Smoking is bad. This is probably one of the most memorable lessons you’ll get from your family and friends. You may have probably sworn never to light a cigarette and never be addicted to it. However, as you grow older and as you expose yourself to different types of lifestyles, you end up finding yourself buying a pack every single day.

This can be a challenging vice to quit, and there will also be repercussions for doing it. Yes, smoking is already bad for your health, but the aftermath of it is a lot harder to escape. It’s not like its impact will stop the moment you decide to quit this habit.

10 Bad effects of nicotine on your health

If you are not decided yet, let us help you understand why you should consider quitting this bad habit. Cigarettes contain nicotine that can be harmful to your health. It is one of the reasons why you are required to have a nicotine prescription in Australia before you’re allowed to smoke or vape in the country. Let’s take a look at this list of the effects of nicotine on your health.

It develops bad addiction.

How many times have you sworn that it’s going to be your last cigarette but ended up lighting another one? It happens because nicotine can be really addicting. It has natural compounds that would make you want to take it again and again. And since nicotine is bad for your body, lighting more and more can cause a lot of damage to your body.

Also Read: There Are 6 Better Alternatives for Smokers Than Ever Before

You’ll have difficulty sleeping.

Nicotine also affects your sleeping habit. Because of the eagerness and giddiness of your heartbeat, your body will be too energetic to go to sleep. This can happen even after hours of smoking. 

It can ruin your appetite.

Some people experience a loss of appetite whenever they smoke. However, for some, it somehow boosts it. Regular smoking can do both with your body. It ruins your appetite because nicotine conflicts with other nutrients in your body. This can also result in eating too much, but your body will not really get all the nutrients and vitamins you intake.

Also Read: 6 Benefits of Vaping As Compared To Smoking

You’ll have problems concentrating.

In layman’s terms, nicotine energizes every part of your body. It makes every inch of it active, which makes it harder for you, as a smoker, to focus. Some people think that smoking helps them focus, but it’s actually the contrary. It only makes their body feel a different thing which distracts their mind from worrying.

It’s bad for your heart, too.

Nicotine interrupts the usual blood flow of your body. This is one of the reasons why you’ll experience sudden faster heartbeats when smoking. It makes you feel agitated and giddy. This particular experience is extremely bad for your heart. These irregular beats can cause negative effects on your heart in the long run.

You can have reproductive health issues.

If you are aiming to have kids, you should stop smoking now. Simply because nicotine reduces the oxygen in our body, it makes it difficult for your reproductive system to produce healthier cells. Aside from pregnancy issues, it can also trigger early menopausal stages for women and erectile dysfunction for men.

It makes you lose your hair.

It is already established that nicotine disrupts the natural flow of vitamins and nutrients in our bodies. This also includes the development of your hair. There are studies that link patterned-baldness to smoking nicotine. The nutrients that are supposedly needed by your scalp to make your hair healthy are sucked by nicotine.

You have a high chance of lung cancer.

It’s already given that lung cancer is the ultimate effect of smoking. However, this will not come as cancer right away. Nicotine can cause bronchitis in its early stages which will eventually evolve into cancer. It’s not a good experience to be coughing your entire life, right?

It gives you bad breath.

Halitosis is one of the most common impacts of nicotine. Simply because as you smoke, you develop plaque in your gums that cannot be easily removed by brushing or flossing. In time, this plaque build-up can cause bad breath and may be harder to cure. Unless you go to the dentist daily for deep cleaning, it’s ideal to stop smoking to have fresher breath.

You’ll have a weak immune system.

The overall effect of nicotine is basically weakening your immune system. It negates all the nutrients and vitamins you intake. As a result, you can be prone to a lot of sicknesses and illnesses. This can also easily expose you to other viruses that are not related to smoking. Hence, it makes you more vulnerable. Even after you have stopped smoking for a long time, the remnants of nicotine in your body can still impact the development of healthier cells. That’s why it’s best to stop its intake as early as possible.

There’s no better time than now. If you are reading this article, this is your sign to quit that habit and slowly step into a healthier life. If you cannot do it cold turkey, it’s best to start by swapping your cigarette with a vape prescription. Through that, you can slowly see yourself stepping away from nicotine dependency.