What is coronavirus COVID-19?

Coronaviruses are a group of related viruses that cause diseases and respiratory infections that can be mild or lethal. 

One of the lethal ones is COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019). This infectious virus has now become a global epidemic, according to the World Health Organization. 

Unfortunately, scientists are still not sure if recovering from the virus makes you immune to it or if you can be infected again.

Symptoms of COVID-19

Common symptoms

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Less common symptoms

• Muscle pain
• Sore throat
• Mucus or phlegm (sputum) production

Is it serious?

The majority of those infected have mild symptoms. But some progress to severe pneumonia, multi-organ failure, and death. 

A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association examined the cases in China. They found that 80% of those diagnosed had moderate symptoms and 20% experienced severe life-threatening symptoms.

Those who are the most susceptible to these severe symptoms:

• Are of advanced age. “As people increase in age from their 40s to 80s, we’re seeing mortality increase.”, says Michael Mina, MD, PhD; assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

• Have weaker or compromised lungs or immune system.

• Have underlying health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes,  transplant history and lung disease like COPD or emphysema.

Are Smokers More Susceptible to COVID – 19?

Unfortunately, smoking harms the immune system, which makes your body less able to fight off disease and infection.

Smoking tobacco also increases inflammation in the body and harms the lungs. 

That’s why coronavirus is more dangerous for smokers, said Professor Robert Dingwall, a public health expert at Nottingham Trent University.

Professor Chris Whitty, epidemiologist and Chief Medical Officer for England recommends smokers quit.

“I might add one slight rider to that which is for most respiratory infections, you worry about people who smoke a bit more. They’re more likely to get it and their lung immune system is less good. To be clear on smokers, my recommendation is that they stop smoking if you’re going to give up smoking, this is a very good moment to do it.”

So yes, smokers are more susceptible not only to catching COVID-19 but also developing worse symptoms if they get infected.

One reason is that smoking can cause lung disease like COPD and emphysema. These lung conditions make it more likely to get pneumonia, which is one of the severe COVID-19 symptoms.

However, all smokers are at higher risk of getting respiratory viral and bacterial infections like COVID-19. Even those who don’t have other lung or medical conditions.

That’s because smoking weakens the immune system, which is the body’s natural defense mechanism – says Dr Sanjay Agrawal, chair of the Royal College of Physicians’ Tobacco Advisory Group.

On top of that, if smokers do catch the virus, they’re more susceptible to pneumonia because they have a weaker immune system, compromised lungs and have damaged the cells protecting their nose and airways.

Our airways are lined with very small hairs, called cilia. Cilia act like a broom, sweeping toxins out of the airways when we cough. Smoking and vaping irritate and inflame the lungs and slow down and destroy the cilia. With fewer and slower cilia, your airways can’t stay clean and healthy. As a result, they store mucus in the lungs and this mucus can easily be infected by viruses.

What Research Says

Even though there aren’t enough studies investigating the connection between smoking and COVID-19 yet, we know smoking harms the lungs, which is what the virus attacks.

The coronavirus uses the receptor ACE2 to infect cells. And a preprint study found that the gene that encodes the receptor ACE2 is more active in smokers than nonsmokers. “This indicates that smokers may be more susceptible to 2019-nCov” and are part of the vulnerable population. 

A study published in the Chinese Medical Journal involved 78 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. And they found smokers were 14 times more likely to have progressed symptoms than nonsmokers, including death.

Another research analyzing 8000 deaths from China showed men are more likely to die than women. This could be related to the fact that more men smoke in China. More than 50% of Chinese men smoke compared to only 2.7% of Chinese women.

The research is ongoing and there’s still a lot we don’t know about the virus.

What we do know is that smokers are more vulnerable if they’re exposed to flu or other respiratory infections. And CODIV-19 is exactly that.

Does Vaping Also Make You More Susceptible to COVID-19?

People with compromised lung function can be at risk for serious complications of COVID- 19. And because vaping can harm lung health, vapers may also be at risk. 

Although there’s no study that links vaping to mortality from COVID-19 yet, it’s been proven that vaping aerosol, used by all brands of e-cigarettes, causes lung inflammation and harms the immune system. 

Is Vaping Healthier than Smoking?

Only time will tell.

But even if it was, healthier does not mean healthy. Vaping companies and representatives – most of them owned by big Tobacco- will go in great lengths to convince you vaping is an option during this epidemic. It’s not.

When it comes to defending against a virus that infects your lungs, vaping makes you susceptible because:

• Vaping causes inflammation of the lungs. A study in the journal Cancer Prevention Research found that just one month of vaping altered the lungs of people who never vaped before.

• E-cigarettes harm lung cells and make you less able to respond to infection says Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

• Vaping contains acrolein (a herbicide) that can cause lung injury, COPD, asthma and lung cancer.

• It can suppress the response of your immune system at the gene level as much or even more than smoking.

• And it can change your lung biology, even if it’s occasional or second hand. In this study, healthy non-smokers were exposed to e-cigarette aerosol. After only 20 puffs, vaping altered the expression of 60 genes (including genes predisposing you to inflammation).

• What about JUUL? Aerosol from JUUL (owned by Phillip Morris) impairs blood vessels the same way normal cigarette smoke does.

You can learn more ways e-cigarettes affect your lungs and make you susceptible to respiratory infections here.

Do not exchange smoking for vaping and if you vape, now it’s the best time to stop. 

Are Young Adults Safe?

Recent research showed that young adults are at risk if they smoke or vape.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco looked at data from 8,400 men and women ages 18 to 25 and found that 1 in 3 young adults who smoke or vape have higher risk of illness severity, ICU admission or death.

So e-cigarette, tobacco and cigar use makes young adults vulnerable- even if they’re otherwise healthy.

FAQ’S

What if I already have a lung condition or underlying health condition?

Having an underlying health condition or lung disease such as COPD and emphysema increases your risk of experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms.

But remaining a smoker or vaper increases that risk even more. 

Stopping smoking may not remove the risk 100%. However, you will stop causing inflammation to your body and you will improve your health and immune system, giving your body a fighting chance against the virus.

Quitting smoking will also help you feel more in control over your health.

Is it too late for me? For how long do I need to be smoke-free to reduce my risk of getting corona or having serious complications if I get it?

According to Professor Lewis, lung defenses can start to heal within days after quitting. So quitting smoking now could significantly improve your ability to defend and recover from the infection. 

There’s not a specific day after quitting that your lungs or immune system instantly heal. On the contrary! The healing is continuous; it starts the moment you quit and keeps improving for as long as you stay smoke-free.

So quitting smoking will improve lung function and decrease your risk of pneumonia, and if you do get CONVID-19, you’ll have a lower risk of severe symptoms. 

Every cigarette you don’t smoke matters!

I self-quarantine. It’s not going to happen to me. Do I still have to quit?

The virus has already infected 200.000 people worldwide and it keeps spreading exponentially. Also, it’s fairly easy to catch it and we’re not sure if those recovered are immune or can spread it again.

So it’s best to think in terms “What if I do get it?”. In that case, your immune system is your first line of defense.

Even in quarantine, your life will be 100 times better if you don’t have to worry about smoking. Plus, you’ll have the time and space to prepare for your quit and succeed. It’s the right time. 

Is cannabis safe?

Although we don’t know exactly how cannabis affects the lungs and immune system, cannabis smoke is very similar to tobacco smoke, and vaped cannabis still delivers aerosol. So it’s recommended to stop using it, for now, explains Stanton A. Glantz, PhD the director of The Center for Tobacco Research Control & Education.

How to Quit Smoking Despite the Stress

The COVID-19 epidemic can change everything. Not only because it’s a potentially deadly virus for some but also because it’s changing life as we know it. 

Our routines, freedom, social interactions, priorities, work environment, frame of mind.  Everything gets affected. 

Even though we all hope there’s a solution soon, we still have to adapt to this new reality. A reality we didn’t choose but still have to embrace. 

In those times of uncertainty and stress, you may think cigarettes will help you cope.

Not because smoking gives any certainty or relaxation; cigarettes are nothing but a stick of brainless rolled grass with 4000 chemicals. 

But because smoking is part of a routine; and routine gives the illusion of certainty and stability.

In times where everything changes, you may be apprehensive to make additional changes like quitting smoking.

But in reality, quitting smoking is the ONLY change that will give you certainty, security and some peace of mind. It’s something you will do now and reap the benefits now and forever. 

Quitting smoking is the only thing that can reduce your stress physically and mentally.

Just imagine having more money, health, and freedom – instead of worrying about your next craving, stocking up cigarettes or feeling guilty for smoking.

The truth is, quitting smoking is the ONLY thing you can control right now.

So why leave that to chance?

There’s no good reason to postpone it any longer.

– Nasia Davos

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How long does nicotine stay in your system after you quit smoking? And how long do other tobacco toxins (like arsenic or cadmium) stay in your system?

There are many different reasons why you might want to know how long nicotine stays in your body.

You may be interested in quitting smoking so you want to know how long the physical withdrawal from nicotine is likely to last.

Maybe you want to know how long it will take for your body to feel healthier.

Or maybe, you might be tested for evidence of tobacco use. 

Some companies–hospitals, for example–may require prospective employees to be tested for tobacco use before a job offer is finalized. You might also encounter other situations when nicotine testing is required, like preparing for a surgery or applying for insurance. 

First, we’ll talk about how long nicotine stays in your system and then about other tobacco toxins.

How Your Body Expels Nicotine

Before discussing how nicotine leaves your body, let’s talk about how nicotine is absorbed into your body. 

Nicotine Absorption

When you inhale, cigarette smoke is drawn into your lungs. Tiny air sacs called alveoli line the lungs. Oxygen passes into the alveoli and then into the small blood vessels called capillaries that surround them. 

If there’s cigarette smoke in your lungs, nicotine and other substances in the smoke pass into the alveoli and capillaries, too. That’s how nicotine is absorbed into your body.

If you smoke a pipe or cigar, or if you use smokeless tobacco, nicotine is absorbed through the membranes lining your mouth, rather than through your lungs. 

Once nicotine is absorbed, it travels to your brain and body through the bloodstream.

Nicotine Metabolism and Elimination

Most of the nicotine is metabolized (broken down) by liver enzymes. There are six main metabolites, or breakdown products. The most important one is a substance called cotinine. 

About 70 to 80 percent of the nicotine absorbed by the body is converted into cotinine.

The cotinine is broken down further into still other metabolites. 

Then the metabolites are eliminated from the body in the urine. 

How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your System?

Nicotine is eliminated from the body much more quickly than cotinine.

Nicotine has a half-life of about 2 hours. Half-life is the amount of time it takes for 50 percent of a substance to be eliminated from the body. 

Nicotine’s half-life is very short, with about 50 percent of it removed from the body in 2 hours. 

So how long does nicotine stay in your system? In about 3 to 5 days after your last cigarette, nicotine has been largely eliminated from the body. 

How Long Does Cotinine Stay in Your System?

Cotinine is metabolized and eliminated from the body much more slowly than nicotine. While the half-life of nicotine is about 2 hours, the half-life of cotinine is about 15 hours.

It can take more than 2 weeks for cotinine levels to drop to those typical of a nonsmoker. And for some heavy smokers, it can take about 3 weeks.

Nicotine testing actually tests for cotinine, not nicotine itself. That’s because cotinine can be detected much longer than nicotine can.

The only source of cotinine is nicotine, so if cotinine is found, it means there was nicotine in your body.

What Affects How Long Nicotine and Cotinine Stay in Your System?

As with almost everything else, the elimination time varies from person to person. 

There are differences from one person to another in how much nicotine is converted into cotinine. There are also differences in how quickly the metabolism of cotinine takes place. These are genetic differences, for the most part. 

Other factors that affect how long tobacco stays in your system are:

• How much you smoke

Elimination of nicotine takes a little longer for heavy smokers or people who smoked for many years. 

• Age

It may also take longer in people over age 65. And it is likely to be a little quicker in women than in men . It’s even quicker in women who are pregnant or taking estrogen.

• Overall health

Your health matters. People with kidney disorders metabolize nicotine more slowly, so it will take longer for them to clear nicotine from their bodies. Liver disease will affect nicotine metabolism, too.

• Brand of cigarettes

And cigarettes themselves vary. The amount of nicotine in a cigarette can be different from one brand to another. If you smoke cigarettes with menthol flavoring, the speed of nicotine metabolism may be slowed.

• How deep you inhale the tobacco smoke

Of course, another difference relates to how much smoke you inhale.

• Medications

Medications you take can also affect how quickly nicotine is metabolized and eliminated. Phenobarbital, other anticonvulsants, oral contraceptives and some antibiotics can all speed nicotine metabolism. Antifungal medication, some high blood pressure medication and some MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) used to treat depression can slow nicotine metabolism.

By the way, smoking can also alter the effectiveness of some drugs. If you’re taking a prescription medication, the dosage may need to be changed when you quit smoking. That’s something to discuss with your physician.

How Is Nicotine Testing Done?

Testing requires a sample. That sample can be urine, blood, saliva or hair. 

Urine Testing

Most of the time, testing is done on a urine sample. It’s easy to collect, giving it an advantage over blood testing. And cotinine concentrations in urine are 4 to 6 times higher than cotinine levels in blood or saliva.

For most people, cotinine declines to levels seen in nonsmokers in about 7 to 10 days. But for people who smoke heavily, it can take as long as 3 weeks.

Urine samples are usually collected as a random sample. That means you won’t know in advance what day you’re going to be tested, or what time during the day. 

The reason for random testing is obvious: a urine sample is almost always given in private, so it might be possible to substitute someone else’s urine for your own. But when testing is random, it makes it very difficult to be prepared with a clean urine sample.

How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your Urine?

Nicotine stays in your unine for 7-10 days. If you’re a heavy smoker it can stay for up to 3 weeks. 

Blood Testing

Testing for nicotine in blood requires a blood draw with a needle, so it isn’t done very often.

Nicotine will appear in your blood very quickly after you smoke. It can be detected about an hour after smoking. Cotinine can be detected for as long as 10 days after your last cigarette.

How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your Blood?

Nicotine stays in your blood for 10 days after your last cigarette.

Saliva Testing

Saliva testing is easy to do. It doesn’t require any needles. And it has an advantage over urine testing, because an observer can watch the sample being taken. 

Cotinine can be detected in saliva for about 4 days.

How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your Saliva?

Nicotine and its metabolite, cotinine, stay in your salive for 4 days. 

Hair Testing

Nicotine and cotinine are found in hair, too. They reach the hair follicles through the bloodstream and remain in the hair as it grows. 

And they can be detected in hair for much longer than in other samples. Depending on the type of test used, nicotine and cotinine could be detected as long as a year after exposure to smoke!

If you were in very smoky surroundings, then smoke could have come from other peoples’ cigarettes. But in that case, the nicotine wouldn’t have been metabolized in your body, so there would only be nicotine in your hair, and no cotinine.

Hair testing is a more complicated procedure than testing of other samples, and it’s more expensive. As a result, it’s more likely to be done to test for cocaine, opiates or other drugs of abuse than to test for nicotine.

How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your Hair?

Nicotine stays in your hair from 90 days up to 1 year. 

Laboratory Testing

Once the sample is taken, it’s sent to a laboratory for analysis. Several different testing methods may be used there.

The first test might be a screening test. It’s also called a qualitative test. It shows whether the substance–in this case, nicotine or cotinine–is present in the sample. 

Other tests are quantitative. They show the amount of the substance that’s present in the sample.

Home Test Kits

A number of commercial home test kits for nicotine are available. They’re performed on a urine or saliva sample. 

A card or strip to dip into the sample is provided. If cotinine is present in the sample, there will be a color change on the card or strip. 

The home test kits aren’t as precise as laboratory testing, but they will show whether there has been recent nicotine use. They won’t indicate how much cotinine is present, which is something that more sophisticated laboratory testing would show.

Is Testing Accurate?

You might wonder if nicotine testing is accurate. After all, what if you were just around people who were smoking, and you weren’t smoking yourself?

The tests would indicate that. The levels of nicotine and cotinine in your body would be very different.

Dietary Sources of Nicotine

A small amount of the nicotine in your body may have come from sources other than tobacco. 

Nicotine is a chemical compound, a natural pesticide, that’s found in the leaves of tobacco plants, and also in the leaves of some other plants. They’re the ones in the nightshade family: tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, chili peppers, and bell peppers.

But these other plants have much lower nicotine content. So the cut-off levels for nicotine and cotinine tests are set high enough that they rule out dietary sources .

What is a cut-off level?

It’s the concentration of a substance–in this case, either nicotine or cotinine–that has been chosen as the amount considered to be a positive test result. A very low concentration of the substance will give a negative test result. 

Can Secondhand Smoke Show Up On a Drug Test?

Most of the time, the cut-off level of nicotine tests is set high enough to separate tobacco use from exposure to smoke in your surroundings. That’s called secondhand smoke. 

Secondhand smoke enters the bloodstream in the same way as if you were smoking a cigarette. And once it’s absorbed, it’s metabolized in the same way, too.

If you’ve spent a lot of time around smokers, you’ll probably test positive for low levels of nicotine and cotinine. But the levels won’t be nearly as high as they would be if you were the one smoking.

Nicotine Replacement Products

People who are using nicotine patches, gum or other nicotine replacement products will test positive for both nicotine and cotinine. 

But they won’t test positive for anabasine. It’s a substance found in tobacco, but it’s not in any of the nicotine replacement products.

The testing procedure can also check for anabasine. If it’s found in the sample, it shows that the person tested was still using tobacco products.

Withdrawal from Nicotine

When you quit smoking you’ll probably experience some degree of withdrawal. It’s both a physical and a psychological process. 

Nicotine withdrawal is a sign your body is healing and overcoming the addiction. You may have physical symptoms like headaches, insomnia, or cough. And you may feel irritable or sad or have trouble concentrating. 

Most of these symptoms are strongest in the first few days after you quit smoking. They’ll lessen after that and probably stop completely in a few weeks.

Within 3 to 5 days after your last cigarette (or any form of nicotine), most nicotine will be out of your body. 

Withdrawal symptoms aren’t harmful, but they may be uncomfortable. There are some things you can do to make the quitting process easier.

How Long Other Tobacco Toxins Stay in Your System

Aside from nicotine, cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and vaping have inside thousands of other chemicals and heavy metals.

Unfortunately, it’s challenging to test your exposure to each of the 4000 chemicals that are in your cigarettes.  Also, the effects of exposure to any toxic substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you’re exposed, your lifestyle, and whether other chemicals are present.

Below are some of the tobacco chemicals and how long they stay in your system, according to the American Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Arsenic

Tobacco has arsenic that’s also used in rat poison. Arsenic is carcinogenic and was ranked as the most harmful substance in 2001. It takes several months to leave your body.

Benzene

Benzene, which is linked to leukemia, can be found in rubber cement, gasoline, and dyes. Most of the metabolites of benzene leave the body through the urine within 48 hours after you stop smoking.

Hexavalent Chromium

Your tobacco has Hexavalent chromium, that’s also in textile dyes, wood preservation, and anti-corrosion products. When inhaled, this chemical can cause lung cancer and cancer of the nose. Most of the Hexavalent chromium leaves the body in the urine within a week – although some of its by-products can remain in your cells for several years.

Acetone

Acetone, which can also be found in nail polish remover, will leave your body within three days after your exposure stops.

Cadmium

Cadmium is a heavy metal that the tobacco plant absorbs from the surrounding soils (organic cigarettes or cigarettes with “no added chemicals” also have cadmium because it comes from the tobacco plant itself).

Cadmium can also be found in battery acid and paint and can contribute to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Most of the cadmium goes to your kidney and liver and can remain there for many years after your exposure stops.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a chemical released in car exhaust fumes, and it is a poisonous gas found in your cigarettes. When you breathe carbon monoxide, it quickly enters your blood, brain, heart, and muscles, and it takes about a full day to leave the body.

Naphthalene

Naphthalene is a carcinogen found in tobacco as well as mothballs. It is also used to create black smoke in simulated explosions.  Most naphthalene that enters your body leaves it quickly, within one to three days.

These are just a few out of the 4000 chemicals that are in your cigarettes. You can see a more extensive list of what’s in your cigarettes here.

As you saw, some chemicals leave your body in just a few days while other chemicals take months, even years to leave the body.

How to Remove Nicotine & Tobacco Toxins from Your Body Faster

You might wonder if there’s any way to speed up the process of toxin and nicotine elimination.

• Remain nicotine-free and smoke-free

The best, and most obvious, way is to stay away from tobacco. Don’t smoke, don’t chew nicotine gum, or use other nicotine replacement products.

Any exposure to tobacco or nicotine will increase the time needed to eliminate it from your system. Even a puff can replenish nicotine and tobacco toxins in your body and delay the elimination process.

There are a few other things you can do, too.

• Drink lots of water. 

It will make you urinate more often. That’s helpful because nicotine, cotinine, and most tobacco toxins are removed from the body in urine.

• Exercise more. 

A small amount of nicotine is eliminated in sweat. And exercising increases the speed with which your metabolism works. That’s helpful if you want to metabolize the nicotine and other chemicals more quickly. But don’t overdo it. That’s especially important if you haven’t been physically active lately.

• Watch what you eat. 

Detox through nutrition will help you a lot. Foods like oranges and carrots have high levels of antioxidants. They can increase the speed of your metabolism, too.

We worked with expert nutritionists and created a nutrition plan for detox that’s specifically for smokers and ex-smokers. If you want a more structured plan to detox after quitting smoking, check the Detox Nutrition Plan.

Conclusion

• Nicotine takes three to five days to leave your body. That’s when the physical addiction is gone.

• Tobacco use tests look for cotinine that leaves your body in about two to three weeks.

• How long other tobacco toxins stay in your system varies depending on how much you used to smoke, your lifestyle, your nutrition, and the chemical itself (benzene takes two days to leave the body while cadmium takes years)

• To expel nicotine and toxins from your body faster, stay away from tobacco and detox through exercise and nutrition.

If you want to heal but feel stuck, think you’re too addicted, and quitting is too hard, then the CBQ Method can help you. Over the last decade, the CBQ Method has reached and helped millions of people quit smoking. This is the same method I talked about in my TED talk, and it works because it helps you overcome the mental addiction so you can stop wanting to smoke.

To get started with the CBQ Method or see how it can help you, you can get the foundational video & PDF starter guide of the CBQ Method here.

In that free video, I show you the 4 stages of the CBQ method, how they work together to help you change how you think about smoking, and tips to get started with every stage. You’ll also get a PDF starter guide for the CBQ method with tips and notes you can use on your quit smoking journey.

Get the foundational video & PDF starter guide of the CBQ Method here.

Smoking is bad for your health. You know that already. But you may not know all the short-term and long term effects of smoking on your body. 

So why is smoking bad for you?

Some of the effects of smoking are obvious: bad breath, coughing, dulling of your senses of taste and smell. Others show up with time: yellowed teeth, shortness of breath, dull skin and wrinkles.

But a lot of the damage can’t be seen or felt easily. Or it may not be obvious that it’s caused by your smoking habit.  

For instance, we all know that smoking is harmful to our lungs. But did you know that it’s harmful to other parts of your body, too? Heart, blood vessels, skin, bones, brain, eyes, immune system, mouth and throat–all suffer from smoking. In fact, smoking harms almost every part of your body!

Effects of Smoking on Your Body and Health

Short-Term Effects of Smoking

The short-term effects of tobacco include:

• Bad breath
• Momentary stimulation followed by state of withdrawal and reduced brain activity
• Fatigue and dizziness
• Dulling the senses of taste and smell
• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Increased blood pressure 
• Increased heart rate
• Decreased blood flow
• Nausea
• Headaches

Long-Term Effects of Smoking

There have been a lot of studies of smokers’ health and scientists have discovered a wide range of diseases and harmful long-term effects of tobacco on our bodies.

Below is a list of all the diseases caused by smoking:

• Reduces life expectancy

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), cigarette smoking causes over 480,000 deaths a year in the U.S.

You’re probably not surprised that heavy smokers have a shorter life expectancy. But it’s not just heavy smokers who are at risk. People who smoke only 4 or fewer cigarettes a day can experience the negative effects of smoking and they still have a greater risk of premature death than nonsmokers!

• Asthma

If you have asthma, smoking can trigger an attack or make it worse. 

• Tuberculosis

If you’ve had tuberculosis, smoking doubles your chance of a recurrence.

• Respiratory and lung problems like COPD and emphysema

You can get lung disease from smoking. With time, you can develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or emphysema that makes it hard, and painful, to breathe.

• Heart Disease

Heart disease is often related to smoking. In fact, smokers are four times more likely to develop heart disease than nonsmokers. 

• Stroke

Strokes can occur, too. The risk of stroke is doubled for smokers.

• Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia is a risk. If Alzheimer’s disease develops, it progresses more quickly in smokers than in nonsmokers.

• Rheumatoid arthritis can develop

• Crohn’s disease. Smokers are more likely to develop Crohn’s disease.

• Diabetes

Diabetes is much more common in smokers than in nonsmokers, and it’s harder to control. Some people with diabetes develop an eye disorder called diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to loss of vision.

• Cancer

Cancer is one of the most feared smoking effects. Below are some of the body areas where smoking-related cancers can occur:

• Lung cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Blood cancer (in the form of leukemia)
• Cervix cancer
• Colon and rectum cancer
• Esophagus cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Larynx cancer
• Liver cancer
• Pancreas cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Throat and tongue v
• Tonsils cancer
• Trachea cancer
• Eye Problems 

Smoking can cause other eye problems, too. Cataracts, macular degeneration, dry eye and glaucoma are a few of them.

• Weaker immune system

A body with a weak immune system leads to slower healing wounds and  increases likelihood of infection and illness.

• Erectile dysfunction

Obstructed blood flow due to smoking can also cause erectile dysfunction and impotence.

Other side effects of smoking cigarettes include:

• Fertility problems
• Increased risk of miscarriage
• Early menopause
• Menstrual problems
• Complete loss of sense of smell and taste
• Yellow teeth, tooth decay and bad breath
• Stomach ulcers
• Grey appearance
• Early wrinkles
• Back pain
• increased susceptibility to infection

What Does Smoking Do to Your Body? A Closer Look to the Most Common Long Term Effects of Smoking

Cancer

There are a lot of chemicals in cigarettes, and some of them combine to form harmful chemical compounds. You inhale those compounds when you smoke, and the people around you breathe them in when they breathe in your smoke.

Some of those compounds are known to cause cancer. You probably know that smoking can cause lung cancer. It can cause a lot of other cancers too, such as blood, throat, stomach, bladder, colon, kidney, breast and pancreatic cancer.

And smokers who develop cancer are more likely to die from it than nonsmokers.

What Does Smoking Do to Your Lungs?

The smoke you inhale irritates and inflames your lungs.  The cells in your air passages make more mucus in response. Smoke also damages the small hairs, called cilia, that line the airways. The cilia act to move mucus upwards, towards the throat, so you can cough it up or spit it out.

But when you’re a smoker, there’s more mucus, and it’s thicker than usual. The cilia are damaged, and they move more slowly than usual. That’s not a good combination. 

What smoking does to your lungs is that it makes it very hard to rid your lungs of mucus. Not only does that make you cough, it also makes it more likely that you’ll come down with a respiratory infection.

And it’s more difficult to get enough oxygen. There are clusters of small air sacs called alveoli in your lungs. Oxygen passes into the alveoli, and carbon dioxide passes out. 

The alveoli inflate and deflate as you breathe in and out. But in smokers lungs, the alveoli become less flexible. Some rupture. It becomes more difficult to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.

This is how smokers lungs look like in comparison to non-smokers lungs

Circulation

One of the most common health effects of smoking is that it damages the very small blood vessels in your lungs. They’re called capillaries. Each of the alveoli is surrounded by capillaries.

Oxygen and carbon dioxide pass through the walls of the alveoli, and then through the walls of the capillaries and into the bloodstream.

When you’re a chronic smoker, the walls of the capillaries become thicker, making it much harder for oxygen to pass through them and into your bloodstream.

The walls of other blood vessels become thicker, too. That makes them narrower, and it makes it more difficult for your heart to pump blood through them. 

Peripheral arterial disease–PAD–can develop, due to the reduced blood flood to the legs and arms. 

How does smoking affect your heart?

If you’re a smoker, your heart doesn’t get as much oxygen as it needs. It has to pump harder and faster to supply blood through your narrowed blood vessels. As a result, your blood pressure goes up. 

The tar in cigarettes can cause plaque to build up in your blood vessels. Blood flow is restricted, your blood becomes thicker and blood clots can develop. You can have a heart attack or a stroke. 

You can also develop an aortic aneurysm. It’s a bulge in the abdominal portion of the large artery carrying blood from your heart. If the aneurysm ruptures, it’s likely to be fatal.

Effects of Smoking on Your Skin

Smoking tobacco affects your skin, too. The decrease in blood flow means that your skin isn’t receiving as much oxygen and as many nutrients as it needs to stay healthy. It can begin to look gray and dull.

Some of the chemicals in cigarette smoke damage collagen and elastin. They’re important for your skin’s strength and elasticity. When they’re damaged, your skin begins to sag and wrinkles become deeper.

Vertical wrinkles form around your mouth. That’s partly because of the collagen and elastin loss, but it’s also because of that pucker you do when you hold a cigarette between your lips.

And squinting to keep smoke out of your eyes encourages formation of crow’s feet–those wrinkles around the outer side of the eyes.

Bones

Your bones also suffer when you smoke. You’re more likely to develop osteoporosis–a decrease in bone density. If you do, your bones become weaker and break more easily. And they heal more slowly after a fracture.

How Smoking Cigarettes Affects the Brain

Smoking damages your brain, too. Amongst the dangers of smoking is that the cerebral cortex becomes thinner in smokers. The cerebral cortex is the part of the brain essential for memory and learning.

So the changes that normally come with aging seem to develop earlier in smokers.

Eyes

Even your eyes can be damaged by smoking. Smokers have a greater chance of developing cataracts–clouding of the lens of the eye–than nonsmokers. 

Smokers who develop diabetes can develop an eye disorder called diabetic retinopathy. The small blood vessels in the retina of the eye become damaged or blocked, affecting vision.

And diabetes or high blood blood pressure–both common in heavy smokers–mean that you’re more likely to develop glaucoma. It’s an increased pressure within the eye that can lead to loss of vision.

Age-related macular degeneration is a risk, too. It’s a eye disease that starts with blurring in the center of the field of vision. It worsens with time, limiting vision even further. And it’s a risk even for people who breathe in your secondhand smoke! 

Immune System

Smoking causes inflammation throughout the body. It weakens the immune system, and it becomes harder to fight off infections and diseases. So smoking poses even more health risks by weakening your immune system. 

Mouth and Throat

The effects of smoking on your mouth and throat are numerous. You’ve probably noticed that people who have been smoking for a long time often have discolored teeth. Most of the times, they also have gum disease.

Your gums can become swollen and sensitive and bleed easily. Your teeth can become loose, too. And if you have any dental procedures–oral surgery or a tooth extraction, for example–healing can be slower and more difficult.

If you smoke, or use tobacco in any other form, you have a high risk of developing oral cancers. Cigarette, cigar or pipe smoking can lead to cancer of the mouth or throat, while chewing tobacco can lead to cancer of the lips, gums or cheeks.

Effects of Smoking on Pregnancy 

If you smoke, you may have trouble becoming pregnant. And if your partner smokes, he may have problems with erectile dysfunction. If he’s a heavy smoker, he may have a low sperm count and low sperm motility. So both men and women who are smokers may have reduced fertility.

If you’re pregnant, or thinking about becoming pregnant, it’s important to know that smoking can harm your baby. And that harm starts while it’s still in the womb.

The chemical you inhale in cigarette smoke can pass through the placenta and umbilical cord to your baby. And the amount of oxygen your baby gets–and needs–can be reduced if you smoke.

Your baby’s lungs and brain may not form properly. A cleft palate and other defects of the mouth or lips could develop.

Smoking during pregnancy makes it more likely that your baby will be born preterm, and that he or she will have a low birth weight. Preterm and low birth weight babies can have a wide variety of medical and developmental difficulties, both in infancy and later in life.

There’s also a risk of sudden infant death syndrome–SIDS. And that risk is increased if your baby breathes in secondhand smoke, either from you or from someone else.

Secondhand smoke is dangerous for your baby in other ways, too. He or she can develop asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia or ear infections.

How Your Health Improves After You Quit Smoking

Discovering all the harmful consequences of smopking may seem really discouraging. There’s some good news, though.

If you quit smoking, your health will improve. And those improvements will begin very quickly.

Your health starts improving as soon as 20 minutes after you stop smoking.

Your elevated pulse rate and blood pressure will return to normal. The tissues in your body will start to receive more oxygen.

You’ll start to feel the difference in your ability to breathe more easily. With time, even your risk of cancer will decrease.

What happens when you stop smoking. 

The risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and lung diseases declines after quitting smoking.

Most doctors will tell you that quitting smoking is the single most important action you can take to improve your health. Isn’t it time for you to quit?

You’ve decided to stop smoking. Great! You can do this! There are many quit smoking tips that can make it easier. 

And in this article, we’ve collected the best tips that can help you succeed.

Some of those stop smoking tips are things you can do ahead of time, and others can help you stay away from cigarettes after you quit.

Quit Smoking Tips for Preparing to Quit 

Preparing to quit smoking is important. You’re more likely to succeed if you prepare both mentally and physically. 

Tips to Prepare Yourself Mentally

1. Set a quit date. Give yourself time to get ready, but not too much time. A date within the next week or two is usually best.

2. Put the date on your calendar. Regard that date as definite, not maybe. Think of it as a promise to yourself.

3. Think about your motivation. Why do you want to quit smoking? What is the real reason you want to do this?

6. Know your triggers. Figure out when you usually smoke (first thing in the morning, after work, after a meal). Make a list of the things you usually do while you’re smoking (talking on the phone, having a drink, driving your car). Everyone’s list will be different.

Once you have that list with your smoking triggers, you’ll be more prepared when you automatically think of having a cigarette at these times. You can plan to do something else instead. Think about what you can do instead of smoking.

7. Make a plan for managing cigarette cravings. What will you do if you want a cigarette? You’ll be able to manage cravings more easily if you have a plan for handling them.

8. Follow the 4 Quit Smoking Stages. There are 4 stages your brain follows when it gets attached or detached from a habit or an addiction.

If you skip any of these stages, quitting becomes hard. But going through the stages, in the right sequence, can make quitting easy. Because the 4  stages of the CBQ method help you overcome the mental dependence on smoking. 

9. Think of yourself as a non-smoker who smokes, instead of a smoker who’s trying to quit. To apply this quit smoking tip, start spending 2 minutes every day in front of a mirror saying: “I AM A NON-SMOKER.” This simple ritual can gradually train your mind to associate your image with the idea of being a non-smoker.

More Tips to Quit Smoking…Get Support from Others

1. Tell your family and friends that you’re quitting. They’ll probably be glad to support you. Getting encouragement and support from other people can increase your commitment and help you succeed. 

2. Make quitting a group effort. See if any of your friends or family members want to quit smoking. If they do, you can quit at the same time and encourage each other.

3. Ask for advice. If you know someone who has quit successfully, ask for their stop smoking tips as well as suggestions and support. Ask if you can call or text if you feel discouraged.

4. Ask other smokers for help. If you have friends or family members who are smokers, try to enlist their help, too. Ask them not to smoke in front of you and ask them not to leave cigarettes around.

Cleaning House

1. Get rid of your cigarettes. Make sure there aren’t any in your house, workplace, or car. It’s too easy to have “just one” when they’re readily available.

2. Freshen up your house. Clean it, air it out, do your best to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke.

Be sure to remove the ashtrays. Just the sight of an ashtray can make you think of smoking. It’s better to remove all those visual reminders of your smoking days.

3. The same goes for your car. Get it washed, empty the ashtray, clean the interior.

Quit Smoking Tips for Your Quit Day (and All Your Non-Smoking Days Afterwards)

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms are likely to start on your first non-smoking day. They’re usually strongest on the first three to six days, and then start to ease up. They may be unpleasant at first, but they’re manageable, and they will subside soon.

Also, a big part of smoking is habitual. You’ve probably gotten used to having a cigarette at certain times of day, or when you do certain activities. If you make some changes in your routines, it will be easier to stay away from cigarettes.

Quit Smoking Tips to Keep Busy

1. Stay active. Go for a walk. Ride a bike. Do some exercises. Being physically active gets your blood pumping and increases the oxygen supply to your tissues. It also reduces stress and lifts your mood. 

2. Spend time at places that don’t allow smoking. Go to a movie, a store or a restaurant where you can’t smoke. This is especially important on your quit day.

3. Spend time with other people. Make plans with a non-smoking friend or family member. Plan something active together. Spending a lot of time alone on your quit day can make it more difficult for some.

4. Keep your hands busy. You’re used to holding a cigarette. Give your hands something else to do. 

Take up knitting, crocheting, embroidery, or other needlework. You’ll need to use two hands, and it will keep your hands busy. Take your materials with you when you go out.

Do crossword puzzles or number puzzles. Again, it will keep your hands busy. And it will keep your mind occupied, too.

5. Hold a pencil in your hand or fake-smoke a straw. It can take the place of that cigarette you’re used to holding.

6. Get things done. Do those tasks you’ve been avoiding. Clean a closet, do the laundry, wash your dog, organize your papers. Put your photos in an album, go through your email, mow the lawn. Do whatever needs doing. It will keep you busy, and it will also help you feel good!

Quit Smoking Tips for What You Eat and Drink

1. Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water or juice. Dehydration can trigger anxiety, and that can trigger the desire to smoke.

2. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can make your blood sugar drop. A craving for sugar feels very similar to a craving for a cigarette.

3. Find a healthy snack food. Nicotine suppresses your appetite, so you’re likely to be hungrier after you quit. Be prepared with some nuts or fruit or another healthy snack that’s ready to grab and eat.

4. Limit your caffeine. Nicotine affects how quickly caffeine enters your bloodstream. When you quit smoking, you’ll feel the effects of caffeine more strongly. It might make you feel irritable and restless. And those feelings can make you feel tempted to smoke. 

But it’s best to cut down on caffeine, not eliminate it entirely. Otherwise, you may have headaches, feel tired, or have other symptoms of caffeine withdrawal.

5. Be careful around alcohol. It can reduce your motivation to quit. And for a lot of people, alcohol is a trigger for smoking.

The Best Quit Smoking Tips for Cigarette Cravings

1. Use a timer. Cravings usually last for only 3-5 minutes but it feels longer. Use a timer to see how times passes. If you can manage without a cigarette for a few minutes, the craving will pass. And remember that you’ll have fewer cravings as time goes on.

2. Imagine the craving as an ocean wave. It grows larger as it approaches, then becomes smaller and disappears. Your craving will disappear, too.

3.  Focus on your breathing when you crave a cigarette. Taking slow, deep breaths will help you relax. 

4.  Drink cold water. Often the craving for cigarettes feels like thirst. Drink 2 big glasses of cold water when you have a craving and it will go away.

5. Chew gum. If you’re used to smoking while you drive, keep some sugar-free gum or hard candy in your car, right within reach.

6. Sing a song when you want a cigarette. Or whistle a tune. This is something you can do while you’re driving or doing chores. 

7. Do something else. If you can, stop what you’re doing and do something different. Stand up, stretch, do a few exercises. A short burst of physical activity can help.

Change Your Habits

1. Change what you drink. If you’ve always had a cigarette with your cup of coffee, your brain has come to link the two together. Drink a glass of juice instead. Or have tea instead of coffee.

2. Change your routines. There are probably times when you always had a cigarette. Get in the habit of doing something else instead. 

If you always had a cigarette first thing in the morning, try doing some quick exercises or going for a short jog before breakfast. If you’re used to smoking while you drive, start chewing a stick of gum as soon as you get in the car. Find a new routine that works for you.

3. Have a new after meal behavior. Are you used to having a cigarette at the end of every meal? Start getting up from the table as soon as you finish eating. Move to a different room or go outside for a while. Try taking a ten-minute walk after each meal.

4. Change where you shop. Where did you buy cigarettes? Don’t shop there–your brain associates it with buying cigarettes. 

5. Spend time with non-smokers. If you’re in a social situation, there are probably both smokers and nonsmokers around. Try to keep your distance from the smokers so you won’t be tempted to bum a cigarette from someone. Stay with the non-smokers instead.

Keep a Positive Attitude

1. Focus on the moment. Don’t think about never smoking again. Just focus on not smoking right now. That’s all you need to do. Stay away from cigarettes right now. 

2. Boost your confidence. Remember the difficult things you’ve done in the past. If you could overcome those challenges, you can handle this one, too. And if you can handle this one, then you can do anything.

3. Keep a journal. Write about how you’re feeling. Write down what you did to win over nicotine today. 

4. Look at your list of reasons for quitting smoking. Write another copy of the list if you feel the urge to smoke. It will keep you busy until the urge passes.

5. Remind yourself that you are a nonsmoker. Practice saying, “I don’t smoke anymore.”

6. Visualize yourself as a healthier person. Picture your lungs becoming cleaner and the toxins in cigarette smoke leaving your body.

7. End each day by congratulating yourself on not smoking. It’s important to recognize your progress and celebrate it.

Do Things That Make You Feel Good (Zen Quit Smoking Tips)

1. Get a massage. It relaxes your muscles, helps reduce tension and stress, and lifts your mood.

2. Get more sleep. Nicotine is a stimulant. When you smoke, your adrenal gland releases adrenaline. It speeds up your heart rate, which means more blood is supplied to your muscles and brain. You feel more alert and energetic.

Your body will adjust to the lower adrenaline levels, but it’s likely that you’ll feel tired at first. And stress is tiring, too. Be kind to yourself and allow yourself more time to sleep.

3. Take a yoga class. There are different types of yoga, but all involve controlled breathing and holding physical poses. Doing yoga can lower your blood pressure and heart rate and reduce stress and anxiety.

4. Learn to meditate. When you meditate, you focus your attention and relax your breathing. You can meditate while sitting quietly, perhaps with music playing. It helps to reduce stress and negative emotions.

5. Practice mindfulness. That means paying attention to what you’re thinking and feeling right this minute. Focus on your breathing, how your body feels, what you hear, and smell. It will help both your body and mind relax.

In a study, participants who used mindfulness techniques cut down 37% of their smoking 

6. Think of your happy place. Imagine a place where you feel relaxed and safe. It might be a beach or garden, or someplace that’s special for you. Try to visualize all the details. Think about what you would hear, smell, and feel if you were there. This is another way of reducing stress and becoming calmer.

7. Calculate your savings. How much did you spend on a pack of cigarettes? Multiply that by the number of packs you smoked each day, and then figure out what you spent on cigarettes each month. Aren’t there other things you’d rather do with that money?

8. Give yourself a reward. You’ve earned it! Use some of the money you saved by not buying cigarettes. Buy yourself a piece of clothing or sports equipment, or something else that you’ve wanted.

9. Do something nice for someone else. Focus on other people, not on yourself. Doing a good deed will keep you busy, and it will probably make you happier, too.

Nicotine addiction affects millions around the world. It can be in the form of tobacco addiction, vaping, smokeless tobacco, nicotine patch, or nicotine gum addiction. 

Just why is nicotine so addictive? How does it affect the body? And why does it cause withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit it?

We’ll answer all those questions. But first, let’s see what nicotine is.

What Is Nicotine? Facts & Definition

Nicotine is a toxic colorless or yellowish oily liquid which is the chief active constituent of tobacco. It acts as a stimulant in small doses, but in larger amounts blocks the action of autonomic nerve and skeletal muscle cells.

Nicotine Definition

• You can find nicotine in the leaves of tobacco plants. Tobacco is a plant and nicotine is a chemical compound that occurs naturally. 

• There’s a small amount of nicotine in the leaves of the nightshade plants like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, chili peppers and bell peppers.

• Nicotine occurs naturally but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Nicotine is a natural insecticide and keeps plants from being eaten by insects.

• When in the human body, nicotine is a drug.

• As a drug, nicotine is a stimulant and a sedative.

• Does nicotine cause cancer? The jury is still out on whether or not nicotine is a carcinogen. Although it’s not considered to be a carcinogen, many studies have found nicotine to promote the genesis of tumors. Nicotine can also create resistance in chemotherapy.

Symptoms of Nicotine Addiction

Using nicotine, in any form, can quickly lead to nicotine dependence.

Nicotine dependence is an addiction to products that contain nicotine. Being addicted means you can’t or don’t want to stop using the product you’re addicted to. 

Below are some signs of nicotine addiction:

• Planning your activities and interests to allow smoking.
• Enjoying the taste and smell of cigarettes. 
• Experiencing cravings for nicotine.
• Not enjoying socializing with non-smokers as much as you do with other smokers. 
• Experiencing mental and physical withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop. Mood changes, irritability, headaches, increased appetite, restlessness, insomnia, are some of these symptoms.
• Continuing smoking or using nicotine despite health problems that would improve if you stopped.
• Rationalizing your behavior and finding reasons to smoke, vape or chew. 

How Nicotine Addiction Works

Cigarette smoke or vapor is drawn into your lungs when you inhale. The smoke particles carry the nicotine into your lungs.

Once it reaches your lungs, nicotine is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream. And then your blood carries the nicotine to your brain.

The process happens so quickly that it takes only about 10 seconds for nicotine to reach your brain after you inhale. 

When nicotine reaches your brain it releases dopamine and creates a buzz. This nicotine buzz has to do with why nicotine is addictive.

Smokeless Tobacco Addiction

If you chew tobacco or use snus or snuff, nicotine goes into your blood through the tissues lining your mouth. That takes a little longer than being absorbed through your lungs. 

But once the nicotine is in your blood, it goes to your brain and affects it the same way other forms of nicotine do.

The CDC reports that the nicotine you absorb from smokeless tobacco lasts in the blood longer than the nicotine you inhale.

Effects of Nicotine on the Brain

Once the nicotine is in your brain, it binds to the receptors of some of your brain cells. Think about these receptors as a lock and the nicotine as a key. 

It just so happens that nicotine can lock into these receptors, that are now called Nicotine receptors. (To be technical for a moment, their full name is nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, or nAChRs.)

The nicotine receptors are activated whenever a chemical binds to them. It’s usually acetylcholine, another chemical, that binds to these receptors, but nicotine can also bind to them. 

In other words, nicotine “steals” the place of acetylcholine and binds to the receptors. This causes a release of happy chemicals or else, a nicotine buzz.

After a while, your brain releases less acetylcholine. Now you need nicotine to bind to the receptors. And that’s how nicotine becomes addictive.

What happens if you don’t get nicotine?

If the addicted brain doesn’t get nicotine, the receptors aren’t activated and you don’t feel right. That explains a lot of the irritability and discomfort that come with quitting smoking. 

After you cut off nicotine and break the nicotine addiction, your level of acetylcholine will return to normal. You’ll be able to feel fine without nicotine.

Why is Nicotine Addictive

The nicotine receptors are located in the areas of your brain that have to do with pleasure and reward. 

When a receptor is activated, there’s a release of neurotransmitters. They are chemical substances that convey nerve impulses. And dopamine is one of these neurotransmitters that causes and sustains addictions.

Dopamine and Feeling Good

Dopamine has a lot of functions. It contributes to movement, memory, attention, and lots of other activities. When it comes to smoking, the function that’s most important is feeling rewarded. 

When a large amount of dopamine is released, you feel good. That’s why it’s the “feel-good hormone.”

A dopamine release is like getting an emotional reward.

And because nicotine reaches your brain so quickly, that reward-like feeling comes within seconds after you inhale. That instant gratification reinforces the nicotine dependence.

Dopamine is very important. It encourages us to repeat the behaviors that ensure our survival. Our brain rewards us when we eat, drink water, or have sex. Otherwise, we would starve to death and the human species would go extinct. 

But this dopamine reward system can make harmful behaviors, like smoking, seem important, too.

Nicotine is neither food nor water and it does not protect our survival. It just tricks our brain into thinking we need it, just like we need food. That’s what nicotine addiction is. It makes us believe we can’t live without the thing we’re addicted to. 

The mechanism of nicotine addiction is the same type of emotional reward you see in other addictions–to alcohol, cocaine, narcotics, and other drugs.

Dopamine and quitting smoking

Your brain releases dopamine not only when you do something pleasurable, but also when you expect to feel pleasure. So just the thought of doing something enjoyable, like having a delicious drink, can trigger a dopamine release.

For smokers, the sight of someone smoking can trigger that release. But if that sight–that expectation of a reward–isn’t followed by the nicotine your brain is expecting, your dopamine levels can drop. Now you have a low mood instead of pleasure.

And there are all sorts of cues and triggers that you’ve learned to associate with that reward. It might be a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or taking a break.  

You’ve taught your brain to expect nicotine when you do these things. So when you first stop smoking, your brain still expects those dopamine releases from nicotine. That causes cigarette cravings.

With time, your brain’s expectations will change. You’ll have fewer cravings and your brain will start releasing dopamine naturally, without relying on nicotine.  

The More You Smoke, the More Addicted You Become

The number of nicotine receptors actually increases in smokers. If you’ve been smoking heavily for years, you probably have more nicotine receptors than you did before you started smoking. 

Having more nicotine receptors means you need more nicotine to bind to them. When receptors aren’t activated, you can begin to feel withdrawal symptoms. 

When you smoke regularly, you build up tolerance for nicotine and you stop experiencing the nicotine buzz.

Instead, you need to smoke just to avoid feeling withdrawal. 

Genetic Factors of Nicotine Addiction

Genes play a role in addiction, too. 

You can inherit how your nerve cells respond to nicotine. And the way your nerve cells respond affects how easily you become addicted or how much you smoke, vape, or chew.

In fact, some researchers believe that the risk of becoming addicted is, 50 to 75%, due to your genes!

The number of nicotine receptors in your brain increases if you’re a heavy smoker. But how much that number increases depends on your genes. 

Some people don’t develop many nicotine receptors, no matter how much they smoke. If you’re one of those people, you are a light smoker.

But if you’re someone who has formed a lot of additional nicotine receptors, you probably consume more than a pack a day.

Nicotine Side Effects on the Brain

One of the most significant dangers of nicotine is that it throws the brain chemicals, like dopamine and endorphin, out of balance. Research shows nicotine also prevents the genesis of new brain cells.

Side effects of nicotine on the brain of adults:

• Dizziness
• Disrupted sleep patterns
• Blood flow restriction

Side effects of nicotine on the brain of teenagers and young adults:

• Nicotine creates lasting impairments in memory, attention, and learning. The brain changes until the age of 25, and nicotine has a negative impact on that change. 

Is Nicotine Bad for You? What Does Nicotine Do to Your Body

Cigarette addiction has other physical effects, too. Nicotine affects the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, and reproductive systems of the body. 

Nicotine affects your blood circulation and heart 

• Causes plaque on the artery walls, known as atherosclerosis, which may lead to a heart attack.

• Blood vessels lose their elasticity which limits the oxygen that flows to your organs. 

• Your heart rate increases as your heart tries to take in more oxygen which in turn, increases your risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Nicotine affects your insulin levels, contributing to the risk of diabetes

• It stimulates the adrenal gland to release adrenaline. It’s a hormone, also known as epinephrine, that speeds up your heart rate by supplying more blood to your muscles, brain and heart. While this makes you feel more alert and energetic, it burdens your heart.
  
• Adrenaline also makes your body release more glucose into your blood. And it slows the release of insulin from your pancreas. The result is a higher blood glucose level, and insulin resistance.

Nicotine affects the respiratory system and the lungs

• It plays a role in the development of emphysema.

• Causes airway resistance by stimulating the parasympathetic ganglia.

• Nicotine affects the Central Nervous System and alters respiration.

• Nicotine can contribute to pneumonia.

• Vaping also increases the risk of pneumonia, according to a study published in the European Respiratory Journal has found.

Nicotine affects your gastrointestinal system

• Nicotine is linked to Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD) and peptic ulcer disease (PUD).
  
• It causes dry mouth, heartburn, and nausea.

Nicotine affects pregnancy

• The Americal Lung Association reports that nicotine during pregnancy can harm the brain and lung development of the fetus. 

• Nicotine addiction also affects the mental and physical health of the mother, causing low birth weights, premature birth, or stillbirth.

• Research shows nicotine can also cause obesity, hypertension, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, problems with brain and behavior development and even respiratory failure.

The Mental & Behavioral Side of Nicotine Addiction

Another reason why nicotine is addictive is that it becomes part of your routine and a coping mechanism. This creates a mental and psychological dependence on nicotine.

While nicotine goes to your brain and creates this dopamine release, you’re usually doing certain things or activities. 

So your brain has learned to link smoking and nicotine to those activities, routines, habits, and situations.

These situations become triggers. If you usually smoke while talking on the phone, then after a while talking on the phone will trigger cravings.

There are 4 types of smoking triggers: emotional, environmental, social, and double-habit triggers. Some of them are:

• Emotions you want to escape (anxiety, boredom)
• Seeing other people smoking or smelling cigarettes
• In between tasks
• After a meal
• Morning coffee or tea
• Alcoholic drink
• Talking on the phone
• Taking a break
• Driving
• Celebrating
• Socializing

With time, these situations seem incomplete or unenjoyable without cigarettes or nicotine. If you smoke when bored, then your brain has learned to expect a dopamine release when you feel that way.

If this dopamine release doesn’t come then you momentarily feel down. You may even think that boredom is unbearable without smoking, vaping, or nicotine.

That’s natural. The more you smoke, the more you rely on nicotine to cope with life. If you feel stressed or anxious, you probably smoke. After a while, it’s easy to think you can’t calm down or relax without that cigarette.

Fortunately, that’s not the case. Everything you do as a smoker you can do better as a non-smoker. 

When you are nicotine-free your brain gradually breaks the association between your triggers and smoking. Just like your brain learned to expect nicotine, it can learn to not expect it. 

Breaking the Cycle of Nicotine Addiction

The only way to break the cycle of addiction is to stop using nicotine.

Smoking is a mental and a physical addiction, so to quit for good you need to deal with both aspects. 

It’s natural to feel a sense of loss when you quit smoking. After all, addiction taught your brain to release most of its dopamine when nicotine is present. 

In the beginning, you may feel irritable, restless, angry, or sad. It can be tempting to reach for a cigarette to try to deal with these emotions.

Keep in mind that staying away from smoking is the fastest way to overcome those feelings. Get moving, stay busy, keep a positive attitude. You can do this! 

When you quit smoking, your brain will adjust so that you can enjoy pleasurable activities without nicotine. When that happens, you will feel happier as a non-smoker. Look at this as a learning curve.

The best treatment for nicotine addiction is to change how you think about nicotine and learn how to be happy without it. This might take some time, but it will be worth it.  

Cravings for Nicotine

After 3-6 days most nicotine will be out of your body so the physical cravings for nicotine will subside. Any cravings you experience after that are mental cravings.

Mental cravings are thoughts of smoking, vaping, or chewing.

But they’re thoughts, not commands.

If you stay away from nicotine,  those extra nicotine receptors in your brain will disappear and you’ll be back to normal levels of receptors in about a month.

Your body will heal from the effects of nicotine and smoking. And you’ll learn to enjoy life without a cigarette, even if it seems impossible at first.

Truth is, nicotine offers you nothing at all. If you believe it does, it’s because of the addiction. Once the addiction goes, you will start adapting to a new lifestyle that’s more fulfilling. 

Nicotine Withdrawal 

Just as the nicotine addiction has physical and psychological causes, nicotine withdrawal has both physical and psychological symptoms. 

Headaches, tremors, and trouble sleeping are a few of the physical symptoms. Changes in mood–anxiety, sadness, anger, irritability–are some of the psychological symptoms. You can learn about the nicotine withdrawal symptoms here.

Every withdrawal is different. Some smokers find that they crave sweets and gain weight, while others exercise more and lose weight. 

If you experience withdrawal symptoms, keep in mind that they will pass. They’re most troublesome in the first few days after you quit smoking, and will lessen over time.

You’re simply going through an adjustment period where you have to learn to live as a non-smoker. 

Your Future as a Happy Nonsmoker

Ups and downs are a natural part of life. You’ll have them whether you smoke or not. 

But if you stay away from nicotine, you’ll overcome the smoking addiction and learn other ways of coping.

Soon enough, you’ll learn to relax without having a cigarette. 

You’ll be healthier, you’ll breathe more easily. You’re likely to live longer.

And think of all the money you’ll save!