What does nicotine do to your body? Nicotine is a stimulant that reaches your brain quickly, raises your heart rate and blood pressure, and builds dependence. Many of these effects start to ease once you quit.
Learn how nicotine affects your brain, heart, lungs, skin, bones, eyes and mouth — plus we'll cover side effects, vapes and pouches, and quitting.
What Does Nicotine Do to Your Body?
Nicotine affects nearly every system in your body. According to the American Lung Association, it raises heart rate, blood pressure and adrenaline, narrows blood vessels and changes brain chemistry, and these nicotine effects add up over time.
Cigarettes aren't the only way to feel the effects of nicotine. Vapes, chewing tobacco, cigars, nicotine pouches and even hookah all deliver the same addictive chemical: nicotine.
See how nicotine can affect your entire body from brain to bones.
1. How Nicotine Affects Your Brain
Nicotine stimulates dopamine release, causing dependence and altering your brain. Over time, dependence can take a toll on your mental health, and for anyone under 25, nicotine can cause lasting trouble with memory, attention and learning. Read more in Nicotine Messes With Your Head or Nicotine & Anxiety.
2. How Nicotine Affects Your Heart
Almost immediately, using nicotine increases your heart rate and blood pressure, contributing to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. It may also contribute to hardening of the artery walls, according to the American Heart Association.
3. How Nicotine Affects Your Lungs
Long-term nicotine use can damage lung tissue. A review of nicotine's effects on the body also found it can weaken your immune response and narrow your airways, making it harder to breathe.
Did you know?
While nicotine on its own is not considered a carcinogen, it may promote tumor growth and is often delivered alongside cancer-causing chemicals. That's why the products that deliver nicotine are tied to so many cancers.
4. How Nicotine Affects Your Skin
Because nicotine affects the blood vessels, it can lead to delayed healing and accelerated wrinkles and signs of aging.
5. How Nicotine Affects Your Bones
Nicotine in the body can cause slowed production of bone-building cells, which can be detrimental to healing broken or fractured bones.
6. How Nicotine Affects Your Eyes
Studies have shown that nicotine and smoking can affect your eyesight. Long-term use is linked to cataracts and increased chances of developing glaucoma, according to CU Anschutz eye specialists.
7. How Nicotine Affects Your Mouth
Nicotine may cause a reduction in saliva production in your mouth, leading to dry mouth, increased risk of tooth decay, bad breath and more. Pouches can also irritate your gums. Learn more in Nicotine Pouches: What You Should Know Before You Use Them.
What Are the Side Effects of Nicotine?
Common nicotine side effects include a racing heartbeat, higher blood pressure, dizziness, nausea, headaches, trouble sleeping and anxiety, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center. They show up soon after use, while the long-term effects of nicotine written above build slowly.
Taking in too much nicotine at once can make these side effects of nicotine stronger. Learn the signs of nic sick and nicotine poisoning here.
Is Nicotine Bad for You?
Yes, nicotine is bad for you. The main negative effects of nicotine include:
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Dependence. It can begin after only a couple of uses, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Not sure where you stand? Read 3 Signs You May Be Addicted to Smoking, Vaping or Chewing Tobacco.
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Heart and blood vessels. Nicotine raises blood pressure and heart rate and narrows the arteries, per the American Heart Association.
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Brain development. Using nicotine while your brain is developing can negatively affect focus, learning, mood and self-control, according to the CDC.
- Pregnancy. Nicotine can harm a developing baby and puts pregnant women's health at risk.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is different. Patches, gum and lozenges deliver nicotine at a low pace and low dose designed to help you quit and taper off your nicotine use. Eligible South Dakota residents can get NRT free through the SD QuitLine. If you're under 18 or pregnant, talk with your health care provider first. See Medication Options to learn more.
Ready to Quit?
The SD QuitLine offers free, confidential coaching to any South Dakota resident 13 or older, plus free quit medication for those who qualify. Call 1-866-SD-QUITS (1-866-737-8487) or enroll online at sdquitline.com.
Do Vapes and Nicotine Pouches Affect the Body the Same Way?
Mostly, yes. Nicotine acts the same way in any product, but the dose and how fast it reaches your bloodstream differ.
Vapes: Most popular vapes use nicotine salts, which deliver high levels of nicotine that are easier to inhale. Vape aerosol can also contain heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals.
Nicotine Pouches: Pouches allow nicotine to absorb through your gums. The American Lung Association links nicotine pouches to gum recession, mouth lesions and higher blood pressure. Get the details on our nicotine pouches page, or see smokeless tobacco for chew and dip.
What Happens to Your Body When You Quit Nicotine?
Your body starts recovering right away. According to Cleveland Clinic, your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal within about 20 minutes. Over time, breathing, taste, smell and gum health improve.
Withdrawal usually starts a few hours after your last dose, peaks around days two and three, then fades over a few days to several weeks. People who quit smoking also report lower anxiety, depression and stress. See the full Nicotine Withdrawal Timeline, or try our step-by-step guide to quitting nicotine pouches.
Nicotine Use in South Dakota
Nicotine use is common among South Dakota teens. 15.2% of the state’s high school students use tobacco, and one in three teens sees vaping at school every day. Find more state numbers on our Key Data page.
If you or someone you care about is ready to quit, help is close to home. The SD QuitLine is free, confidential and judgment-free for any South Dakota resident 13 or older, whether you smoke, vape, chew or use pouches.
What You Gain When You Quit
Nicotine affects your body in real ways, from your brain to your bones, and those effects start to reverse once you stop. Call 1-866-SD-QUITS (1-866-737-8487) or enroll online at sdquitline.com to get free support. If you're thinking about quitting but not ready to set a date, that's a good place to start.
Nicotine and Your Body: Common Questions
No single organ is affected more than the others. Nicotine rapidly affects the entire body, but it hits your brain and heart most directly.
As a stimulant, nicotine can briefly boost alertness and focus. But decades of research haven't shown any lasting health benefit from nicotine, and the short-term boost isn't worth the risk of dependence, according to MD Anderson.
Nicotine releases dopamine, which feels good momentarily. When it wears off, usually within a few minutes, many people feel edgy and reach for more, according to Cleveland Clinic. That cycle is how dependence builds.
The CDC is clear that no tobacco product, vapes included, is safe to use. NRT is different because it's been carefully studied and designed to help people quit.