The relationship between cigarette smoking and MS (susceptibility & progression) and whether vaping/e-cigarettes are better options.
Smoking can be a significant risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis (MS) and experiencing secondary progressive MS.
MS is a chronic and debilitating disease that affects the central nervous system. It’s a disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath, a fatty coating in the central nervous system.
One of the effects of smoking is an increase in the chances of developing MS. If you or someone you know is a smoker with MS, or you're curious about the connection between cigarette smoking and MS, you've come to the right place.
In this article, we'll examine the relationship between cigarette smoking and MS susceptibility, the link between smoking and MS disease progression, and whether vaping and e-cigarettes are better options.
Link between smoking and MS susceptibility
How smoking increases the risk of MS has not been thoroughly studied. However, there are many ways in which smoking may contribute to MS prevalence.
Numerous studies have investigated the link between tobacco use and MS susceptibility.
All these studies prove that smoking cessation (and avoiding passive smoking) is one of the effective ways a person can reduce their risk of developing MS. If you already have MS, quitting smoking can help reduce the worsening of symptoms, improve quality of life, and slow the progression of multiple sclerosis.
Link between smoking and MS disease progression
Growing evidence suggests that smoking is linked not only to MS susceptibility, but also to progression of multiple sclerosis. Smoking exacerbates inflammation, which may worsen MS symptoms and cause disability progression. A study found that smoking increased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in MS patients, which may contribute to disease activity.
Another mechanism by which smoking may contribute to MS progression is its effects on oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the body's ability to detoxify them, leading to damage to cells and tissues.
A prospective cohort study investigated the association between lifestyle factors (including smoking) and disease progression. Smoking is associated with a higher risk of disease progression, and staying smoke-free is associated with a slower rate of disease progression.
What about vaping & e-cigarettes?
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vaping have become increasingly popular in recent years, and many speculations about their potential health effects exist. While research on the link between vaping/e-cigarettes and MS is limited, some evidence suggests that they also may be linked to MS susceptibility and disease progression. This is because vaping has been shown to increase oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, which may contribute to MS progression.
Given the potential link between vaping, MS susceptibility, and disease progression, MS patients who use e-cigarettes or vape are encouraged to quit and to seek support from their healthcare providers.
Resources to help you quit smoking
Additional tips to help improve your MS symptoms & slow disease progression
Diet and exercise
Regular exercise can also play a significant role in managing MS symptoms. It can help improve strength, balance, and overall mobility, as well as reduce fatigue, depression, and other common MS symptoms. Research has also shown that a healthy, nutrient-dense diet rich in Vitamin D, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, which may contribute to MS symptoms.
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Support groups
It can be empowering and educational to be around others who also have MS. Many people develop relationships with people they wouldn’t have otherwise met outside of the support group. If you are interested in finding groups in your area, we recommend nationalmssociety.org.
Symptom tracking
Tracking your symptoms is helpful for you and your doctor to understand progression and/or improvement of symptoms — something that’s especially useful when you are on infusion therapy. There are many free apps (like Aby) that can assist with making symptom tracking easier. Having an app on your phone makes it easy to share any new or changing symptoms with your provider when you are at your appointments.