Nicotine Influence on Smoker’s Body




Some smokers brag it is easy to give up smoking, but after certain time they reach for a cigarette again and again. The reason why they return to the habit is nicotine – the drug that is found naturally in tobacco. It is proven that nicotine is as highly addictive as cocaine or heroine.

Over time nicotine hooks a person up physically, emotionally and mentally making it even harder to give up smoking and stay quit forever. Everyday return to cigarettes makes this addiction stronger.

There is only 5% of nicotine in a tobacco plant by weight. When the tobacco is dried up, clashed and stuffed in paper tubes, its part in one cigarette makes about 8-20 milligrams out of which only 1 mg is absorbed by smoker’s body.

After being breathed in nicotine goes deeply in person’s lungs, from where tiny blood vessels carry it through the whole blood system and to other organs of smoker’s body. Heart, blood vessels, brain, hormonal level and metabolism get affected the most.

It is impressive how nicotine can control one’s brain: it is responsible for good feelings when the person smokes and for irritability, a feeling of hunger and dry throat when one tries to quit. Nicotine also works as a depressant mixing up with nerve cells. Gradually nervous system adapts to the constant intake on nicotine and becomes tolerant to it. This means the smoker needs to have more cigarettes to get the same drive as in the beginning. With time the smoker reaches certain level of nicotine which is “comfortable” for the body and stays on it.

In its pure form nicotine does not stay in body too long. One hour after the chemical was inhaled, organs work together to get rid of it. Mostly nicotine is processed by the body, turning into cotinine and nicotine oxide. Part of nicotine is filtered by kidneys and drawn away with urine. However, nicotine by-products stay in blood vessels and inner organs for 3-4 days after the last cigarette.

When a smoker decides to quit, nicotine does its best job to prevent it thus causing withdrawal symptoms. As a rule they start a few hours after the last cigarette, increase reaching their peak after 3 days and last for a few more days or even weeks until the last tracks of nicotine and its by-products leave the smoker’s body.

These symptoms make the person want to take a cigarette again which will increase the nicotine level and bring back to constant smoking. However, if the person is determined to quit, each of these symptoms has a “cure”.

Here are most common withdrawal symptoms:
•    Insomnia. Without cigarettes a smoker can have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or have bad dreams. Good help here can be provided by calm music, relaxation techniques, positive film which can influence dreams in a fine way.
•    Tiredness. Slow down and relax. The best variant here would be to take a nap.
•    Headache. Temple massage is a great way to drive away headaches. Other useful things are warm shower and relaxing music.
•    Dryness in mouth and throat. Chewing gum, cold water and sucking of ice-cubes will be the right solutions to this problem.
•    Hunger. Low-calorie snacks and drinks help to reduce the feeling of constant hunger.
•    Depression. The person needs to find something that would cheer him or her up: a woman could go shopping or visit a beauty salon, a man would be interested to do some sport like golf, tennis, basketball or get himself busy with the car for which he never had enough time. Interesting hobby can drive the person away from depression.
•    Coughing. For several days after the person quits, he/she might experience increased coughing. It is temporary and many cough drops or warm drinks can help to fight this.

Andrew Johnson

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Posted on February 25, 2009 
Filed Under Facts on Smoking

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