Don’t Let Tobacco Hack Your Brain and Spine – A Neurosurgeon’s Perspective on the Silent Damage

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🔴 Tobacco – The Silent Hacker of the Brain

When we think of tobacco, most people imagine damaged lungs, yellow teeth, or bad breath. But as a neurosurgeon, I want to share the truth that often goes unnoticed — tobacco is one of the most dangerous threats to your brain and spine.

It doesn’t shout.
It doesn’t show symptoms right away.
But it silently shrinks blood vessels, starves brain cells, damages nerves, and rewires your brain into becoming its slave.

1️⃣ Tobacco Reduces Brain Blood Flow — Silent Strangulation

 
Your brain uses 20% of your body’s oxygen. But tobacco constricts the blood vessels that supply this vital oxygen.
Over time, it causes:
•Brain fog
•Poor memory and attention
•Early cognitive decline
•Higher stroke risk
 
Even young people who smoke or vape occasionally are at risk.
As a neurosurgeon, I’ve seen patients in their 30s come in with massive strokes — their only risk factor: tobacco use.

Dr. Ganesh Veerabhadraiah

Consultant – Neurosurgeon, Neurointerventional Surgery, Spine Surgeon (Neuro)
23+ Years Experience Overall (17+ years as Neuro Specialist)

Available for Consultation: Jayanagar 9th Block & Kauvery Hospital, Electronic City 

Book An Appointment

2️⃣ Tobacco Increases Stroke and Aneurysm Risk — A Time Bomb in Your Brain

Every puff of smoke raises your blood pressure, inflames your artery walls, and weakens brain blood vessels.
This increases the risk of:
•Ischemic Stroke (due to clots)
•Hemorrhagic Stroke (due to bleeding)
•Aneurysm rupture (a life-threatening brain bleed)
 
I’ve seen lives shattered by sudden aneurysm rupture — in patients with no prior symptoms, but a history of regular smoking.

3️⃣ Tobacco Slows Brain Healing — The Enemy After Surgery

When the brain is healing — after trauma, tumor surgery, or stroke — it needs clean,a oxygen-rich blood.
But tobacco:
•Reduces oxygen to brain cells
•Shrinks healing blood vessels
•Increases risk of infection and re-surgery
•Slows recovery by weeks or even months
 
Even minor brain surgeries recover slower in smokers. It’s like watering a plant with poison and expecting it to bloom.

4️⃣ Tobacco Damages Spinal Discs and Bones — A Hidden Spine Killer

Tobacco silently dries out spinal discs — your spine’s shock absorbers — making them brittle and prone to collapse.
It also:
•Weakens spinal bones
•Increases risk of disc prolapse and spinal stenosis
•Delays healing after spine surgery
•Doubles the risk of spinal fractures and failed fusions
 
Smokers often need spine surgery a decade earlier than non-smokers — and recover much slower.

5️⃣ Tobacco Causes Nerve Damage — Burning, Numbness, and Weakness

Tobacco doesn’t stop at the brain or spine. It also:
•Starves nerves of oxygen
•Damages their protective coating (myelin)
•Causes tingling, burning feet, numbness, or poor balance
•Worsens diabetic neuropathy
•Delays nerve healing after surgery
 
I’ve seen patients with simple foot numbness progress to permanent nerve damage — all linked to tobacco use.

6️⃣ Tobacco Increases Spine Surgery Risk — And Reduces Its Success

In surgeries like spinal fusion or decompression:
•Smokers have higher risk of poor bone fusion (nonunion)
•More infections
•Slower nerve recovery
•Longer hospital stays
 
Even after a technically perfect surgery, tobacco undoes your surgeon’s effort from the inside.

7️⃣ Tobacco Addiction Alters Brain Chemistry — Your Mind Gets Hijacked

Nicotine triggers dopamine — the brain’s reward chemical — making you feel good temporarily.
But over time, tobacco:
•Creates dependence
•Increases anxiety
•Reduces focus and memory
•Dulls decision-making and self-control
🎥 Analogy from Cinema:
 
Just like in Robot (2010) — where Dr. Vaseegaran’s brilliant creation Chitti is corrupted by Dr. Bohra —
Tobacco disables your brain’s “ethical governor”. It reprograms your brain to crave what’s killing it.
Eventually, your own brain starts working against you.
 
And like Ramakrishna (Queen Sivagami’s husband) in Baahubali, whose mind was poisoned by whispers and manipulation —
Tobacco too pretends to help, but silently steals your peace, memory, and control.
 
By the time you realize it, it’s often too late.
 
🛑 In Simple Words:
 
Tobacco doesn’t just cause cancer or lung disease.
It is a neurovascular villain — one that weakens your memory, decision-making, balance, healing, and even the success of your brain or spine surgery.
 
✅ You Can Still Stop It
 
Even if you’ve been smoking for years — your body can begin to heal the moment you quit:
•Brain blood flow improves within weeks
•Stroke risk drops within months
•Spine bones regain strength
•Nerve function may improve
 
🚭 This No Tobacco Day (May 31), let’s pledge:
 
🧠 “I will protect my brain and spine.”
💪 “I will not let tobacco control my mind.”
🚫 “I will break free before it breaks me.”
 
🖥️ Written by
Dr. Ganesh Veerabhadraiah
Head of Department – Neurosurgery
Kauvery Hospital, Electronic City | NeuroWellness India
Book A Consultaton

FAQs:

1. How does tobacco affect the brain and nervous system?
Tobacco restricts blood flow to the brain, causing poor memory, brain fog, and increased risk of stroke and aneurysm. It also alters brain chemistry, leading to addiction and poor decision-making.

2. Can smoking cause spine problems or back pain?
Yes. Tobacco damages spinal discs, weakens bones, and increases the risk of disc prolapse and spinal stenosis. Smokers often need spine surgery earlier and recover more slowly.

3. Why is smoking risky before or after brain or spine surgery?
Smoking reduces oxygen supply, delays healing, increases infection risk, and can lead to poor surgical outcomes like failed fusions and slower nerve recovery.

4. Does quitting smoking improve brain and spine health?
Absolutely. Quitting smoking improves brain blood flow within weeks, reduces stroke risk, strengthens spinal bones, and helps nerves heal better over time.

5. Can tobacco use cause nerve damage or neuropathy?
Yes. Tobacco starves nerves of oxygen, damages their protective coating (myelin), and leads to symptoms like numbness, burning, and poor balance—especially in diabetics.

 Surgical Management of a Colloid Cyst of third ventricle

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Surgical Management of a Colloid Cyst of third ventricle

A 20-year-old girl, an art student, presented with two episodes of transient loss of consciousness lasting 20–30 minutes, accompanied by neck pain radiating to the left side. Clinical evaluation, followed by MRI, revealed a third ventricular colloid cyst, causing obstruction at the foramen of Monro and resulting in intermittent symptoms of raised intracranial pressure.

The patient underwent neuro-navigation-guided craniotomy and successful excision of the colloid cyst. Intraoperative and postoperative management were uneventful. The patient was extubated immediately following the procedure. A postoperative CT scan confirmed complete excision of the cyst, with no residual tumor visible.

She was monitored in the ICU for one day, where she demonstrated remarkable recovery. Impressively, she resumed her artistic pursuits on the first postoperative day, highlighting her swift neurological recovery. Currently, she is stable and recovering well in the ward.

We extend our gratitude to the entire neurosurgery team and the operating theater staff for their seamless coordination and dedication to achieving an excellent outcome for the patient.

This case underscores the importance of timely diagnosis, precise surgical planning, and multidisciplinary teamwork in the successful management of colloid cysts.

Histopathology- Nimhans 

Colloid cyst 

Regarding Third ventricular colloid cysts , these are rare 1 to 3 % whole intracranial tumours but potentially life-threatening intracranial lesions, often presenting a significant surgical challenge due to their deep midline location and proximity to critical neurovascular structures. These cysts can cause acute hydrocephalus and elevated intracranial pressure through obstruction of the foramen of Monro, leading to symptoms such as severe headaches, intermittent loss of consciousness, or, in rare cases, sudden death. Surgical management, either through neuro-navigation-guided craniotomy or endoscopic resection, demands meticulous planning and precise execution to minimize complications. Advances in neuro-navigation and microsurgical techniques have significantly enhanced the safety and efficacy of these procedures, making early diagnosis and prompt intervention essential in preventing catastrophic events.

Dr Ganesh Veerabhadraiah 
HOD and Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon
Kauvery hospital 
Electronic City
Bengaluru 

Ph no 7249669911

#ColloidCyst #ThirdVentricularTumours #BrainTumours #IntraventricularTumours #EndoscopicTumourRemoval #Craniotomy

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