You know that smoking is not healthy or helpful to anyone. It’s best not to start at all. And for smokers, it’s best to make every effort to quit. And for people living with MS – even more so.
Scientific evidence is clear: smoking may not only increase the risk of developing MS but also accelerate disease progression and worsen symptoms.
Smoking can reduce the quality of life of people living with multiple sclerosis:
Smoking can aggravate the pain. Pain is a severe and significant symptom, as well as a risk factor for depression and exhaustion. People with MS who smoke report more often of neuropathic, back pain, headaches, and painful spasms.
Changes in cognitive function are a common phenomenon in MS. Because smoking also affects the brain, it can accelerate the decline in cognitive function.
A combination of smoking and multiple sclerosis can increase the risk of bone fractures.
Smokers are more likely to have other autoimmune diseases, vascular diseases, diabetes, stroke, lung cancer, other cancers, and more. The risk of dual morbidity, and how symptoms of one disease aggravate the other, maybe particularly severe.
You may ask: and what about the fact that smoking has a calming effect, helps reducing anxiety and stress?
We are sorry to burst this bubble, but it is a myth. Research has demonstrated that people who smoke are at higher stress levels than those who do not smoke. The supposedly calming effect of smoking is a misguided feeling that develops between smoking one cigarette and the other, created by the yearning for nicotine.
The good news is that it’s never too late to quit smoking, the sooner- the better.
This is also the place to mention that you should avoid passive smoking as much as possible. Avoid staying in smoky areas, stay away from smokers, and do not agree for people to smoke in your vicinity.
This content is provided for your general education and information only. It does not necessarily reflect Belong’s views and opinions. Belong does not endorse or support any specific product, service, or treatment.
