It is a well known fact by now that smoking is very bad for health and that it causes a number of undesirable changes in the body immediately as well as in the long run. The most well known effect is that it causes various types of cancer as well as emphysema and other lung disorders.
But other than these very well known effects, there are some other effects smoking has on the body, almost immediately after an individual smokes. It brings about changes in the blood pressure almost as soon as the individual smokes.
Why does smoking cause a rise in blood pressure?
Cigarettes contain tobacco and the main chemical in tobacco is nicotine. Other than being highly addictive, nicotine has some very drastic effects on the body. This is also the chemical which affects changes in blood pressure of the smoker.
Nicotine stimulates the adrenal glands as soon as it enters the body. This causes the glands to release epinephrine, more commonly known as adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone that causes the body to be in an excited and active state. It does so by constricting or narrowing blood vessels all over the body.
Because blood vessels get constricted, there is lesser blood flowing through them and therefore lesser oxygen and nutrients reaching the various parts of the body. To make up for this loss, the heart starts pumping blood faster and harder in order that cells and body tissues are not deprived of any oxygen or nutrients.
This leads to an increase in not just blood pressure but heart rate as well. This happens every time nicotine enters the body. For a regular smoker, therefore, this happens very frequently. If this continues for a long time, it leads to a more chronic condition called high blood pressure or hypertension, which is a serious disease affecting the circulatory system. It causes permanent narrowing and hardening of blood vessels and can even be fatal if proper care is not taken.
It is therefore advisable to smoking addicts to quit smoking immediately. The longer an individual smokes, the greater the risk of hypertension and heart diseases. It is best to rid yourself of this addiction as soon as possible to prevent further damage to the body and lead a healthy life.
