmen see this as an opportunity to invest.
Through the years, tobacco businesses started to reinvent their products by producing varieties of flavors. This result in more addictive elements which increases a consumer’s intent to smoke. And as time passes, smoking has become a part of socialization amongst all races and genders.
So, how does nicotine works in the body? The answer is that our body has protein receptors. Once a person induces nicotine, the Nicotinic-cholinergic receptors in the body will react to it. It is located in many places in a human’s body such as the brain, adrenal gland, and other nerve cells. Nicotine has the ability to bind with these receptors and other parts of the body. This is where the effect on our health and body function happens. Once nicotine binds to our body’s receptors and neurotransmitters, it will start to skew the regular performance of our body and create an impact on our mood, emotion, and even our physical attributes. It is much like how our body reacts to the medicines we take.
6 Harmful effects of nicotine on your body
Just like any other chemical or medical element that we put in our body, excessive exposure to nicotine can result in various impacts on our health and function. These impacts range from regular up to severe experiences. Here are some of nicotine’s harmful effects on our body:
1. Loss of appetite
Smoking reduces or lowers your appetite. As mentioned above, nicotine is binding with our body’s receptors such as the neurotransmitters. In layman’s terms, nicotine weakens the brain cells that trigger our regular appetite. As a result, you will not experience an urge to eat.
2. Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Nicotine have the ability to constrict our blood vessels. Because of the narrow passage of our veins, the blood pressure increase which can also affect our heart rate. Its impact on our blood vessels can last up to 2 hours.
3. Dizziness and nausea
Dizziness and nausea are often the effects of first-time smokers, or if it is your first time smoking for the day. It can also be an effect if you change the type of your cigarette. This happens because nicotine prevents the release of insulin in our bodies. Because of poor insulin charge, your blood function changes and it can result in dizziness and nausea.
4. Gastrointestinal diseases
Nicotine also triggers various types of gastrointestinal diseases such as peptic ulcers. Simply because nicotine triggers indigestion which produces too much acid in your stomach. When your gastrointestinal area is exposed to too much acid, you can expect to feel a lot of pain and discomfort in the stomach area.
5. Uncontrolled sweating
As mentioned above, nicotine secretes acetylcholine which increased your heart rate and blood pressure. Because of that, there could also be overstimulation of your sweat glands. While it is normal or ideal for an individual to release sweat, especially if it’s the hot season, releasing too much can be harmful to your health as well. It can result in a lack of liquid production in your body.
6. Dryness of skin
Aside from neurotransmitters, another nicotine receptor in your body is located in your skin. The nicotine will penetrate the receptors in your skin that is responsible for producing healthy cells that make you look glowing.
Nicotine withdrawal effects
More than the harmful effects of nicotine while you are smoking, this element can also trigger withdrawal effects in your body. If you have been smoking for quite a while, there is a high chance that your body is already used to the amount of nicotine you consume. If you do instant quitting or “cold-turkey”, you may experience disturbing things such as:
- Severe cough
- Insomnia
- Irritability or foul mood
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
- Cravings
It is highly recommended to quit slowly. Let your body get used to slowly changing the intake of nicotine so the withdrawal effects can be less as well. You can try a nicotine vape prescription to start your quitting journey. Of course, it’s best to consult a professional before you undergo any treatment.
Are you ready to quit?
Do these harmful effects inspire you to quit? There’s no better time than now to start taking care of your health and well-being. Take the first step on your new journey today!
