Cigarette smoke contains many harmful chemical compounds. Each of them is dangerous individually, but together they represent a real “cocktail of death”, extremely dangerous for humans.
Due to prolonged saturation of the body with harmful components, the activity of brain cells decreases. As a result, the smoker has memory problems and intellectual capabilities deteriorate . In special situations, a person is susceptible to a very dangerous disease - stroke , which is caused by an acute circulatory disorder in the brain.
About the effect of smoking on the human brain
According to research, about a quarter of all energy received by a person goes to maintaining brain function. Regular smoking leads to the fact that the brain requires much more energy . The brain is not able to accumulate nutrients; it processes them instantly.
The initial impact is almost invisible. The fact is that, being under the influence of pesticides, the human body automatically launches recovery processes. But over time, the body copes with this function worse , and the smoker runs the risk of feeling all the consequences of his addiction.
If you consume more than 1 pack of cigarettes daily, the negative effects increase and the risk of developing dangerous diseases increases sharply.
In addition, toxins entering the smoker’s body neutralize the immune properties of the brain. Immune cells, recognizing compounds that are atypical for the body, destroy the resulting infections. However, nicotine suppresses these protective functions.
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Does smoking affect intelligence and memory?
The greatest brain damage was detected in the frontal areas. A smoker has difficulty performing simple daily tasks such as going to the store, driving, etc. Over time, the damage becomes more and more, which begins to affect the intellect . Smoking affects the metabolism of the cerebellum and midbrain. The smoker loses his balance and has problems with coordination.
The photo below shows the brain of a healthy person and the brain of a smoker (the damage to the frontal zone is clearly visible).
As a result, after regular smoking a person may face the following consequences:
- An increase in nicotine intake into the body leads to disruption of brain activity, and as a result, to a decrease in the level of intellectual abilities.
- Over time, memory deteriorates noticeably, and it is difficult for a smoker to concentrate on certain processes or tasks.
- The smoker spends more time on completing assigned tasks. Analysts estimate he will spend 20% more time.
How do cigarettes affect the blood vessels of the brain?
In most cases, smoking constricts blood vessels in the brain, which increases blood pressure . Headaches in smokers are common.
Sometimes a smoker's body reacts to an addiction by dilating blood vessels and lowering blood pressure . This is manifested by symptoms such as weakness, dizziness, and attacks of nausea.
The walls of healthy vessels (endodelia) narrow and expand, depending on the blood flow. But nicotine disrupts the elasticity of blood vessels, which causes them to spasm. Therefore, over time, scars and plaques form on the walls.
The tar and toxic substances contained in cigarettes thicken the blood. Blood flows slowly through damaged vessels of increased viscosity. Slow blood flow means oxygen starvation for the brain and death of nerve cells.
Local blood flow decreases with regular smoking, which leads to problems with venous outflow. As a result, atherosclerosis and stroke develop .
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Is it possible to smoke if you have a concussion?
A concussion is characterized by painful symptoms. The victim experiences dizziness, severe headache, nausea, and sometimes vomiting. There is an increased body temperature, lack of appetite, inhibition of reactions, and short-term fainting.
Possible weakness in the legs, feeling very tired, inability to concentrate, and inability to carry on a conversation.
When smoking, nicotine enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain cells. As a result, the vessels narrow and a lack of oxygen occurs.
With a concussion, smoking increases symptoms:
- Headache;
- Nausea;
- Weakness;
- Absent-mindedness;
- Possible loss of consciousness.
Smoking harms the victim: it inhibits the recovery of brain cells after injury, the victim’s recovery slows down, and painful symptoms intensify.
A concussion subsequently leads to the appearance of epileptic seizures, chronic hypertension, and vegetative-vascular dystonia. Smoking increases the risk of these complications.
How does nicotine work and why is it addictive?
A cigarette smoked can give a person different effects.
Some people use cigarettes as a means to combat nervous tension, while others use them as a stimulant. Nicotine is of natural origin and belongs to the group of alkaloids. Once in the brain, the substance begins to come into close contact with acetylcholines (mediators of nervous excitation). They are produced by the brain independently, and the amount of mediators is strictly controlled. Nicotine cannot be controlled, therefore, when it enters the brain, it provokes the following phenomena:
- The release of a large amount of energy, as a result of which increased activity of the smoker is observed. This is due to the fact that nicotine accelerates the release of neurotransmitters from neurons and increases the activity of cholinergic cells.
- Nicotine causes the brain to release large amounts of joy hormones and enhances the synthesis of glutamate. It is thanks to the latter hormone that a feeling of joy appears, which can form the preconditions for the emergence of addiction.
- The gradual deposition of nicotine on neurons dulls the feeling of euphoria, which is why the user experiences an irresistible desire to smoke again. This is how complete dependence on cigarettes manifests itself.
Many smokers perceive the effects of nicotine as a way to relieve stress and get rid of tension. However, this effect is illusory . Nicotine stimulates the central nervous system, artificially increasing serotonin levels, which contributes to the development of tobacco addiction.
If a person does not receive the required dose of nicotine, serotonin in the central nervous system tends to a minimum, which causes irritation and an irresistible desire to smoke. The body experiences serious stress, which increases if abstinence from smoking is prolonged.
Over time, smoking affects the character and psychological factors of the smoker's behavior. High excitability and nervous tension appear. Subsequently, these circumstances become catalysts for the development of nervous diseases.
Literature:
- Tobacco smoking: harm, ways to quit: recommendations for those who smoke and want to get rid of tobacco addiction / Ovchinnikov B.V., Dyakonov I.F., Zobnev V.M., Dyakonova T.I.; under general ed. V. K. Shamrey. - St. Petersburg: SpetsLit, 2012. – 45 p.
- Fundamentals of medical knowledge: textbook. manual for pedagogical students. universities: textbook. manual for university students / O. G. Gureeva and others; Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. Federation, Omsk. state ped. univ. - Omsk: Omsk State Pedagogical University Publishing House, 2004. - 255 p.
- Bad habits and their prevention: textbook / comp. Gorskaya I.Yu., comp. Gubareva N.V. - Omsk: Publishing house SibGUFK, 2010. - 212 p.
Nicotine addiction and mental illness
Numerous studies by scientists show that the receptors that are most susceptible to nicotine are directly involved in the pathogenesis of mental illnesses . Statistics show that the majority of citizens with mental disabilities are active smokers.
If a psychological problem arises, a person’s chance of starting to smoke increases, and the development of dependence on nicotine increases significantly. According to experts, the relationship between smoking and the psyche is explained by several postulates:
- Smoking provokes affective and neurosis-like disorders.
- Nicotine cravings and mental illness have similar causes and predispositions.
- The onset of the disease occurs under stress, so with a high degree of probability the user may take up a cigarette. For a certain period of time, nicotine will help artificially increase dopamine levels, which will help hide the manifestations of mental disorders. However, it will not be possible to completely stop the disease.
Mechanism of action
The narrowing of the lumen of the arteries causes an increase in pressure. Experts define such surges as nicotine hypertension.
Nicotine enters the blood, spreads to all tissues and organs, and becomes a participant in metabolic processes. The residue, which is not excreted in the urine, accumulates on the vascular walls and tissues. At the very beginning, an increase in the lumen of blood vessels occurs, causing a feeling of relaxation in a person. However, after a few minutes these sensations are replaced by the opposite: the vessels sharply narrow. Such a difference is a strong stress for the body.
Causes of vasospasm
Nicotine is a substance that can pass through the BBB and affect the functionality of all organs. It has a stimulating effect on the vasomotor center. Speaking about whether blood vessels narrow or dilate when smoking, it is important to consider two stages of the effects of nicotine:
- Activation of cholinergic receptors and an increase in the diameter of the vascular bed, occurring against the background of bradycardia. This is a short stage, after which, under the influence of increased production of adrenaline, norepinephrine, and dopamine, changes in hemodynamics begin.
- The second phase is characterized by:
- development of tachycardia;
- increased cardiac output;
- increased blood pressure;
- vasoconstriction.
The intake of nicotine leads to a slowdown in the conduction of the sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways. The replacement of a feeling of satisfaction and euphoria with a loss of strength gives rise to the desire to smoke again. This is how addiction is formed.
Will the brain recover after quitting smoking?
Once a smoker gives up the habit, his body will gradually begin to recover from the damage caused. Studies show that within 3 weeks the elasticity of the blood vessels in the brain fully returns, which ensures normalization of blood circulation. Over time, the brain cells return to normal.
The key condition for recovery processes is complete cessation of smoking , ignoring other smokers and minimizing the risk of encountering cigarette smoke in the form of a “passive” smoker.
A former smoker should be examined to determine what damage has been done to the brain. The specialist will help him speed up the recovery of the body as a whole and give practical recommendations on how to do this with maximum efficiency.
Physical activity and proper nutrition are important. Increasing the amount of nutrients entering the body will give an additional incentive to all organs to begin recovery at an accelerated pace.
Renewal of cells of the nervous system with a complete cessation of smoking will occur in approximately 30-35 days . Over the designated period, the user will normalize his condition, irritability and nicotine withdrawal will go away.
