Some smokers intentionally inspire themselves with information that cigarettes contain exclusively plant material. They prefer not to take into account the fact that in fact their smoke does irreparable harm to the body. The main danger is nicotine. To verify its detrimental effect, as well as determine the lethal dose of nicotine, it is necessary to analyze the composition of this substance and determine the level of toxicity.
Nicotine determination
Tobacco is the most common herb, which in itself does not harm humans. However, when she smokes, tobacco smoke appears, which contains many harmful elements. They cause irreparable damage to the human body. One of the most dangerous substances in tobacco smoke is nicotine. It is a real addictive drug. The lethal dose of nicotine for humans (in mg) varies from 50 to 100 milligrams. This plant poison can cause a lot of harm to the body. Nicotine affects the bronchi, lungs, esophagus, stomach, liver and kidneys. Due to smoking, the risk of developing malignant tumors increases. The longer the smoker experience, the more he is susceptible to this disease.
Chemical properties of nicotine
None of the cigarette companies make pure tobacco. If the only component of the cigarettes were clean, dried tobacco, they would not be able to smolder on their own. In this case, the cigarette would burn quickly, like dry grass. It is the complex chemical composition that makes it burn very slowly, while releasing nicotine and other harmful substances. Because of this, the smoking process can stretch for a long time, giving this person a fake sense of pleasure and enjoyment.
In its chemical composition, nicotine belongs to the group of alkaloids. This substance is composed of nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon. Its main form is easily mixed with water and practically equal to it in density. In nicotine, it has a mark of 1.01 g / cm 3 . In its structure, it is a transparent liquid of an oily consistency. It has a bitter taste and an unpleasant odor. The nicotine molecule contains pyridines and pyrrolidines. Therefore, when reacted with an acid, this substance forms salt compounds.
Nicotine toxicity
This substance belongs to the category of nerve poisons. It is nicotine that makes a person highly addicted to cigarettes. Penetrating into the body along with tobacco smoke, it settles in the kidneys, lungs and liver. The destruction of this substance occurs in the same place. Decay products after this are partially excreted (this process lasts 15 hours). A lethal dose of nicotine is considered to be 50-100 mg of the active substance. Much depends on a person’s weight and state of health. If you take drops into account, then for a fatal outcome, only 2 or 3 small drops are enough. This dosage penetrates the circulatory system after smoking 25 cigarettes. A person can smoke so many cigarettes in a few hours. There will be general malaise, nausea, headache. However, this condition will not lead to death. This is explained by the fact that a lethal dose of nicotine in this case will be introduced gradually.
Poisoning the body
Few smokers know exactly how nicotine acts on the body immediately after it enters the respiratory system and blood. Each smoker notes that after the first days of smoking he has a feeling of euphoria and pleasant relief from another cigarette. However, after only a few weeks, there remains only a strong desire to smoke, which is more like breaking. In fact, this is the real drug breakdown. A lethal dose of nicotine in cigarettes can lead to severe poisoning, as well as mental distress. A person no longer experiences the pleasure of cigarettes, they are disgusting and unpleasant to him, but the dependence becomes so deep that a smoker can unknowingly smoke even a lethal dose of poison.
The effect of nicotine on the nervous system
All internal life support systems of the body suffer from the effects of nicotine. The smoker's nervous system is constantly excited due to the harmful effects of cigarette smoke. A lethal dose of nicotine for humans can lead to severe intoxication. There is a spasm of the cerebral vessels, which interferes with the normal flow of blood. The oxygen necessary to maintain active brain activity also begins to flow in much smaller quantities.
Even those small doses of it that manage to seep through the decomposition products of nicotine are not fully consumed by brain cells. Because of this, the smoker's mental abilities are significantly reduced, memory is deteriorating, and the will is also weakening. In addition, a person becomes irritated, aggressive, overly emotional. People who have such a addiction rarely get enough sleep due to frequent bouts of insomnia, and suffer from periodic headaches. That is why everyone should know what lethal dose of nicotine can greatly harm the body or even lead to death.
Nicotine and the respiratory system
Since it is through the respiratory system that tobacco smoke enters the human body, the entire respiratory system suffers from this. Nicotine, as well as many other harmful substances affect the oral cavity, nose, larynx, trachea and bronchi. Their mucous membranes are irritated by this poison. This process affects the development of chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract, so smokers more often than other people suffer from infectious diseases, colds and tonsillitis.
Even twenty minutes of smoking inhibits the action of eyelashes, which envelop the mucous membrane. These small cilia flicker very quickly, expelling harmful substances that enter the body from the outside by this process. Long smoking irritates the vocal cords and narrows the glottis, which, in turn, changes the timbre of the voice. It ceases to be sonorous, clear and beautifully sounding. That is why the smoker is quite easy to distinguish by a hoarse and hissing voice.
Another sign of a smoker is coughing. It is especially pronounced in the morning. In this case, dark and thick mucus may be released from the mouth. It is also considered a sign of respiratory tract damage. Coughing attacks are invariably accompanied by shortness of breath, panting, and a feeling of lack of air. Some smokers believe that knowing about the lethal dose of nicotine (in mg), they prevent the possible harmful effects of tobacco. However, irreparable harm to the body even causes the use of several cigarettes per day.
Symptoms and effects of nicotine
Basically, people start smoking for company or because of boredom and stress. However, the nicotine contained in cigarettes only temporarily eliminates unpleasant emotions. In this case, an additional irreparable blow is inflicted on the body. In addition to the harm that occurs from experienced stressful situations, the aggressive effect of nicotine on all internal organs is added to it. A person becomes even more irritable and gloomy, and various respiratory diseases that inevitably accompany every smoker are added to emotional stress.
Minute weakness and craving for a cigarette can be very addictive, which is not so easy to get rid of in the future. This dependence can lead to the use of a lethal dose of nicotine. Fortunately, it will be almost impossible to die from it, due to the gradual distribution of poison in the body.
When nicotine penetrates, its toxins affect brain activity, and this provokes a feeling of euphoria. This symptom is the most important sign of addiction. It is very important to identify the danger in time and stop smoking cigarettes. Other symptoms can also include the following sensations:
- increased irritability;
- slight burning in the throat;
- hearing loss;
- the appearance of tinnitus;
- feeling of lack of air in the lungs.
What happens to the body while smoking?
Having ascertained what lethal dose of nicotine is for a person, as well as determining its effect on all vital systems of the body, it is necessary to highlight what happens immediately after smoking the first cigarette.
It is not necessary to smoke for many years to nicotine harm the nervous system, stomach, as well as the respiratory tract and other internal organs. Just one smoked cigarette starts the following process in the body:
- After the first inhalation, tobacco smoke enters the respiratory system, and then enters the bloodstream.
- First of all, the heart reacts to the ingress of nicotine, starting to beat more often.
- Heart rate appears due to narrowing of the walls of blood vessels, which also affect the increase in pressure.
- From the fact that the heart begins to work several times faster, the heart muscle is very stressed, which is not the best way affects its condition.
From the above, we can conclude that nicotine affects not only the nervous and respiratory systems, but also the most important organ of the human body - the heart.