888-765-5400NICOTINE ADDICTION
QUIT SMOKING – YOUR HEALTH COVERAGE THROUGH BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF NC (BCBSNC) CAN BE RATED AS MUCH AS 30% HIGHER IF YOU SMOKE. IF YOU QUIT SMOKING, NOT ONLY DO YOU GAIN THE HEALTH BENEFITS, BUT YOU ALSO PAY LOWER HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS. Call our agency for more details about healthy lifestyle discounts and how to reduce your premiums – 888-765-5400. The following article on Nicotine Addition came from a a post from the American Heart Association.
Nicotine Addiction
- Cigarettes and other forms of tobacco are addicting.
- Nicotine is the drug that causes addiction.
- Pharmacological and behavioral characteristics that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine.
What else does nicotine do to the body? When a person smokes a cigarette, the body responds immediately to the chemical nicotine in the smoke. Nicotine causes a short-term increase in blood pressure, heart rate and the flow of blood from the heart. It also causes the arteries to narrow. The smoke includes carbon monoxide, which reduces the amount of oxygen the blood can carry. This, combined with the nicotine effects, creates an imbalance between the demand for oxygen by the cells and the amount of oxygen the blood can supply.
How does nicotine in cigarettes increase the risk of heart attack?Cigarette smoking may increase the risk of developing hardening of the arteries and heart attacks in several ways. First, carbon monoxide may damage the inner walls of the arteries, encouraging fatty buildups in them. Over time, this causes the vessels to narrow and harden. Nicotine may also contribute to this process. Smoking also causes several changes in the blood that make clots — and heart attack — more likely.
What are the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal?
- irritability
- impatience
- hostility
- anxiety
- depressed mood
- difficulty concentrating
- restlessness
- decreased heart rate
- increased appetite or weight gain
How long does nicotine stay in the body? From 85–90 percent of nicotine in the blood is metabolized by the liver and excreted from the kidney rapidly. The estimated half-life for nicotine in the blood is two hours. However, smoking represents a multiple dosing situation with considerable accumulation during smoking. Therefore, it can be expected that blood nicotine would persist at significant levels for six to eight hours after smoking stopped.
Content source is from the American Heart Association
For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.