Dizziness when smoking: why does it occur?

Have you just started smoking and feel dizzy when smoking? Have you ever wondered why it happens? This has a lot to do with the effect that tobacco has on the respiratory system, but also with other physiological effects that we will go through.

People who have just started smoking are more likely to feel this dizziness, as well as people who stop cold turkey (and face withdrawal syndrome) and those who have an underlying respiratory disease. Do you want to delve into the causes of dizziness when smoking? We tell you everything!

The effects of nicotine

Nicotine is an organic compound, an alkaloid found in the tobacco plant. (the call Nicotiana tabacum). This substance generates a great physical and psychological dependence. Furthermore, it is a highly toxic substance; Along these lines, the World Health Organization has declared that frequent tobacco consumption is one of the leading global causes of disability and premature death.

At low doses, nicotine generates an increase in cholinergic activity, thus causing an increase in the level of activation and alertness (hence it is classified as a psychostimulant drug). Raising the dose generates sensations of pleasure, since it helps activate the limbic system through the synthesis of dopamine.

Due to these processes, Many regular smokers find that tobacco “relaxes” them, and they tend to smoke more when they are nervous.. However, there are experts who claim that this is due to the deep breaths we take when smoking and not to the substance itself.

Why do we feel dizzy when smoking?

Dizziness in people who smoke is quite common, especially in those who start. It is also common in people who have stopped smoking a long time ago and who relapse, and in people who stop smoking radically.

As we see, the causes of these dizziness are diverse. Below we detail the most common ones.

1. Lack of oxygen

On the one hand, we must keep in mind that smoking involves repeatedly inhaling a substance that enters the lungs directly. In addition, this substance is toxic and irritable, and makes it difficult for the respiratory system to function optimally. Specifically, What it does is make it difficult for the respiratory system to send sufficient oxygen to the brain.. Thus, the reason you feel dizzy when smoking has to do, in large part, with a lack of oxygen.

On the other hand, nicotine has a vasoconstrictive effect, and its immediate effect results in the compression of blood vessels. Thus, the blood moves at a higher speed than usual, which can cause hypertension.

2. Intoxication and other substances

Another reason why we feel dizzy when smoking is due to possible poisoning., in the event that the substance consumed is excessive and the body cannot tolerate it. Furthermore, when we consume other substances along with tobacco, dizziness can intensify (for example, when consuming alcohol, a very common practice).

This happens, in many cases, due to the interaction between tobacco and the other toxic substance. In this sense, we must think that the body is accustomed to a certain internal balance and, when substances are introduced into it, this balance is altered, which results in dizziness and other symptoms.

3. Lung diseases

People who suffer from lung disease, Even if they smoke regularly, they may also feel this dizziness when doing so. This is directly related to the damage that the respiratory system receives every time we inhale and exhale this substance that is toxic to our lungs.

4. Genetics

For its part, studies have proven that the genetics of the individual -specifically the neuronal nicotinic receptor (CHRN) genes-, It has been associated with a variety of smoking-related behaviors. The most important are: the subjective response to tobacco during early experimentation, the number of cigarettes per day, nicotine dependence, as well as the experience of “dizziness” from the first cigarettes, among others.

5. Nicotine withdrawal

On the other hand, people who have smoked for a long time and have acquired tolerance to the nicotinic substance, When they stop abruptly, they can suffer withdrawal symptoms. And among the symptoms of this syndrome we find dizziness.

This is related, as we have already been indicating, to the imbalance of the body, which is accustomed to something that we suddenly take away from it. Changes also occur at the brain level: as in any withdrawal syndrome, the brain becomes accustomed to a substance that it suddenly “needs” to function. In this way, if we deny it, it reacts with dizziness and other symptoms typical of the syndrome, such as:

Physiological symptoms: decreased heart rate, increased peripheral circulation, weight gain, decreased adrenaline, sleep disorders, etc.Mood symptoms: irritability, anger, anxiety, depression or hostility.Other symptoms: drowsiness, restlessness, cravingconcentration difficulties, headache, among others.

Final thoughts

We have seen some of the causes that explain why we feel dizzy when smoking, although at a physiological and biochemical level even more phenomena related to these dizziness occur. At a generic level, yes, we can say that when smoking, the brain fights to get the oxygen it needs and that tobacco “retracts” from it. On the other hand, dizziness also appears due to an overload of smoke in the lungs.

And finally, other phenomena related to these dizziness are: an increase in the release of dopamine (remember that nicotine is a psychostimulant substance) and an increase in blood pressure that narrows the blood vessels, among many others.

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