The leading cause of deaths and disease in the United States, as well as the whole world, is smoking. There is no doubt about in the harms and effects of smoking.
Every year around 480,000 people are killed In USA due to smoking. Lungs are chiefly affected by smoking, and numerous other diseases are also caused by smoking. Lung cancer is the primary disease caused by smoking that is even mentioned on the labels and precautions of the packs. But apart from lung cancer, smoking damage the health of the cardiovascular system thus affecting the heart also. It must be surprising for you to know that there is a significant effect of smoking and nicotine on cardiac health. Those who are at risk of stroke, diabetes or even heart disease are advised to quit smoking as this can act as a catalyst in the progression of the disease. Cigarettes are composed of around 5000 chemicals, including tar, arsenic, and formaldehyde which are damaging for your body. Most people who get to know about the damages and the chemicals found in cigarettes quit smoking.
As it’s the age of technology, there have been recent advancements in the tobacco use technology also. The introduction of vaping devices, also known as electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), has gathered the interest of most smokers. The use of e-cigarettes is on the rise because the manufactures have removed many harmful chemicals from the constituents. This has attracted a large population of smokers to shift to vaping. Even e-cigarettes are not safe for your health. With time, there could be even more research on the harms of vaping-devices.
Recent advances in the technology of tobacco use have led to a renewed interest in smoking. E-cigarettes and vaping are on the rise as manufacturers have taken out some of the harmful ingredients found in cigarettes. Unfortunately, your health is still impacted even with an e-cigarette. E-cigarettes usually still contain nicotine. Incredibly, the nicotine content in e-cigarettes is often higher than what’s found in typical cigarettes.
Nicotine is present in all forms of cigarettes, whether traditional or electronic. Nicotine has different effects on the body, and it acts in several ways. The prominent effect is on the cardiovascular system.
The following are the effects of nicotine on the human heart
Nicotine has a high addictive mechanism, and that’s why it causes severe withdrawal effects and symptoms on those who try to quit it.
Along with these issues, nicotine also acts as a factor contributing to the hardening of the arterial walls. Nicotine affects the cardiovascular system and heart functions. All these factors and effects on the cardiovascular system increase the risk factors for heart attack or cardiac arrest.
Nicotine stays in the body for about 6-8 hours, and people having only a few cigarettes per day keep their bloodstream filled with nicotine all day.
As nicotine is addictive and can have withdrawal effects, so when you decide to quit smoking, you will often face some consequences and issues that will make it difficult for you to quit smoking.
Symptoms which are faced by different smokers when trying to quit smoking include
These symptoms make it quite difficult for a smoker to quit cigarettes; you must have strong willpower to quit smoking. It may not be possible to quit smoking on the first try, but repeated attempts can produce successful results.
Nicotine addiction can be compared to alcohol, cocaine, and heroin according to different research. But its dependence has worsening effects on your health, especially on your heart. The good news is that quitting nicotine will bring short and long term benefits for your health and your heart health as well.
There are different methods which can help you to quit smoking.