This is the time of year when we make New Year's resolutions.
One of the most common New Year's resolutions is to quit
smoking. It is important to understand why you are addicted
before you start any program. Understanding how nicotine affects
the body is the fist step in quitting smoking. The second step
is picking the right program for you to help you achieve your
goal of becoming a non-smoker.
Nicotine is a type of chemical called an alkaloid. Many plants
containing alkaloids are poisonous and produce a bitter taste
when eaten. Nicotine is found in cigarettes, but it has other
uses as well. Weed killers and insecticides also contain
nicotine. Nicotine is extremely potent. A person would die if
the nicotine found in 2.5 cigarettes were directly injected into
a person's bloodstream.
Nicotine enters the bloodstream through the lungs. It quickly
reaches the brain, where it affects certain chemicals that
change the way you feel. Eventually the brain becomes dependent
on nicotine to control these chemicals that make you feel
"normal."
Nicotine is more addictive than heroine is. As smokers become
addicted to nicotine, they will develop a tolerance to nicotine-
meaning that they need to smoke more cigarettes in order to feel
the same effects they did when they first started.
Nicotine can have different effects on people. Some say nicotine
relaxes them when they are upset. Others say that it energizes
them and raises alertness when they are tired. The affects vary
according to each person and how much they have inhaled.
Nicotine also causes the heart to beat faster, veins to
constrict, blood pressure to rise, and the adrenal glands to
pump out adrenaline that raises the metabolism and suppresses
hunger.
Nicotine interferes with the transmission of information between
the nerve cells. It also affects sections of the brain that
regulate pleasurable feelings, called "reward circuits." The
neurotransmitter dopamine is one chemical affected by smoking;
nicotine raises the level of dopamine in the brain's reward
circuits, causing the smoker to experience pleasure. Other
chemicals impacted by nicotine are serotonin, which controls
mood, norepinephrine, which affects arousal and appetite, and
beta-endorphin, which reduces anxiety.
Remember that every year the tobacco companies pour millions of
dollars into research to keep you addicted! The time is right to
stop smoking and get healthy. For more information on quitting
smoking you can go to my website at
http://www.healthsolutionsandyou.com
About the author:
About The Author Libby Sustacheck has over twenty years of
experience in the healthcare field working with such industry
giants as Kaiser Permanente and Aetna. She has assisted many
organizations with their wellness programs.
libbys@libbyshealthsolutions.com
