overview
Nicotine addiction occurs when you need nicotine and can’t stop using it. Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco that makes it difficult to quit smoking. Nicotine creates pleasant effects in your brain, but these effects are temporary. So you have another cigarette.
The more nicotine you smoke, the more nicotine you need to feel good. When you try to quit, you experience uncomfortable mental and physical changes. These are symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine dependence Treatment in Hyderabad
symptoms
In some people, consuming any amount of tobacco can quickly lead to nicotine addiction. Signs that you may become addicted include:
You cannot quit smoking. You have made one or more serious but unsuccessful attempts to quit.
You experience withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit. Your attempts to quit caused physical and mood-related symptoms such as cravings, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, depressed mood, frustration, anger, increased hunger, insomnia, constipation, or diarrhea.
You continue to smoke despite health problems. Even though you had health problems with your lungs or heart, you couldn’t stop.
The reasons
Video: Smoking – Anatomy of Nicotine Addiction
Watch Video Transcript Video: Smoking – Anatomy of Nicotine Addiction
Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco that prompts you to smoke. Nicotine reaches the brain seconds after a puff. In the brain, nicotine increases the release of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters that regulate mood and behavior.
Dopamine, one of these neurotransmitters, is released in the brain’s reward center, causing feelings of pleasure and an improved mood.
The more nicotine you smoke, the more nicotine you need to feel good. Nicotine quickly becomes part of your daily routine and is closely related to your habits and feelings.
Common situations that trigger the urge to smoke include:
- Have coffee or take breaks from work
- To phone
- drink alcohol
- Drive your car
Risk factors
Anyone who smokes or uses other types of tobacco is addicted. Factors influencing who uses tobacco include:
Age. Most people start smoking in childhood or adolescence. The younger you are when you first start smoking, the more likely you are to get addicted.
Genetically. Some of the chances that you will start and continue smoking can be hereditary. Genetic factors can affect how receptors on the surface of nerve cells in your brain respond to high doses of nicotine from cigarettes.
Parents and peers. Children who grow up with parents who smoke are more likely to become smokers. Children with friends who smoke are also more likely to try.
Depression or other mental illness. Many studies show a link between depression and smoking. People who suffer from depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other forms of mental illness are more likely to be smokers.
Substance use. People who abuse alcohol and illegal drugs are more likely to be smokers. Nicotine dependence Treatment in Hyderabad
Complications
Tobacco smoke contains over 60 known cancer-causing chemicals and thousands of other harmful substances. Even “all natural” or herbal cigarettes contain harmful chemicals.
You already know that people who smoke cigarettes are much more likely to develop and die from certain diseases than people who do not smoke. But you may not realize how much smoking causes many different health problems:
Lung cancer and lung disease. Smoking is the leading killer of lung cancer. Smoking also causes lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also makes asthma worse.
Other cancers. Smoking increases the risk of many types of cancer, including cancers of the mouth, throat (pharynx), esophagus, larynx, bladder, pancreas, kidneys, cervix, and some types of leukemia. Overall, smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancer deaths.
Heart and circulatory problems. Nicotine dependence Treatment in Hyderabad
