Tobacco is one of the most widely abused substances in the world. It is highly addictive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that tobacco causes 6 million deaths per year. This makes tobacco the leading cause of preventable death.
But what makes tobacco this addictive? We will try to find an answer to this question and also introduce you to Nicotine Gum India as a powerful tool that will help fight tobacco addiction.
Well, it is because of nicotine. It is a highly addictive substance present in tobacco that causes an adrenaline rush when smoked or put into the bloodstream. It triggers the release of the feel-good hormone – dopamine which gives the feeling of being relieved or happy. It acts as an instant stress buster, making you crave it every time something happens. Many people also depend on it for increasing concentration levels.
The more you smoke, the more nicotine you need to feel good. When you try to stop, you experience unpleasant mental and physical changes. These are symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
Symptoms of nicotine dependence
It happens when you cannot stop having tobacco. It can be in any form and can happen really quickly.
Signs of addiction include:
- You can’t stop. You’ve decided to stop using tobacco more than once but you have not succeeded. Even after multiple attempts, you end up having a cigarette or having tobacco.
- You have nicotine withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop. Your attempts at stopping have caused physical and mood-related symptoms, such as strong cravings, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, depressed mood, frustration, anger, increased hunger, insomnia, constipation or diarrhea.
- You keep smoking despite having health problems. It doesn’t matter if smoking makes you cough or you are sick, you will still end up smoking. Not being able to stop, even at the cost of your health is a bad sign.
- You give up social activities. You go out of your way to accommodate smoking into your life. For example – you may stop going to smoke-free restaurants or stop socializing with family or friends because you can’t smoke in these situations.
Risk factors associated with tobacco abuse
Having any form of tobacco – be it via cigarettes or any other form eventually makes you an addict. While some people are more likely to become addicted, there is always a risk for everyone.
Here are a few risk factors that make some people more likely to develop an addiction are:
- Mental illnesses – People who struggle with anxiety or depression tent to turn to smoking as a source of instant relief.
- Having parents who smoked – Children who grow up in a house where people smoke tend to become passive smokers and eventually turn out to be smokers.
- Age at which you started smoking – the younger you started, the more likely you are to become a heavy smoker.
- Genetics – The likelihood that you will start smoking and keep smoking may be partly inherited. Genetic factors may influence how receptors on the surface of your brain’s nerve cells respond to high doses of nicotine delivered by cigarettes.
Why is tobacco addiction bad for your health?
Apart from nicotine, tobacco smoke contains more than 60 known cancer-causing chemicals. Even “all-natural” or herbal cigarettes have harmful chemicals.
Smoking can cause:
- Lung cancer and lung disease. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths. In addition, smoking 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 cancer of the mouth, throat (pharynx), esophagus, larynx, bladder, pancreas, kidney, cervix, and some types of leukemia. Overall, smoking causes 30% of all cancer deaths.
- Heart and circulatory system problems. Smoking increases your risk of dying of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease, including heart attacks and strokes. If you have heart or blood vessel disease, such as heart failure, smoking worsens your condition.
- Smoking increases insulin resistance, which can set the stage for type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, smoking can speed the progress of complications, such as kidney disease and eye problems.
- Infertility and impotence. Smoking increases the risk of reduced fertility in women and the risk of impotence in men.
- Tooth and gum disease. Smoking is associated with an increased risk of developing inflammation of the gum and serious gum infections.
Smoking is also injurious for nonsmokers around you. The smoke from cigarettes still contains many harmful chemicals that put the people around you at a higher risk of developing cancer.
NRT products – a savior
Thanks to advancements in technology, you can count on Nicotine Replacement Therapy products like nicotine gums, tablets or patches. They are designed to provide a controlled amount of nicotine into your body. They are available in different doses and give you the freedom to choose the dose that matches your needs. This is a safer way to give your body nicotine and eventually decrease the dose. Nicotine gums India are also available in different tastes and without prescription, making them a tasty, convenient and affordable way to control addiction. You can learn more about NRT products by talking to your doctor.
