Sunday, June 5, 2011

Nicotine and Its Long Term Effects on the Human Body

Nicotine is a psychoactive drug that induces euphoria and makes the smoker to use it more. Nicotine withdrawal syndrome is caused in an individual if the smoking is stopped. Factors like nicotine dependence, genetic factors, and psychosocial factors are the reasons for getting addicted to nicotine.

Nicotine effects almost all the vital organs present in the human body and those effects are given below:

Lung Diseases:
Lungs are the first vital organs that are exposed to the risks of nicotine, because when a person smokes nicotine is inhaled through the cigarettes in to the human body via lungs. Nicotine can cause pulmonary diseases such as emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Cancer:
Nicotine usage for long periods of time can increase the risk of cancer in the addicts. Reason for cause of cancer is that the nicotine causes mutations in the cells within the body which can lead to cancer. Probability of lung cancer is more in the individuals who are addicted to smoking when compared to the nonsmokers.

Heart Diseases:
Nicotine contains carbon monoxide, which can damage arteries which supplies oxygenated blood from the heart to the other body parts. When these arteries get damaged, there is a risk of increased heart attacks in the smokers.

Effects On Brain:
Nicotine can alter the functions of the brain and can also restrict blood flow to the brain and thereby, put nicotine users at increased risk for strokes.

Skin Damage:
Long term use of nicotine effects the skin in many ways and it can also make skin look sallow, yellow and dull. Nicotine can also cause skin cancer, dehydration and wrinkles on the skin.

The above are the different, yet severe damages, nicotine can cause to human body.

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