What is nicotine and why can it be so addictive?

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Nicotine is a strong addictive substance that is found in tobacco and causes the negative effects of tobacco dependence. Nicotine causes an increase in heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and stimulates the pleasure area of ​​the brain to increase feelings of euphoria.

1. What is nicotine?

Nicotine is a nitrogen-containing chemical found in some plants, including tobacco. Nicotine is also produced synthetically. Nicotiana tabacum, the nicotine found in tobacco plants, belongs to the paprika family. Red peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, and potatoes are other examples of plants in the nightshade family.
Although nicotine is not carcinogenic or excessively harmful, it is highly addictive and exposes people to the extremely harmful effects of tobacco dependence.

2. Why is nicotine a strong addictive substance?

Nicotine is both a sedative and a stimulant. When exposed to nicotine, the body experiences a "hit". This is partly because nicotine stimulates the adrenal glands, leading to the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline stimulates the body to release glucose immediately; increases heart rate, respiratory activity and blood pressure. Nicotine also causes the pancreas to produce less insulin, which causes a slight increase in blood sugar or glucose.
Nicotine indirectly causes the release of dopamine in the pleasure and high activity areas of the brain. Similar effects occur when taking heroin or cocaine. During the use of the drug, the user feels comfortable.
Dopamine is a brain chemical that affects emotions, movement, sensations of pleasure, and pain. If brain dopamine levels increase, the feeling of satisfaction is higher. Depending on the dose of nicotine used and the stimulation of an individual's nervous system, nicotine can also act as a sedative.
When humans, mammals and most other animals are exposed to nicotine, there is an increase in heart rate, myocardial oxygen consumption rate, and heart volume.

3. How does the body receive nicotine?

After inhaling cigarette smoke, nicotine quickly enters the bloodstream, crosses the blood-brain barrier, and reaches the brain within 8 - 20 seconds. Within about 2 hours of entering the body, half of the nicotine has been consumed.
The amount of nicotine that can enter the smoker's body depends on:
The type of tobacco being used The amount of smoke inhaled Whether a filter is used and the type of smoke filter The tobacco products are chewed , placed inside the mouth or nasal spray tend to release more nicotine into the body than smoking. Nicotine is broken down in the liver.

4. Nicotine addiction

People who regularly consume nicotine and then suddenly stop having withdrawal symptoms include:
Cravings Feelings of emptiness Anxiety Anxiety Depression Moodiness Irritability Difficulty concentrating or paying attention The American Heart Association says Nicotine makes smoking one of the hardest habits to break. The difficulty level of quitting is similar to having to give up heroin. A 2013 study found that reducing the amount of nicotine in cigarettes also reduced levels of addiction.

5. The harmful effects of nicotine

Nicotine causes a wide range of side effects in most organs and systems. The flow of blood can be affected in the following ways:
Increases the risk of blood clots in the blood vessels of the body Atherosclerosis due to plaque forming on the artery walls Dilated aorta Side effects in The brain includes:
Dizziness and lightheadedness Irregular and disturbed sleep Bad dreams and nightmares Blocked blood vessels in the brain In the digestive system nicotine can have the following effects:
Nausea and vomiting Vomiting Dry mouth, or xerostomia Indigestion Stomach ulcers Diarrhea Heartburn Heart effects after nicotine use:
Changes in heart rate Increases blood pressure Constriction and diseases of the coronary arteries Increases the risk of stroke If the mother If you smoke while pregnant, the following risks can occur during the child's development:
Obesity High blood pressure Type 2 diabetes Difficulty breathing Vaginal dryness Brain development problems Behavior problems Other harmful effects include:
Spasms in the lungs Pneumonia Tremor and pain in the muscles Increased levels of insulin and insulin resistance, which contributes to diabetes risk Joint pain

6. Treatment of nicotine dependence

Treatment of nicotine dependence, known as smoking cessation therapy, is aimed at reducing the urge to consume nicotine as well as the associated risks and health problems.
Drug treatment options for nicotine dependence include:
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT): Nicotine is available in skin patches, nasal sprays, and gum inhalers. These ways partially replace the nicotine normally replenished by smoking and reduce the severity of urges and cravings. Bupropion: Bupropion was used in the first instance as an antidepressant. However, it was later found to be beneficial in reducing nicotine cravings. It has a similar efficacy rate to NRT, which can cause insomnia as a side effect in 30-40% of patients. Varenicline, sold as Chantix: The drug varenicline activates a portion of certain receptors in the brain that normally respond only to nicotine. It then blocks nicotine from reaching the receptors. This reduces a smoker's urge to quit smoking. The drug can also reduce satisfaction from smoking, thereby reducing the risk of relapse. The drug can cause mild nausea in about 30% of people pursuing this course of treatment, but varenicline is generally well tolerated. Treatments used when the above-mentioned treatments have not been successful, as they are more likely to cause serious side effects, include:
Clonidine : Clonidine is an antihypertensive drug that also gives It has been found to reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms but can cause unwanted effects such as low blood pressure, dry mouth, constipation, and slow heart rate. Nortryptyline: Tricyclic antidepressants that replace nicotine but have many of the main side effects of antidepressants and have not been proven safe.

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Reference source: Webmd.com; Pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov