According to Medical News Today, cigarette smoke contains a series of toxic substances, including cadmium - a metabolic substance that can cause brain poisoning and is believed to be related to cluster headaches. Nicotine, the main addictive in cigarettes, can also trigger migraines, although the link is still being studied.
Worryingly, nicotine can increase pain and reduce the effectiveness of painkillers. Children and adolescents who smoke regularly are at higher risk of headaches and are more likely to have problems with growth and lung function, increasing the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease later on.
Smoking can cause many different types of headaches. Cluster headaches are severe pain in one side of the head, usually lasting from 15 minutes to 3 hours and appearing cyclically. Smokers often have more cluster headaches than non-smokers, and often start later.
In addition, migraines a complex type of headache with symptoms such as sensitivity to light, sound, smell, accompanied by nausea and fatigue can also be triggered by cigarette smoke.
Another type of pain is tripartite neuralgia, causing electrical twitching in the face, jaw and around the eyes. Some studies show that smoking affects how the brain and nerves process pain.
Quitting smoking is an important step to improving overall health, but it can cause withdrawal symptoms, including headaches. Sudden nicotine stopping can cause a strong reaction, causing discomfort and prolonged headaches.
Some people use nicotine replacement therapy such as patches, gum, nasal spray, inhaler or ambly to relieve symptoms. However, even these methods can cause headaches as a side effect.
To relieve headaches during quitting medication, patients should drink enough water, maintain physical activity to support lung recovery, perform breathing exercises and relaxation techniques such as meditation. Avoiding situations that easily stimulate old smoking habits is also an effective way to reduce stress.
If necessary, over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can be used, but it should be noted that nicotine can reduce the effectiveness of these drugs.
