If you smoke cigarettes or someone close to you does, you might be used to the smell of the smoke, but for some non-smokers the scent of cigarette smoke alone can cause feelings of nausea and even irritation in the lungs and eyes. For other reasons, nausea also can affect new smokers and those trying to quit.
New Smoker
If you are a new smoker or it has been a long time since you last smoked, you might experience some unpleasant symptoms when you begin smoking. This could be caused from a variety of things, including one of the 599 added ingredients that a cigarette contains, such as ammonia and carbon dioxide, reports Tobacco.org. Carbon dioxide and nicotine together also can cause nausea, especially as your body responds to the chemicals being inhaled into your lungs. Many times the body is rejecting the smoke because it is foreign or harmful, which can lead to unsettling effects in addition to the nausea, such as vomiting, headache, dizziness and coughing.
Nicotine Withdrawal
If you smoke but take a long break between smoking, or if you are trying to quit, you likely will experience nicotine and tobacco withdrawal. The lack of nicotine in your system can cause certain symptoms, such as sweating, headache, sore throat and gastrointestinal distress including nausea, explains New York Times Health. Overall, withdrawal symptoms might peak the first five days after your last cigarette but can last several weeks or months. A chewing gum or patch that contains nicotine might make it easier for you to wean yourself off of smoking.
Non-Smoker
If you are a non-smoker, you might be disgusted or uncomfortable by being around someone who smokes. The smell can get into your hair, linger on your clothes and stain objects in your house. According to the American Cancer Society, secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke can cause an array of immediate and long-term health problems. When you smell the smoke, you could experience nausea because the smoke is getting into your mouth and lungs. Long-term health problems of being exposed to secondhand smoke include an increased risk of heart disease, lung cancer, lung infections and of having a low birth weight baby.
Smoking Risks
If you smoke, nausea and stomach distress could be an indication of a serious medical problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that smoking can increase your risk for a heart attack and cardiovascular disease, and one symptom of a heart attack is nausea and chest pain. You also increase your risks for many types of cancer, including acute myeloid leukemia, kidney cancer and stomach cancer -- all of which can have early signs of nausea, vomiting and unexplained weight loss.
