New Delhi: Do you smoke? If yes, have you ever imagined what happens to your body when you take a puff of nicotine? Well, ‘Smoking is injurious to health’, this is known to one and all. This is because nicotine is made of unsafe substances such as tar, acetone and carbon dioxide. These chemicals dangerously impact the body’s organs.
Smoking tobacco is the leading cause of death across the world. Over 225,000 people in India died of cancer caused due to preventable risk factors like smoking. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream and enters the adrenal glands just above your kidneys—the gland’s adrenaline which raises blood pressure pressure, breathing and heart rate. People believe this adrenaline rush releases dopamine at once and makes them feel good but have you imagined what happens to your body when you take a puff of tobacco?
What happens to your body when you smoke?
On World No Tobacco Day, Dr Tirathram Kaushik Consultant Oncosurgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals Mira Road explained the nitty gritty of smoking. He told News9, “When cigarette smoke enters the body it can release various harmful toxins like tar, arsenic, and nicotine which can be life-threatening. It can cause severe damage to your lungs, heart, reproductive system, and kidneys. Nicotine can create a sense of addiction when gets dissolved into the blood. Blood circulation is restricted due to various harmful chemicals released in the body.”
A person who smokes can have chances of suffering from various cancers- of the lungs, mouth, nose, larynx, kidney, cervix, liver, bladder, bowel, and stomach. One who smokes may also be at risk of heart disease, stroke, heart attack, and asthma. Smoking can stain your lips and teeth and cause inflammation in the body. It is the need of the hour to quit smoking and improve the quality of life.
How nicotine enters the body and how it impacts it step by step
Nicotine, when inhaled in the form of a cigarette, e-cigarette, tobacco, hookah, or shisha, can cause harmful effects on various parts of the body, including the lungs, voice box or larynx, heart, and reproductive system. Dr Kaushik explained
“Once the individuals inhale the nicotine, it enters their body and gets dissolved into their bloodstream. After getting dissolved into the blood, it reaches the brain, releasing dopamine (a hormone that generates a sense of pleasure). Once the pleasure or feeling of satisfaction is released due to dopamine, your brain gets addicted to nicotine and wants it more. This further leads to a vicious cycle of addiction, where it becomes impossible for certain individuals to quit smoking or chewing tobacco,” said Dr Kaushik.
World No Tobacco Day 2024: Nicotine, when inhaled in the form of a cigarette, e-cigarette, tobacco, hookah, or shisha, can cause harmful effects on various parts of the body, including the lungs, voice box or larynx, heart, and reproductive system. Check what happens to the body when you smoke Health Conditions Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
