WHY DO I GET DIZZY WHEN I SMOKE? - ARTE - 2025

Feeling dizzy when you first smoke is not unusual; in fact it is normal to have even other symptoms such as nausea. In general, cigarettes contain a large amount of toxic substances that quickly enter our body, producing various harmful effects on it.

Cigarettes contain leaves of the tobacco plant. This is dried and fermented before being placed in them. In addition to other harmful chemicals, tobacco carries nicotine, a substance that can lead to strong addiction. That is why there are so many smokers who have serious difficulties in quitting this habit.

Smoking tobacco is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. Although it has also been linked to other health problems such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, coronary heart disease and stroke.

But if you are smoking for the first time or because you do not smoke every day, it is common to feel dizzy with cigarettes. Interestingly, smokers during periods of abstinence or "mono" from tobacco can also experience dizziness. Although in the latter, dizziness can be longer lasting.

In this article I explain how your body reacts to tobacco and why you get dizzy when you smoke, as well as ways to prevent this from happening.

Reasons why you get dizzy when you smoke

Nicotine

Nicotine is naturally present in the tobacco plant. It is a stimulating substance, that is, it increases the activity of some body functions.

It is one of the most addictive drugs that exist today, comparing its addiction with that caused by cocaine or heroin.

Nicotine is responsible for addiction to tobacco, and is what causes most of the dizziness. When smoked, this substance enters the bloodstream through the lining of the lungs. It takes 7-10 seconds to reach the brain.

Once it enters the blood, nicotine immediately stimulates the adrenal glands. These glands consist of two small organs located just above the kidneys. They serve to produce hormones that maintain proper body function. For example, they mediate sexual development and responses to stress.

By stimulating these glands, they release epinephrine (adrenaline). This hormone is the same that we secrete when we prepare to give fight or flight responses.

When it enters the central nervous system, adrenaline increases blood pressure by narrowing the blood vessels. In addition, it increases the respiratory and heart rate.

Like cocaine and heroin, nicotine also increases the release of dopamine. This neurotransmitter stimulates the brain centers responsible for the sensation of pleasure and reward.

On the other hand, other chemicals in tobacco smoke can further enhance the effects of nicotine on our brain. One of them appears to be acetaldehyde.

Another noted effect of nicotine is that it delays the release of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that is responsible for eliminating excess sugar in the blood and serves to keep the sugar levels in our body balanced.

When the pancreas fails and does not release enough insulin, glucose (sugar) levels rise in the blood. This is what happens in some types of diabetes with very dangerous health consequences.

So the first few times you smoke, the nicotine prevents insulin from being released as it should. Which results in a feeling of lack of appetite, nausea, and of course, dizziness.

Dizziness may be due to the rapid increase in heart rate and respiration that comes from low insulin release. Therefore, when a smoker quits tobacco, an important withdrawal symptom is an increased appetite.

This is due to the hypoglycemia that the body suffers when abandoning the consumption of nicotine when it has already adapted to it. In this case, the drop in sugar levels also causes mild dizziness.

Nicotinic receptor stimulation

In our body there are nicotine receptors. When we smoke for the first time, nicotine enters in large amounts and binds excessively to these receptors in a lasting way.

That is why you may feel a “big butt” or “high” after smoking, which leads to dizziness when you are not used to it.

Carbon monoxide

Tobacco smoke also contains carbon monoxide. This substance, like nicotine, lowers oxygen levels in the blood. Producing as a consequence that our brain does not receive enough oxygen.

This is because carbon monoxide molecules bind to hemoglobin that circulates inside red blood cells. Since these have more affinity with hemoglobin than oxygen. Therefore, once united, they do not separate easily.

The result is a hypoxia or reduction of oxygen in the blood that leads to dizziness, tiredness and even fainting.

These symptoms will depend on the amount of tobacco that we have smoked in a specific period of time and how accustomed we are to smoking. As we breathe in oxygen again, the dizziness disappears.

While, the prolonged periods of dizziness that usually occur in the "monkey" phase, are mainly due to the effects of nicotine in our brain.

Effects on the lungs

Dizziness also comes from the overload of smoke in our lungs. These fill with carbon and other particles that prevent oxygen from flowing freely through the bronchioles and blood.

Finally, the smoke causes us to feel weak, suffocating, and dizzy. Since our brain is struggling to get the oxygen it needs.

This also occurs with high amounts of nicotine, although its half-life is very short and these effects do not last long.

Furthermore, not only cigarette smoking causes oxygen starvation. The same happens with other ways of smoking such as traditional pipes or water pipes (hookahs or hookahs).

The way of smoking

Dizziness is also affected by the way the person smokes. This means the amount of nicotine that enters the body in a certain period of time.

Nicotine is absorbed into the blood through the lining of the mouth and lungs, reaching the brain in a few seconds. If they take more frequent and deep puffs, the amount of nicotine that reaches the body at once is greater.

How long does the dizziness produced by smoking last?

The symptoms produced by poisoning with smoke or nicotine depend on each person, their use of tobacco and the sensitivity of their body. In some cases, people may become nauseated and vomit.

In general, dizziness tends to go away quickly depending on the amount of tobacco smoked. It usually goes away in a few minutes to a few hours.

Dizziness when smoking and genes

Genes have apparently been found to be associated with a wide variety of behaviors associated with smoking.

These genes mediate the development of nicotinic receptors in the neurons of our body. In a study by Ehringer et al. (2011), relationships were found between the dizziness response to smoking and 226 SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) in the neuronal nicotinic receptor genes.

SNPs are variations in DNA sequences that involve a single base in the genome sequence. These variations have to occur in at least 1% of the population for us to speak of a SNP. Since, if it is less than 1%, it would be considered a mutation.

The study sample consisted of 789 people dependent on nicotine and 811 people without this addiction. Those who reported dizziness when smoking were found to be significantly in the non-addicted group.

Specifically, multiple SNPs in a region of the CHRNB3 gene (which is involved in the development of neuronal nicotinic receptors), were associated with the experience of dizziness when smoking the first cigarettes.

What form of tobacco is least harmful?

Industrial cigarettes, rolling cigarettes and other forms of tobacco have a content of nicotine and chemical substances that vary widely between them. So perhaps not all produce the same dizziness response.

An industrial cigarette carries approximately 0.50 to 0.90 grams of tobacco. It can thus contain between 13.79 and 22.68 milligrams of nicotine per gram of tobacco.

On the other hand, a cigar can include up to 21.5 grams of tobacco. Its nicotine content ranges between 6.3 and 15.6 milligrams per gram of tobacco. That is, between 5.9 and 335.2 per pure.

Other tobacco products are also harmful and addictive, although they do not produce the same feeling of dizziness. For example, chewing tobacco causes addiction and mouth cancer. Pipes also increase the risk of lung, mouth, throat, larynx and esophagus cancers.

While water pipes, hookahs or shishas, ​​contrary to what may be believed, produce effects that are just as toxic as cigarette smoke.

Bidis cigarettes, of Indian origin, have even more nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide than traditional cigarettes. They are also associated with cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, and lung. As well as heart attacks.

The same is true of the Kreteks, Indonesian-made cigars made from tobacco and cloves.

Can you overdose on nicotine?

We must not forget that nicotine is a toxic substance, and although it is strange, it is possible to overdose.

This occurs when we suddenly take in too much of a substance that is poisonous to our body. And it leads to damaging symptoms that can be serious and even lead to death.

However, nicotine has a short half-life and is eliminated quickly, making it difficult for this overdose to occur.

Typically the few cases are seen in young children who accidentally swallow nicotine gum, e-cigarette liquids, or handle nicotine patches to quit smoking.

They have also occurred in adults filling e-cigarette cartridges without gloves, or smoking a lot in a short time if they are not used to it.

Symptoms of a nicotine overdose include trouble breathing, dizziness, fainting, headache, weakness, and a fast or slow heartbeat.

Other symptoms are salivation, abdominal pain, and nausea. This happens because the body wants to get rid of toxic substances in some way, preparing the body to expel them.

If you ever observe such symptoms in someone who has used nicotine or yourself, it is best to discontinue use and seek medical attention.

In certain cases, a tube will be inserted at the medical center to perform a stomach lavage. They can also use activated charcoal to keep the body from absorbing more nicotine.

What to do to eliminate dizziness?

Once you are experiencing dizziness from tobacco use, it is best to stay in the same position. If you are going to get up, do it carefully and do not be abrupt so that your body adapts to the changes in blood pressure.

On the other hand, you can try to breathe slowly and deeply to regain oxygen. Inhale as much air as you can and hold for 5 seconds. Then slowly eject it for a count of seven.

Small light exercises can also improve blood flow to the brain and reduce mild dizziness. For example, take a walk. Although if the dizziness is strong, it is best to stay in the same position and drink plenty of water little by little.

If you smoke and feel dizzy, your body is trying to tell you that this substance is hurting you. The best thing is that you listen to your body and stop using tobacco immediately. You probably don't have an addiction yet, and quitting will be very easy for you.

The substances in a cigarette

Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals that enter the bloodstream at high speed. In fact, and apparently more than 250 substances have been identified as harmful. It is known with certainty that 69 of them can cause cancer.

This affects anyone who breathes in smoke, whether they are smokers or non-smokers. It seems that breathing tobacco smoke, even in small amounts, can also be harmful.

Some of the toxic tobacco products are hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, and carbon monoxide. On the other hand, the substances that can cause cancer are:

- Arsenic.

- Acetaldehyde.

- Aromatic amines.

- Benzene.

- Toxic metals such as cadmium, beryllium or chromium.

- Ethylene oxide.

- Formaldehyde.

- Nickel.

- Polonium 210, which is a radioactive chemical element.

- Vinyl chloride.

- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc.

References

1. Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products. (sf). Retrieved on March 27, 2017, from the National Institute of Drug Abuse: drugabuse.gov.
2. Harms of Cigarette Smoking and Health Benefits of Quitting. (sf). Retrieved on March 27, 2017, from the National Cancer Institute: cancer.gov.
3. Is It Normal to Feel Dizzy After Quitting Smoking? (February 5, 2017). Obtained from Verywell: verywell.com.
4. Signs of nicotine poisoning and what you should do. (September 5, 2013). Retrieved from AustinPUG Health: austinpug.org.
5. Symptoms of high blood sugar. (sf). Retrieved on March 27, 2017, from NorthShore University Health System: northshore.org.
6. Smoking & Dizziness. (August 16, 2013). Obtained from Livestrong: livestrong.com.