smoking
Psoriasis has been linked to different causes. One of these causes is smoking and it is thought that there is a relationship between smoking and psoriasis and that smoking may be a trigger.
Stopping smoking reduces the risk but does not erase the risk of damage done. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of a child developing psoriasis and so too are children who are exposed to a smoking environment at risk of developing psoriasis.
 |
The advice of all doctors would be to stop smoking, try not to inhale second-hand smoke and definitely do not start smoking. The removal of smoke can only help the psoriasis condition and certainly can help to prevent psoriasis from developing. Smoking has a tendency to worsen psoriasis. If however you already smoke then try to stop as it will only aggravate your psoriasis further. By stopping smoking there is a tendency that the psoriasis lesions will go away very quickly. If you are a heavy smoker, then it would be advisable to stop smoking in stages otherwise you may bring too much stress to your body which in turn may result in further outbreaks. |
Apart from using patches and gum there are other ways to stop smoking such as:
Acupuncture is a commonly used therapy to help people stop smoking.
St Johns Wort – although the herb St John’s Wort is used primarily for depression/anxiety it is thought it may also help people to stop smoking. Before embarking on a course of St John’s Wort it would be advisable to discuss your thoughts with your doctor first.
Ginseng has been shown to prevent the nicotine-induced release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is what makes people feel good after smoking and is part of the addiction process.
Hypnotherapy can be an effective way of stopping smoking.
It would be advisable to discuss with your doctor a suitable regime for you to follow to assist you in stopping smoking: it would not be advisable to give up whilst suffering with psoriasis without first discussing it with your doctor.
Information written by the talkhealth medical panel
Last Reviewed: 17 January 2011
Next Review Date: 17 January 2013
