Tobacco is a substance that affects the nervous system. But few people know that nicotine is a carcinogen. In case of poisoning with this dangerous substance, the narrowing of arterial vessels occurs, their clearance decreases.
The smoker suffers from a sore throat and oral mucosa. With systematic poisoning, a heart muscle disease most often manifests itself. Poisoning with a psychotropic substance is also characterized by the development of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, oxygen starvation, degeneration of tissues in organs.
Causes of poisoning
The nicotine reaction begins with the decay of the poison in the body. Not only a smoker can suffer from poisoning. The substance enters even through the skin of non-smokers. But most often, the symptom manifests itself in those who use tobacco in large quantities.
If nicotine poisoning has occurred, treatment should take place promptly and efficiently, because this substance negatively affects the nerves and the brain. A long-time smoker does not feel the negative effect of inhaled smoke due to the fact that the poisons contained in a cigarette burn quickly. But a certain number of them can settle on the mucous membranes, in the upper respiratory tract. The main signs of acute nicotine poisoning begin to appear - pallor of the skin and dizziness. Patients who have suffered this condition need treatment and urgent preventive therapy, but it is prescribed only by a doctor.
What could be caused?
Often, signs of nicotine poisoning appear in a child. This is due to the carelessness of the parent who keeps cigarettes in an accessible place. A small child explores any new and unknown object, tasting it. He is quite capable of swallowing part of the cigarette. In this case, the symptom will appear immediately and can lead to very serious consequences, up to the point that the child can be diagnosed with acute nicotine poisoning. To treat the baby, you need to contact the inpatient department of the nearest hospital as soon as possible.
A passive smoker can also feel the manifestation of the disease. Especially if, due to certain circumstances, for example, while at work, he is forced to go to a designated smoking area. And there, as a rule, there is a stench.
For the first time, nicotine poisoning was detected among specialists working in tobacco factories. The cause of the poisoning was tobacco dust, which covered the skin and penetrated into the body through the respiratory tract. Today, many factories work in a special suit and a respirator.
You can diagnose the poisoning of the body with nicotine poisons by passing a blood test.
Symptoms of nicotine poisoning
Doctors see many patients who panic if they think about the effects of drugs on their bodies. And only some patients think about the dangers of smoked tobacco products. And they agree that the resulting nicotine poisoning should be treated as soon as possible. In practice, there are several ways to provide assistance, but the most common of them are the use of procedures to expand arteries or vasodilators. In both cases, the body receives substances that increase blood flow, which favorably affects the condition of a person as a whole.
Vasoconstriction (narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels) is an antonym of vasodilation. Caused by cold or certain medicines. Tobacco is also known for its vasoconstrictive properties. They can reduce blood flow, which makes the problem chronic.
Nicotine poisoning, the symptoms of which are important to know, causing a narrowing of the arteries, contributes to the formation of blood clots. In addition, a person, inhaling tobacco smoke every forty minutes, keeps the arteries in a spasmodic state. The peripheral arteries on the legs are particularly sensitive. Every seventh smoker develops endarteritis.
Heart disease - a sign of tobacco poisoning
Scientists have found that smokers suffer most from angina pectoris. When nicotine poisoning occurs, the symptoms of angina are expressed in increased intracranial pressure and an increase in the load on the heart muscle. In such cases, the likelihood of ischemia is very high. A person may feel chest pressure and sharp pains. When diagnosing, it is necessary to exclude nicotine poisoning.
It is known that smoke in the body after a week becomes active and reaches the brain membrane, affecting two nervous systems: the central and peripheral, which regulate the work of many organs and systems.
Further reactions of the human body are difficult to predict. There is a dependence on the doses and tolerance of this substance, so the reactions can be different. Intoxication in small doses often occurs in a novice smoker. Nicotine poisoning in large quantities - for those who have tobacco users with experience.
Forms of acute poisoning
There are two forms:
- Easy. It is characterized by increased salivation, nausea, a frequent pulse, an unpleasant sensation in the head, noise, fatigue. All of this can lead to nausea and an upset gastrointestinal tract. In general, symptoms of acute nicotine poisoning persist for up to two days.
- Heavy. It is caused by the use of tobacco in large quantities in a short period of time, which causes severe poisoning. This overdose can lead to intoxication, accompanied by nausea, decreased clarity of vision, hearing impairment (noise).
Most worrying about the following: dizziness, interruptions in heart rate, pupils of the eyes change. Some have cramps, shortness of breath, and even seizures.
Chronic poisoning often occurs in those who smoke tobacco for a long time and smoke more than one pack per day. The dose at which intoxication begins can be different for any person.
The lethal dose is from forty to eighty milligrams of nicotine, which was taken at a time.
What should be done first?
Poisoning with alcohol and nicotine - these are two types of intoxication, which should be provided with quick treatment from the addiction clinic. This service is withdrawn from the outpatient care system, so it is better to contact the ambulance or specialized hospital directly. What measures can you take yourself? Before the arrival of specialists, first aid should be provided for nicotine poisoning:
- If possible, you must open a window in the room.
- In case of loss of consciousness - bring cotton wool moistened with ammonia to the nose.
- Make a weak saline solution and rinse the stomach.
- Serve the poisoned enterosorbent (activated carbon, Smecta, Polyphepan).
- Prepare water. The victim must drink plenty of fluids for a sufficiently short period of time.
- Ensure that the victim is calm, lay on the bed, preferably on the side (to prevent choking when the vomit is released).
If a life-threatening condition occurs, it is urgent to call an ambulance, indicating a symptom of poisoning. If the victim lost consciousness, it must be laid on one knee sideways.
If a violation of cardiac activity has occurred - the pulse is not felt or if the pupil does not react to the light - the following procedures are required quickly: indirect heart massage in combination with artificial respiration.
What else can smokers get?
Remember! The longer and more regular smoking occurs, the faster it leads to the development of chronic diseases. First, there is a failure in the nervous and cardiovascular system from prolonged hypoxia - insufficient oxygen gas supply. From this, neurosis, hallucinations, sharp mood swings, increased blood pressure up to the development of chronic hypertension and stroke develop.
Very often, victims complain of a frequent pulse (tachycardia), palpitations (strong tremors). There is a risk of developing myocardial infarction, varicose vascular wall. In addition to all this, a heavy smoker has a large number of cases of lung disease.
Pulmonary pathology
The most common pathology is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). With it, an irreversible restriction of the flow of air into the lower respiratory tract is possible. This pathology does not allow the patient to take a “full breath”. In the morning, coughing is possible, and shortness of breath does not leave even in a normal state of rest, without physical exertion.
You need to remember: if you start using tobacco, there is a risk that nicotine poisoning will begin. Maybe the problem did not affect the reader, but it is important to listen to the following statement: “Do not expose yourself to danger and get rid of cigarettes and other tobacco products in time so that there is no shortness of breath and other serious pathologies.”
How to treat poisoning?
In cases where nicotine poisoning is suspected, symptoms and treatment should be interrelated. Mistakes can lead to dire consequences, and valuable time will be lost. After determining the diagnosis in question, a gastrointestinal lavage is mandatory. Then the patient is prescribed active sorbents that remove the main toxin from the body.
When the patient's condition improves, the doctor must evaluate the consequences of poisoning. They may be different. Any organs can suffer from toxic substances, but the nervous system is at greatest risk.
Smokers need to once again think about how to give up a bad habit as soon as possible and how dangerous nicotine poisoning is. The help of doctors in some cases may be powerless.