Does Pipe Smoking Reduce Stress and/or Blood Pressure?

[Mike N]

I posted this thought on another thread but felt the topic deserves its own discussion:

I don’t think it’s debatable that ”stress“ in our daily lives contributes to high blood pressure and a myriad of other health problems. Likewise, I think it’s clear to me at least that an evening pipe reduces stress significantly.

From the Mayo Clinic website: “Stress can cause a steep rise in blood pressure. But when stress goes away, blood pressure returns to what it was before the stress.“

The pipe industry needs to go on the offensive and fund a peer-reviewed, scientific medical study of the benefits of pipe smoking to counter the anti-smoking crowd and differentiate the risks and benefits of pipe smoking from cigarette inhalers. The focus needs to be on stress reduction. The results may surprise the medical community.

 

[tobakenist]

Well this depends on whether you inhale or not, I don't inhale but it is almost impossible not to inhale a bit. I do believe that Pipe Smoking reduces stress by helping to relax, I find when working on Guitars that having a break and a bowl calms me down and helps me to have a steady hand, this is not easy at my age but it sure does help for me.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

You don't have top inhale to be absorbing loads of nicotine. We get it through the small blood vessels in our mouth and sinuses.

With cigarettes being small injections of nicotine at once we develop a different type of addiction. The stress is self induced from withdrawal, and then smoke, ahhhhhh.... withdrawal subsided.

With pipes, we get a steady slower injection of nicotine over a longer period of time. Depleting our blood of sugars, causing a feeling of euphoria and relaxation. However, dosing your body with nicotine can have adverse affects on your heart over time. Note, that I used "can" have. It will be up to your genetics and other lifestyle habits as to what kind of affects you get or not.

 

[Oddball]

Yep, it's guilt by association for us...

 

[canucklehead]

Nicotine is a stimulant, it causes epinephrine release and raises blood pressure. People that are more sensitive to it can have dramatic blood pressure spikes.

Long term addicts/users can sometimes experience paradoxical depressant/relaxant effects mentally but physically their adrenal system is still being stimulated AFAIK.

 

[crashthegrey]

I'll stick to focusing on my enjoyment.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Nicotine is a stimulant, it causes epinephrine release and raises blood pressure. People that are more sensitive to it can have dramatic blood pressure spikes.

Long term addicts/users can sometimes experience paradoxical depressant/relaxant effects mentally but physically their adrenal system is still being stimulated AFAIK.

Nicotine and Tobacco Products | Ochsner Health

Nicotine-the component of tobacco that causes addiction-is one of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the United States.

www.ochsner.org

It's an unusual drug in that it is not the same type of stimulant as say caffeine. It also acts as a depressant pending how it is used. The way we ingest it with non-inhaling pipe smoking, it is more of a depressant.

 

[woodsroad]

But...The Sturgeon General's 1968 report says......

 

[bullet08]

Trying to make smoking as a health benefit doesn't really work. Take it as what it is. It's a slow death accentuate by lung cancer.

 

[canucklehead]

The way we ingest it with non-inhaling pipe smoking, it is more of a depressant.

That is entirely conjecture on your part. Nicotine acts as a traditional stimulant working on the dopamine and adrenergic systems. Caffeine is actually the unusual stimulant in that it acts on the adenosine sleepiness triggering system.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

That is entirely conjecture on your part. Nicotine acts as a traditional stimulant working on the dopamine and adrenergic systems. Caffeine is actually the unusual stimulant in that it acts on the adenosine sleepiness triggering system.

And, again... totally dismiss the article in the post.

 

[Mike N]

*** It's a slow death accentuate by lung cancer.

So is eating red meat and drinking 64 oz. sugar-filled soft drinks from the local convenience store. I suppose we all choose which risks we take in a free society.

And, not "smoking." Pipe smoking. There is a difference between cigarettes and pipes. My guess is that the tobacco industry which supplies both cigarette tobacco and pipe tobacco does not want pipe makers to push that distinction.

 

[burleybreath]

Who gives a shit?

 

[pappymac]

Despite what has been said, my personal experience is that I start to relax the moment I light my pipe.
It calms my mind and soothes my soul.

The leading cause of death is a doctor slapping your butt to make you take your first breath.

 

[jbfrady]

I posted this thought on another thread but felt the topic deserves its own discussion:

I don’t think it’s debatable that ”stress“ in our daily lives contributes to high blood pressure and a myriad of other health problems. Likewise, I think it’s clear to me at least that an evening pipe reduces stress significantly.

From the Mayo Clinic website: “Stress can cause a steep rise in blood pressure. But when stress goes away, blood pressure returns to what it was before the stress.“

The pipe industry needs to go on the offensive and fund a peer-reviewed, scientific medical study of the benefits of pipe smoking to counter the anti-smoking crowd and differentiate the risks and benefits of pipe smoking from cigarette inhalers. The focus needs to be on stress reduction. The results may surprise the medical community.

Smoking a pipe can help in stress management because it makes you slow down and pay attention to what you're doing and tobacco's natural qualities play a further role in that process. However, pushing such an idea to the point of a claim would create its own issues. Anyone who smoked a pipe and still stresses would be treated as a counter-point. Vincent van Gogh in particular would be an impossible data point to live down.

While it does reduce stress, it's not 100% applicable across all people, so I'd hesitate to overstate. Tobaccocan help is as far as I'd be personally willing to go.

 

[Sigmund]

I think its relaxing and has mental health benefits. How much negative really depends on how much and the roll of the dice.

 

[woodsroad]

Why try to justify an unhealthy activity? That just leads to cognitive dissonance. Which means more stress.
Take it for what it is, or quit.

 

[proteus]

I don't think smoking a pipe causes stress unless one overthinks the process beyond what is enjoyable.

 

[vosBghos]

Who gives a shit?

young people who have been told the sky is falling every 3 seconds since birth

 

[Olkofri]

Enjoy your pipe in silence.

Most "medical" information nowadays is bullshit anyway. So why bother and STRESS about trying to fit within some parameters that somebody arbitrarily designed as "healthy"?

Modern and contemporary medicine is flawed right from the get-go by focusing solely on the lesser component of a human being, and a little bit on the second lesser. Medicasters conveniently ignore the major two.

A human being is made of Spirit, Soul, Mind, and Body—listed in order of importance there, yet most people concern and obsess themselves over the last named, and a bit about the Mind.

Pipe smoking affects and effects all four. There's more to stress relief than just blood pressure, just like there's more to you than just the things you can see and gauge.

Whatever the truth is, the establishment is NOT going to accept it, because it's inimical and inconvenient to their aims and goals. NOBODY is going to fund an honest study. Forget it.

Focus on your personal experience with your pipe. You'll be less stressed out that way.