Louise Forrest

Smoking and Psoriasis

Smoking and psoriasis have direct relationship. It has been found that smokers have a higher possibility of acquiring the skin condition than those who have not been into the bad habit.

A research effort manned by about 79,000 American nurses highlight the potential effect smoking may pose to help aggravate the possibility of psoriasis. The study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, clearly highlights how smoking can be adversely affecting the health. Aside from lung problems, the activity is now proven to lead to a variety of skin problems, including psoriasis.

The study had women as respondents and covered a 14-year period from 1992 to 2006. Overall, there were about 887 reported cases of psoriasis observed among them. From that figure, the frequency of psoriasis has been determined. It was found that 78% of those affected by the ailment are currently active smokers. About 37% of the respondents who had the skin disease are past smokers, or women who used to smoke but has decided to stop. From the trend, researchers figured out that the longer people has been exposed to smoking, the higher the risk of forming psoriasis is. Smoking quitters are expected to wait for several decades before their risk for psoriasis drops to the low level of non-smokers or people who have never smoked in their lives.

Non-smokers, however, are not entirely spared from acquiring the skin condition. According to the study, and supported by several other medical researches, exposure to second-hand smoke or passive smoking is as risky as smoking itself. Same goes with people who have been exposed to family members’ smoke during their childhood years and those whose mothers had been smoking while pregnant. This supports the old-age notion that passive smoking is as dangerous, or at times more risky, than actual smoking.

Psoriasis occurs when the person’s skin is replacing itself very quickly. The condition usually appears as patches of red and scaly skin that would reveal or form fine silvery scales when scratched or scraped. There have already been studies linking smoking and psoriasis, but none of them were as clear as to determine whether the condition occurred before and after exposure to the habit. Now that this study has come out, there are several valid and scientific explanations on how smoking does lead to psoriasis. Scientists explain that cigarettes contain toxins that when inhaled and absorbed by the body would weaken the immune system and eventually lead to the ailment.

It is logical that quitting smoking would lower the possibility of psoriasis occurrence. The smoke induced inflammation would be lowered as affected immune cells decrease in volume. The result, the manifestation of the skin problem would be lessened. That is why doctors and experts constantly and strongly advise the public not to get into the habit or at least quickly drop it. If you would avoid smoking or stop it, not only would you be able to prevent the onset of psoriasis. You would also be able to avoid a host of many other related diseases.

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