We are happy to have you here to read about addiction to smoking.
Nicotine dependence , also called tobacco dependence, is an addiction to tobacco products caused by the drug nicotine. Nicotine dependence means you can't stop using the substance, even though it's causing you harm.
Nicotine produces physical and mood altering effects in your brain that are temporarily pleasing. These effects make you want to use tobacco and lead to dependence. At the same time, stopping tobacco use causes withdrawal symptoms, including irritability and anxiety.
While it's the nicotine in tobacco that causes nicotine dependence, the toxic effects of tobacco result from other substances in tobacco. Smokers have much higher rates of heart disease, stroke and cancer than nonsmokers do.
Regardless of how long you've smoked, stopping smoking can improve your health. Many effective treatments for nicotine dependence are available to help you manage withdrawal and stop smoking for good. Ask your doctor for help.
Let’s take you through the symptoms
In some people, using any amount of tobacco can quickly lead to nicotine dependence. Signs that you may be addicted include:
You can't stop smoking. You've made one or more serious, but unsuccessful, attempts to stop.
You experience withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop. Your attempts at stopping have caused physical and mood related signs and symptoms, such as strong cravings, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, depressed mood, frustration, anger, increased hunger, insomnia, constipation or diarrhea.
You keep smoking despite health problems. Even though you've developed problems with your lungs or your heart, you haven't been able to stop.
You give up social or recreational activities in order to smoke. You may stop going to smoke free restaurants or stop socializing with certain family members or friends because you can't smoke in these locations or situations.
Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco that keeps you smoking. Nicotine is very addictive when delivered to the lungs by inhaling tobacco smoke. It increases the release of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, which help regulate mood and behavior. One of these neurotransmitters is dopamine, which may improve your mood and activate feelings of pleasure. Experiencing these effects from nicotine in tobacco is what makes tobacco so addictive.
Nicotine dependence involves behavioral as well as physical factors. Behaviors and cues that you may associate with smoking include:
Certain times of the day, such as first thing in the morning, with morning coffee or during breaks at work
After a meal
Drinking alcohol
Certain places or friends
Talking on the phone
Stressful situations or when you're feeling down
Sight or smell of a burning cigarette
Driving your car
To overcome your dependence on tobacco, you need to deal with the behaviors and routines that you associate with smoking.
RISK FACTORS
Anyone who smokes or uses other forms of tobacco is at risk of becoming dependent. Factors that influence nicotine dependence include:
Genetics. The genes you inherit play a role in some aspects of nicotine dependence. The likelihood that you will start smoking and keep smoking may be partly inherited genetic factors that may influence how receptors on the surface of your brain's nerve cells respond to high doses of nicotine delivered by cigarettes.
Home and peer influence. Children who grow up with parents who smoke are more likely to become smokers. Children with friends who smoke also are more likely to try cigarettes. Evidence suggests that smoking shown in movies and on the Internet can encourage young people to smoke.
Age. Most people begin smoking during childhood or the teen years. The younger you begin smoking, the greater the chance that you'll become a heavy smoker as an adult.
Depression or other mental illness. People who have depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 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.
COMPLICATIONS
Tobacco smoke contains more than 60 known cancer causing chemicals and thousands of other harmful substances. Even all natural or herbal cigarettes have chemicals that are harmful to your health. When you inhale tobacco smoke, you take in these chemicals, which reach most of your body's vital organs.
Smoking harms almost every organ of your body, and more than 60 percent of people who keep smoking will die because of it. Women smokers are now at equal risk to men smokers dying from diseases caused by using tobacco. The negative health effects include:
Lung cancer and other lung diseases. Smoking causes nearly 9 out of 10 lung cancer cases, as well as other lung diseases, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also makes asthma worse.
Other cancers. Smoking is a major cause of cancers of the esophagus, larynx, throat (pharynx) and mouth and is related to cancers of the bladder, pancreas, kidney and cervix, and some leukemias.
Heart and circulatory system problems. Smoking increases your risk of dying of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease, including heart attack and stroke. Even smoking just one to four cigarettes daily increases your risk of heart disease. If you have heart or blood vessel disease, such as heart failure, smoking worsens your condition. However, stopping smoking reduces your risk of having a heart attack by 50 percent in the first year.
Diabetes. Smoking increases insulin resistance, which can set the stage for the development of type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, smoking can speed the progress of complications, such as kidney disease and eye problems.
Eye problems. Smoking can increase your risk of serious eye problems such as cataracts and loss of eyesight from macular degeneration.
Infertility and impotence. Smoking increases the risk of infertility in women and the risk of impotence in men.
Pregnancy and newborn complications. Mothers who smoke while pregnant face a higher risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery, lower birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in their newborn.
Cold, flu and other illnesses. Smokers are more prone to respiratory infections, such as colds, flu and bronchitis.
Weakened senses. Smoking deadens your senses of taste and smell, so food isn't as appetizing.
Teeth and gum disease. Smoking is associated with an increased risk of developing inflammation of the gum (gingivitis) and a serious gum infection that can destroy the support system for teeth (periodontitis).
Physical appearance. The chemicals in tobacco smoke can change the structure of your skin, causing premature aging and wrinkles. Smoking also yellows your teeth, fingers and fingernails.
Risks to your family. Nonsmoking spouses and partners of smokers have a higher risk of lung cancer and heart disease compared with people who don't live with a smoker. If you smoke, your children will be more prone to SIDS, worsening asthma, ear infections and colds.
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