Nicotine Addiction Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
The habit of smoking is harmful to the body, partly because it can cause addiction to nicotine, a toxic substance in tobacco.
When someone consumes tobacco, the brain releases dopamine, a chemical that makes you feel happy. For this reason, consuming tobacco makes the body and mind feel happy temporarily.
In addition, nicotine also has the effect of reducing anxiety, making you comfortable, increasing concentration, and reducing appetite.
Unfortunately, these substances can be addictive and even have the risk of triggering various health problems in the future.
Some complications from consuming tobacco include lung cancer, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, leukemia, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory infections, dental and oral diseases, and also premature aging.
The habit of consuming tobacco can also cause infertility, impotence, miscarriage, and pregnancy complications.
Nicotine Addiction
| Medical specialist | psyche |
| Symptoms | Cannot stop using tobacco, experience withdrawal symptoms, continue to use nicotine even though there are complications, use nicotine even though it has many negative effects |
| risk factor | Age, genetics, mental disorders, environment, drug and alcohol abuse |
| diagnosis | The complete interview, physical examination, complete blood count |
| Treatment | Medications, nicotine replacement therapy, lifestyle changes, hypnosis, acupuncture, essential oils |
| Drug | Antidepressant |
| Complications | Diseases of the respiratory tract, decreased immune system, diabetes, heart, and blood vessels, cancer, infertility, impotence |
| When to see a doctor? | Find it hard to get away from nicotine |
Symptoms
Symptoms of nicotine addiction include:
- Can’t stop using tobacco products
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop using nicotine, such as irritability, and anxiety, as well as physical symptoms such as headaches and fatigue
- Have a desire to use nicotine even though you have experienced health complications or a negative impact on your life
- Avoid smoking-free environments
If the patient cannot smoke for some time, the following symptoms will appear:
- Anxious
- Nervous
- Insomnia
- Get angry easily
- Difficulty concentrating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
Reason
The cause of nicotine addiction is usually triggered by tobacco smoking. Cigarette smoke that enters the lungs then releases nicotine into the brain and into the blood.
Furthermore, nicotine will increase and release the chemical dopamine in the brain. This substance triggers an increase in mood, a sense of well-being, and pleasure. The effect is what makes addiction.
Nicotine addiction can be physical, mental, and behavioral. Physical addiction makes a person want to consume these substances.
Meanwhile, mental addiction makes the person want to feel again the “pleasant” effects of nicotine.
Behavioral addiction makes a person dependent on and accustomed to tobacco use behavior, such as after eating or when stressed.
Risk Factors
Anyone who uses nicotine is potentially addicted. However, there are several factors that can increase the risk, such as:
Age
The younger a person smokes, the more likely they are to experience nicotine addiction as adults.
Genetic
Genetic factors can affect brain receptors to respond to the brain in high doses so that the possibility of addiction will be great.
Mental disorders
There are many studies linking mental disorders with smoking habits to becoming addicted to nicotine.
Environment
The environment around the house that is surrounded by people who smoke will influence children from childhood to nicotine.
Drug and Alcohol abuse
People who have experienced drug and alcohol abuse will also be associated with smoking habits.
Diagnosis
Doctors can usually suspect nicotine addiction from symptoms and a detailed medical interview. The doctor will find out how severe the level of addiction is.
Usually, no investigation is needed to establish the diagnosis of nicotine addiction.
However, it is important to carry out a complete and supporting examination to find out whether health complications have occurred in sufferers.
Treatment
Treating nicotine addiction is a challenge because it is not easy. Sufferers must have a strong desire to stop consuming nicotine and change habits and behavior.
The best therapy for nicotine addiction is a combination of the following therapies:
Drugs
Drugs that can be used are antidepressants. These drugs can improve the patient’s mood.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Nicotine replacement therapy can slowly reduce the symptoms of addiction. Replacement
Nicotine is available as patches, gum, lozenges, nasal sprays, or inhalers
Support Group
Support groups in person or virtually are important to support sufferers’ intentions to quit smoking.
Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle changes are also important in trying to be nicotine free.
For example, exercising regularly, throwing away all tobacco products, consuming snacks to eliminate the desire to consume nicotine, avoiding being close to other smokers, and eating healthy foods.
Alternative Therapy
There are several other alternative options, such as hypnosis, acupuncture, herbs, and essential oils.
Prevention
The way to prevent nicotine addiction is to avoid its main trigger, namely cigarettes.
Divert the desire to smoke by doing positive habits, such as exercising, doing hobbies, and others.
Complications
Exposure to nicotine continuously and in high doses can certainly damage the body’s organs over time. This is because in nicotine there are 60 types of chemicals that are harmful to the body.
Here are some complications that can occur in the body when addicted to nicotine:
- Respiratory tract infections, including infections, are prone to colds and coughs and are at risk of suffering from chronic lung disease as they get older
- Decreased immunity
- Type 2 diabetes and are prone to complications from diabetes that attack various organs in the body
- Diseases of the heart and blood vessels
- Infertility and impotence
- More at risk of various types of cancer. Smoking is the cause of 30 percent of all cancer deaths, including cancer of the mouth and esophagus, laryngeal cancer, pharyngeal cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, cervical cancer, and blood cancer.
When to See a Doctor?
If the sufferer already feels the symptoms of nicotine and cigarette addiction and can’t get rid of it with self-help, immediately consult a doctor.