ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Nicotine Dependence

What is nicotine dependence?

8 December 2025

This is an addiction to a chemical substance in tobacco that is difficult to eradicate, as it triggers temporary effects that cause pleasure in the brain and lead to the need to smoke another cigarette, becoming a vicious cycle—the more you smoke, the more nicotine the body requires.

Nicotine is the substance that causes the need to keep smoking, as it reaches the brain in a matter of seconds after the first inhalation, releasing neurotransmitters—brain chemicals related to behavior and mood. One of these substances is dopamine, which is directly related to pleasure in the brain.

Like any addiction, there are a series of factors and conditions that can trigger nicotine dependence, such as:

  • Hereditary or genetic background.
  • Frequently attending gatherings with friends.
  • Consuming alcoholic beverages.
  • Taking drugs.
  • Living with parents and friends who are nicotine dependent.
  • Anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, or other mental health conditions.
  • Age: the younger one starts smoking, the greater the nicotine dependence.
  • Talking on the phone.
  • Driving.
  • Drinking coffee.

Signs and symptoms Nicotine Dependence

  • Physical and mental changes that cause discomfort when trying to quit smoking, such as anxiety, anger, frustration, irritability, impatience, nervousness, depression, sleep disorders, increased appetite, and episodes of diarrhea or constipation.
  • Stopping attending family and social gatherings.
  • The need to keep smoking despite your health conditions.
  • Inability to quit smoking despite repeated attempts.

Nicotine dependence entails a series of complications that can seriously affect your health and quality of life, including:

  • Stroke.
  • Heart conditions.
  • Bronchitis and respiratory infections.
  • Lung cancer.
  • Premature birth.
  • Low birth weight.
  • Diabetes.
  • Pulmonary emphysema.
  • Infertility and impotence.
  • Other types of cancer.
  • Dental and gum problems.
  • Eye conditions.

The treatment for nicotine dependence consists of nicotine replacement therapies, medications, and psychological counseling.

At the Internal Medicine Department of Centro Médico ABC, we offer you medical care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies, for both chronic-degenerative conditions and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Related centers and departments Nicotine Dependence

Internal medicine
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

  • nih.gov
  • cancer.org
  • wnyurology.com
  • neumomadrid.org
  • adicciones.es
  • elsevier.es
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medigraphic.com
  • De Aguiar ARL, Terra JB, Ribeiro CV. Levels of nicotine dependence in the elderly and cognitive impairment. Salud Mental. 2020;43(4):159-166.
  • Puentes VD, Rodríguez PLA, Pupo ÁNL, et al. Factores asociados a la recaída en fumadores, después de un año de recibir tratamiento antitabáquico. Revista del Hospital Psiquiátrico de La Habana. 2017;14(2):.
  • Moreno CA, Ruiz VS, Medina-Mora Icaza ME. Association between smoking and minimal–mild depressive symptomatology in heavy smokers. Salud Mental. 2009;32(3):199-204.

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