Immediate Harmful Effects Of Smoking
In the short-term, smoking constricts your blood vessels through a direct effect on your sympathetic nervous system. As a result, your blood pressure can rise by 9/8 mmHg every time you have a cigarette.
If you both smoke a cigarette and drink coffee, the increase is even greater, causing a rise in blood pressure of as high as 21/17 mmHg in some people.
These effects mean that people who smoke tend to require more drugs to control their hypertension, and higher doses, as the effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs is reduced.
Nicotine is responsible for some of the arterial constriction, so nicotine replacement products are not always a good idea to help you quit smoking if you have very high blood pressure readings. Having said that, eCigarettes may be a safer alternative as long as you use them as a means to an end that end being quitting altogether rather than the very serious health consequences of continuing to smoke.
The Effects Of Smoking Does Smoking Affect Your Blood Pressure And Heart Rate
I know, I know constantly harping about the repercussions of smoking is becoming a bit tedious already. After all, youre here to learn whether or not e-cigarettes can help you quit smoking, and not read why smoking is bad for you.
Well, tough luck.
In order to quit smoking, you first need to learn exactly why are cigarettes ruining your life. Dont worry, Ill be approaching this one with a bit of a twist. Well run down all the obvious ways in which smoking is bad for your health, but, what I want to really focus on, is how smoking affects your heart and blood pressure.
Why?
Because most smokers die of heart illnesses caused, in some cases, by chronic hypertension . High blood pressure is a sneaky killer, damaging your heart and blood vessels slowly and silently, until both are so weak that somethings got to give at one point.
Whats Known About Smoking And Blood Pressure Modulation
The association of smoking status with blood pressure phenotypes and hypertension risk remains inconclusive. Therefore, there are some mechanisms that might explain partially the findings of Liu and Byrd. The obesity and high level of adiposity body are considered major risk factors for hypertension and smoking is causally associated with lower BMI,, which could compensate the pressor effect of smoking. Another factor that could help to explain this result is vasodilator effect of cotinine, the major metabolite of nicotine. Finally, in the vast majority of studies, smokers are advised not to smoke on the day of the exam. This sudden reduction in tobacco smoke content, especially blood nicotine, might result in sympathoadrenal downregulation and withdrawal, consequently, causing reduction of blood pressure and heart rate.,
Don’t Miss: Does Spicy Food Cause High Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure Symptoms
- Sexual dysfunction
- Peripheral artery disease
If you experience any symptoms of high blood pressure, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency hospital right away to help avoid these life-altering and sometimes fatal complications.
Some research has also found that smoking may blunt the effects of blood pressure medication such as amlodipine thereby reducing the drug’s ability to mitigate high blood pressure and stiffening of the arteries.
Facts About Smoking And Heart Disease
-
One out of every 5 smoking-related deaths is caused by heart disease.
-
Women older than 35 who smoke and take birth control pills are at much greater risk for heart disease or stroke.
-
Cigarette smokers are 2 to 4 times more likely to get heart disease than nonsmokers.
-
Cigarette smoking doubles a person’s risk for stroke.
Read Also: Does Claritin Cause High Blood Pressure
How Do Alcohol Coffee And Smoking Influence Blood Pressure
Although smoking increases the risk of vascular complications in people who already have hypertension, it is notassociated with an increase in the development of hypertension. Nevertheless,smoking a cigarette can repeatedly produce an immediate, temporary rise in theblood pressure of 5 to10 mm Hg. Steady smokers however, actually may have alower blood pressure than nonsmokers. The reason for this is that the nicotinein the cigarettes causes a decrease in appetite, which leads to weight loss.This, in turn, lowers the blood pressure.
In one study, the caffeine consumed in 5 cups of coffee daily caused a mildincrease in blood pressure in elderly people who already had hypertension, butnot in those who had normal blood pressures. What’s more, the combination ofsmoking and drinking coffee in persons with high blood pressure may increase theblood pressure more than coffee alone. Limiting caffeine intake and cigarettesmoking in hypertensive individuals, therefore, may be of some benefit incontrolling their high blood pressure.
What Does Smoking Do To Your Heart
Most people, whether or not they smoke, are aware of the damage that smoking can cause to people’s lungs. But far fewer people are aware that smoking is also harmful to the heart. Although smoke is inhaled into the lungs, the chemicals absorbed into your bloodstream can also affect the health of your heart and circulatory system.
You May Like: Does Spicy Food Cause High Blood Pressure
How Can I Prevent High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure known as the silent killer often shows no signs or symptoms. In fact, nearly 20 percent of U.S. adults with high blood pressure do not know they have the disease.
The cause of most cases of high blood pressure is unknown. But there are factors that can place you at greater risk of developing the condition. Thats why it is important to know what your risks are and to learn which factors you can and cannot control.
The good news is that the small steps you take to be healthy now can lead to big improvements down the road.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
|
Related Resources Our campaign partner, American Heart Association®, has a freehigh blood pressure health risk calculator to help you find out your risk. |
Risk Factors You Cant Control
- Age
As you age, your risk of high blood pressure increases. Up to the age of 45, high blood pressure affects more men than women. But, at age 65 and beyond, it affects more women than men. Women are more likely to develop high blood pressure after menopause.
- Race
High blood pressure can affect anyone. But, it is more common and more severe in African American adults than in Caucasian or Hispanic American adults. Serious complications, such as stroke and heart attack, are also more common in African Americans.
- Family History
Medicines To Help You Quit Smoking
-
Bupropion. This is a non-nicotine option to help people stop smoking. It is approved by the FDA. Offered in pill form to smokers who want to quit, bupropion has been shown to alter mood transmitters in the brain that are linked to addiction. Bupropion must be prescribed by a healthcare provider and may not be right for everyone. Ask your healthcare provider for more information.
-
Varenicline. This is also a non-nicotine pill to help you quit smoking. It is approved by the FDA. It targets the nicotine receptors in the brain. Varenicline attaches to the receptors and blocks nicotine from reaching them. This decreases the desire for nicotine. Varenicline may not be right for everyone.
Also Check: What Is The Va Disability Rating For Hypertensive Heart Disease
What Are The Warning Signs
Whether or not you smoke, it’s important to know the warning signs of heart disease or heart attack. Sadly, not everyone has warning signs before a major cardiac incident, so lack of symptoms does not mean that no damage has occurred.
“Coronary heart disease usually develops slowly over time and the symptoms can be different for everyone. Angina is the term used to describe the most common symptoms of CHD, these include: chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, pain travelling through the body, feeling faint and nausea. These symptoms often occur after someone exerts themselves,” explains Davison.
However, for many, the first sign of heart disease may be a major incident. “Unfortunately, sometimes the first time someone realises they have CHD is when they have a sudden heart attack.”
Does Smoking Cause Increased Heart Rate
First of all, theres no doubt that smoking causes various heart problems. These can range from atherosclerosis to decreased heart function. Atherosclerosis is narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels essentially plaque buildup. When your vessels are narrow, your heart has to work twice as fast to pump blood, which puts a lot of strain on it. Eventually, this can cause something thats called an enlarged left heart syndrome, which basically means that the left side of your heart expands and weakness because of all the work it needs to do pump blood through your body. Also, you have greater chances of suffering from a heart attack or stroke because the plaque in your arteries can get dislodged and cause all sorts of problems.
However, does smoking increase your heart rate? This is still a controversial issue and more studies are needed to confirm it. Its important because elevated heart rate is not healthy athletes have a resting heart rate between 40 and 60, and regular Joes around 80 bpm.
Some studies have found that smokers have an increased HR at rest, while having a lower HR increase when exercising. Also, their peak HR during extraneous circumstances seems to be lower than that of non-smokers.
On the other hand, other studies show that smokers have a pretty much similar heart rate to non-smokers when they are not smoking. When they are smoking, their heart rate can increase by almost 30% .
Recommended Reading: Does Spicy Food Raise Your Blood Pressure
What Do The Numbers Mean
Blood pressure is measured by two numbers. The first number is called the systolic pressure . This is your blood pressure when your heart is squeezing blood out. The second number is called the diastolic pressure . This is the pressure between heartbeats when your heart is filling with blood.
Normal blood pressure is less than 130 over 85 . High blood pressure is 140 over 90 mm Hg or higher. If your blood pressure is between 120 over 80 mm Hg and 140 over 90 mm Hg, you have something called prehypertension
Smoking Blood Pressure And Heart Rate Still A Controversial Topic
Yes, the ties between smoking and heart rate and blood pressure are still somewhat of a mystery and even scientists cant agree on it. However, this doesnt mean that you get a carte blanche when it comes to smoking. Its still the number one preventable cause of death in the world.
Further studies will enlighten us as to whether or not its safe to use vaping with nicotine to help people to quit, thats all. If studies show that nicotine is significantly less responsible for high BP and HR, then vapers can reasonably argue that vaping should be recognized as a smoking cessation tool. Its certainly not an endorsement for smoking.
Bottom line? Smoking is so bad overall that it doesnt even matter if it affects blood pressure. The list of its adverse effects is still pretty long so do yourself a favor and quit today.
Also Check: Onion Lower Blood Pressure
What Strategies Can Be Useful For Quitting Smoking
Nicotine is highly addictive, but you dont have to just give it up cold turkey without any support. Strategies for smoking cessation can include nicotine replacement products such as patches or lozenges, non-nicotine medications, and support groups. Your primary care doctor can help you determine which options are best for you.
Patient Experiences
Symptoms Of A Heart Attack
- Chest pain – in the case of a heart attack, this pain is usually sudden and doesn’t go away.
- Pain that radiates to other areas of the body, particularly the left or right arm, neck, jaw, back or stomach.
- Tightness in the chest – this may feel similar to indigestion, or be more of a ‘heavy’ feeling.
- Feeling light-headed, short of breath, sick and sweaty.
If you experience symptoms of a heart attack it is crucial that you seek urgent medical attention – if in the UK by calling 999. Whilst waiting for paramedics, sit down and try to stay as calm as possible. If you are able to, take 300 mg aspirin.
Also Check: Va Disability Rating For Hypertension
Smoking And Your Heart
Most people know that cigarette and tobacco smoking increases the risk of lung cancer and breathing problems, but few realize that it also greatly increases the risk of heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the effects of cigarette smoking account for about 480,000 deaths each year in the United Statesthat is nearly 1 out of every 5 deaths. In fact, more deaths are caused each year by smoking than deaths from human immunodeficiency virus , illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle accidents, and firearm-related incidents combined. Also, about 80% of all deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are because those patients were smokers.
Simple Relationships Between Baseline Individual Characteristics And Smoking Status
shows the participants characteristics based on their smoking status in year 2000. Significant differences among smoking status were identified for all variables. The percentages of non-smokers, former smokers and smokers were 69.8%, 2.0% and 28.2%, respectively. Most current smokers and ex-smokers were older than 39 years, suggesting that the other two groups of participants tend to either maintain their current smoking status or never smoke at all. The difference between male and female smokers was staggering and clearly demonstrated that, as indicated in the introduction most of the smokers were men . Non-smokers tended to have lower education levels and lower income than current and ex-smokers. Compared with the never smoked groups and ex-smokers, most of current smokers had BMI < 23kg/m2, classified as lean or healthy, were more likely to be currently working and lived in rural areas .
Smoking status change in relation to changes from baseline in SBP and DBP using the GLM
Also Check: Does Claritin D Raise Blood Pressure
Quit Smoking And Improve Your Health
Within one day of quitting smoking:
- your heart rate slows down and your blood pressure drops slightly
- carbon monoxide is out of your blood
- oxygen levels in your blood rise.
Within two to three months:
- your ability to smell and taste improves
- your lungs regain the ability to clean themselves, so you can cough up mucus
- the blood flow to your hands and feet improves, so they wont get so cold.
Within one year:
- your risk of heart attack is greatly reduced
- if you smoked a packet of 25s a day, you would have saved over $14,000
Within two to six years:
- your risk of developing coronary heart disease returns to a similar level as that of a non-smoker.
Can Lungs Heal After 40 Years Of Smoking
The mutations that lead to lung cancer had been considered to be permanent, and to persist even after quitting. But the surprise findings, published in Nature, show the few cells that escape damage can repair the lungs. The effect has been seen even in patients who had smoked a pack a day for 40 years before giving up.
You May Like: Is High Blood Pressure Heart Disease
Alcohol And Cigarettes: Hypertension Risk Factors To Avoid
You can’t always prevent high blood pressure, but giving up smoking and moderating your alcohol consumption can help.
Irina Kostenich/Unsplash Patrick Schopflin/Unsplash
People who smoke and drink should be concerned about their cardiovascular health. Both habits increase the risk of developing hypertension, or high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
The effects of smoking and drinking on hypertension are well-known both can have dramatic affects on heart health and blood pressure levels. So whether you’ve already been diagnosed with high blood pressure or have hypertension risk factors, it’s time to do something about those risk factors you can control.
Smoking and High Blood Pressure
Smoking causes an immediate spike in blood pressure and can raise systolic blood pressure levels by as much as 4 millimeters of mercury . The nicotine in tobacco products spur the nervous system to release chemicals that can constrict blood vessels and contribute to high blood pressure.
Smoking also causes long-term damage to blood vessels, so beyond the hypertension risk, this habit further increases the chance of developing problems like stroke, heart disease, and heart attack. The combination of smoking and hypertension puts you at greater risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular event compared to non-smokers with hypertension.
Drinking and High Blood Pressure
Quitting and Cutting Back
Smoking And Cardiovascular Disease
The American Heart Association says diseases caused by smoking kill more than 440,000 people in the U.S. each year. Most new smokers are children and teens. Smokers have higher risk for lung disease. This includes lung cancer and emphysema. They also have increased risk for heart disease and stroke.
You May Like: Do Onions Lower Blood Pressure