Smoking negatively impacts mental health, with nicotine constricting blood vessels and reducing blood flow to the brain. Dr. Sameer Malhotra, senior director at Max Super Speciality Hospital, explains that smoking can also lead to atherosclerosis, further limiting blood flow, which can affect both physical and mental well-being.
However, smoking cigarettes also affect our mental health in significant ways:
Memory dysfunction:
Smoking increases carbon monoxide levels in the blood and affects oxygenation. As a result, people dependent on smoking, suffer from memory dysfunction in the long run. There are studies to suggest smokers having reduced grey matter volume (cerebral atrophy).
Anxiety and stress:
Smokers’ life is also affected emotionally as nicotine is linked to neurochemical disturbances in the brain, (disturbing levels of dopamine and norepinephrine) linked to significant anxiety, tremulousness and stress related disorders.
Mood disorders:
Smoking significantly increases the level of proinflammatory cytokines like IL 6, TNF alpha contributing to chronic inflammation that damages the blood brain barrier and leads to unwanted neuroinflammation linked to cognitive and memory disturbances, susceptibility to mood disorders and Neuro degenerative diseases.
Difficulty in concentrating:
It’s a myth that smoking improves concentration. It is often used as an excuse, out of cravings to smoke a cigarette when feeling low concentration.
Disrupts sleep:
Nicotine being a stimulant also leads to smokers, finding it difficult to fall asleep at night. Smoking is associated with sleep, disturbances and parasomnia.
Schizophrenia:
There is also a strong link between smoking and schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia are more likely to smoke in excess.
Source: Hindustan Times
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
