Do Cigarettes Help With Inflammatory Bowel?

Cigarette smoking has been constantly linked to many illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and many more. But what if someone told you that cigarettes can actually help with a particular type of inflammatory bowel disease?

It may come as a surprise, but recent studies have shown that smoking cigarettes may pose a positive effect on ulcerative colitis or UC, one of the known inflammatory bowel diseases or IBDs today. And the main reason behind this is nicotine, a highly addictive chemical found in tobacco leaves.

Get to know more about the findings behind the recently discovered positive effects of smoking on individuals suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. Additionally, unpack the most common inflammatory bowel diseases adults may attain and if cigarette smoke can truly help.

Do Cigarettes Really Help With Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

Before knowing whether cigarettes can really help with inflammatory bowel diseases, you must first know established facts about these tobacco products.

Cigarettes, as we all know, are primarily composed of tobacco leaves, which are the main source of nicotine. These leaves are then paired with chemical additives, a filter, and paper wrapping.

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They may seem harmless, but once burned, the tobacco generates more than 7,000 chemicals. Out of this number of chemicals, a small percentage of them are known to cause cancer. They also cause other illnesses like heart disease, lung disease, and other serious health problems.

Despite the health risks associated with smoking, many adults around the world still cling to tobacco products. One primary reason behind this is nicotine.

Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical naturally released by tobacco. Since cigarettes contain tobacco, they can release this particular chemical whenever you smoke it. One thing nicotine does to your body is create a temporary sensation of well-being and relaxation. It also increases your heart rate as well as the amount of oxygen your heart consumes.

Whenever nicotine enters your body, it causes a surge of endorphins. They are chemicals intended to relieve stress and pain as well as improve your overall mood.

All these feelings, however, are temporary and short-lived. And as you smoke more cigarettes, their nicotine alters the way your brain works until you eventually crave more of the chemical. As time passes, you will find yourself depending on nicotine as your main way to relax.

Given the effects of nicotine, it’s safe to say that most adult smokers want its soothing effects, pushing them to smoke cigarettes until they get their nicotine fix. However, they put themselves at risk of attaining diseases and encountering health problems.

Interestingly enough, nicotine has been said to affect inflammatory bowel diseases in different ways.

IBD is a chronic condition that involves severe inflammation of the digestive tract lining. Some notable symptoms of IBD are weight loss, anemia, bloody diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever, severe ulceration, and loss of appetite. Today, there are two types of IBD: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

One thing that’s been recently found to be a positive effect of nicotine from cigarettes is it can somehow help with the prevention of ulcerative colitis. Alternatively, cigarette smoking can generate adverse health effects for those with Crohn’s disease. 

Is Smoking Good for Ulcerative Colitis?

There is a lot of research about tobacco smoking that’s been done for many years. Most of them would point to cigarette smoking as a way to get harmful illnesses like cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and many more. One source behind this is the smoke cigarettes produce whenever they are lit.

Recent studies, however, have pointed out a new perspective on cigarette smoking.

Ulcerative colitis is one of the two types of inflammatory bowel diseases. When you smoke cigarettes, an analysis from 2012 has found that your chances of receiving a UC diagnosis are low. Additionally, heavy smokers may be less likely to develop UC than light smokers. Former smokers may even develop this particular disease much later than those who have never smoked. 

Additionally, current smokers who already have UC are known to boast a milder form of the condition than former smokers and non-smokers.

The reason behind all these findings? Nicotine.

Nicotine, as mentioned earlier, is a chemical that provides a soothing sensation to the mind and senses. However, it is only one of the many effects of the highly addictive chemical. 

When you smoke cigarettes, nicotine may be able to prevent the release of inflammation-producing cells in your digestive tract. Consequently, it helps prevent your immune system from mistakenly attacking your healthy cells in the intestines.

The overall interaction of nicotine with the gut microbiome, based on a 2020 research, maybe the main reason why the substance can help in somehow preventing or delaying UC diagnoses among adults.

Regardless of the positive connection between cigarette smoking and UC, it’s still not recommended to opt for cigarettes to either prevent or treat the said illness. Even though nicotine is said to help prevent inflammation-producing cells from being released in your digestive tract, it is not the only substance you get from smoking cigarettes.

Even at a small percentage, the cancer-causing and hazardous chemicals found in tobacco smoke can easily damage your body systems for the rest of your life. Additionally, smokers who have UC tend to stay in hospitals for longer than those who don’t smoke cigarettes. 

So, if you truly want to save yourself from health risks related to cigarettes, you may want to start with your quit-smoking plan as early as possible.

What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and ulcers in your digestive tract. It often affects the colour, or the innermost lining of your large intestine, and rectum. Most of the time, its symptoms develop gradually rather than suddenly. 

This particular type of IBD may occasionally cause life-threatening complications. Unfortunately, UC doesn’t have a cure yet. But there are several innovative treatments available that can hugely reduce its symptoms and potentially achieve long-term remission. 

Some known symptoms of UC include diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, cramping, rectal pain, urgency to defecate, and an inability to defecate despite the urgency. A person with UC may also experience weight loss, fatigue, and fever. 

Most individuals with this type of IBD experience mild to moderate symptoms. The clinical course of the disease can be unpredictable, with some experiencing the signs and symptoms for an extended period before they go away.

Once you develop ulcerative colitis, you might be thinking why you got it. The exact cause of this illness, however, remains elusive. One plausible explanation behind this is immune system malfunction. 

When your immune system attempts to combat an invading virus or bacterium, an abnormal immune response may lead it to mistakenly attack the cells lining the digestive tract.

Heredity also appears to be the main cause of developing ulcerative colitis since it is more prevalent among individuals with family members who have the disease. However, most people with ulcerative colitis often don’t have a family history of the condition.

If your bowel habits have changed drastically, you should see your healthcare provider right away. You must also do the same thing if you manifest signs like abdominal pain, blood in your stool, ongoing diarrhea that doesn’t respond to nonprescription medications, diarrhea that awakens you from sleep, and an unexplained fever that lasts more than a day or two.

Even though UC is generally not fatal, it is still considered a serious disease. In some cases, its symptoms and signs may even be life-threatening. Therefore, it’s advisable to consult a doctor, regardless of how mild your symptoms may appear.

Crohn’s Disease and Smoking

While cigarette smoking can be somehow helpful in preventing UC diagnosis, it tells a different story for Crohn’s disease.

Generally, cigarette smoking has been found to pose detrimental effects on individuals with this particular type of IBD. As a matter of fact, those who smoke cigarettes may even have a higher chance of developing the disease than those who don’t smoke. Cigarette smokers may also experience more severe symptoms of Crohn’s disease, leading to a poor quality of life. 

More relapses are likewise expected by individuals suffering from the disease if they smoke regularly.

Additionally, smoking reduces the effectiveness of medical treatments, which then slows down the rate of putting the disease into remission. Lastly, it pushes you to require more medicines or surgery.

So, basically, smoking cigarettes puts individuals at risk of developing Crohn’s disease. It can also influence its disease course negatively since you may have to take extra steps just to prevent the said condition from recurring and slowly damaging your critical body parts.

Do remember that smoking cigarettes doesn’t directly cause Crohn’s disease. This type of IBD is generally caused by genes and immune system issues. Smoking cigarettes only puts you at an increased risk of getting the disease. It also makes the signs and symptoms of the disease harder to treat.

Want to see big improvements in your Crohn’s disease symptoms? Then start your smoking cessation journey right away. When you stop smoking, you’re not only helping yourself decrease your chance of battling this type of IBD forever, but it also saves you from contracting other illnesses and diseases that are even more dangerous than Crohn’s disease.

Quitting smoking may likewise improve your life in general since you don’t have to depend on nicotine for your much-needed relaxing sensation. 

After days or even weeks of ditching cigarettes, you’ll feel your senses returning to normal as well as your mind and body becoming stronger than ever before. You only need to watch out for any withdrawal symptoms that may occur during your smoking cessation journey.

At this time, you need to depend on nicotine replacement therapy products, support groups, counselling, and other ways to help you completely veer away from cigarettes.

Now, are you curious about other health risks associated with smoking cigarettes? What about their brief historical background? Learn 10 facts about cigarettes today!

What is Chron’s Disease?

Crohn’s disease is a type of IBD that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. The extent of inflammation varies among individuals. However, most patients diagnosed with this disease experience symptoms like belly pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition.

This particular disease typically affects the small intestine’s end and the large intestine’s beginning, which then spreads into deeper layers of the bowel. Given the scope of the affected areas, this disease can eventually be painful and debilitating, which can sometimes result in serious or life-threatening complications.

Similar to ulcerative colitis, Chron’s disease also has no cure. The only way to reduce symptoms, achieve long-term remission, and heal inflammation is through therapies. 

Some notable symptoms of Chron’s disease include diarrhea, fever, fatigue, abdominal pain and cramping, blood in the stool, mouth sores, reduced appetite, and weight loss. In severe cases, inflammation can lead to fistulas, which cause pain or drainage near the anus. 

Symptoms can range from mild to severe and typically develop gradually, although sudden onset without warning is possible. Remission periods may also occur.

Beyond intestinal symptoms, severe Crohn’s disease can cause inflammation in the skin, eyes, joints, liver or bile ducts, kidney stones, and anemia. In children, delayed growth or sexual development may also occur.

The exact cause of Crohn’s disease remains elusive. Genes, however, are a significant factor. Having one or more genes associated with the disease may increase an individual’s susceptibility to developing Crohn’s disease.

Another crucial factor is the immune system. It’s most likely that bacteria, viruses, or other environmental factors can trigger the disease. 

For instance, certain bacteria in the gut microbiome are suspected to be associated with Crohn’s disease, but the truth behind this association is still unknown. When the immune system attempts to fight off an invading microorganism or environmental trigger, an atypical immune response can cause the immune system to mistakenly attack the cells in the digestive tract, potentially leading to the development of Crohn’s disease.

Risk for developing Crohn’s disease

As stated earlier, the exact cause of developing Crohn’s disease is still unknown. The only known factors that can lead to the development of the illness are genes and the immune system.

To help you better understand whether you might develop Crohn’s disease or not, here are some risk factors for the said illness.

• Family history: If you have a first-degree relative like a parent or sibling with Crohn’s disease, then it increases your risk of developing Crohn’s disease. It’s said that up to 1 in 5 people with Crohn’s disease has a family member with the disease.
• Age: Crohn’s disease may occur at any age. However, it’s common in young individuals. Most people who were diagnosed with this illness are under 30 years old.
• Ethnicity: While Crohn’s disease can generally affect any ethnic group, white people, particularly those of Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish descent, have the highest risk. But, the incidence of Crohn’s disease is gradually rising among Black people in North America and the United Kingdom. Many individuals among the Middle Eastern population and migrants to the United States have likewise developed this type of IBD.
• Cigarette smoking: Smoking is considered the most significant modifiable risk factor for developing Crohn’s disease. It also causes more severe disease. It even puts one at a higher risk of surgery.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs): NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, and diclofenac sodium may worsen Crohn’s disease as they could cause bowel inflammation. 

The sad reality behind Crohn’s disease is it cannot be prevented. The only thing you can do is to treat its symptoms with medications, which help in reducing inflammation and calming the immune response. Nutrition and surgery may also be necessary to manage complications.

The symptoms can likewise be managed by avoiding triggers, eating smaller meals, and quitting smoking. After all, quitting smoking cigarettes has been perceived as the most effective way to reduce your risk of experiencing flare-ups and complications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do cigarettes help with IBS?

No. Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS causes your gastrointestinal tract to become very sensitive and susceptible to triggers like tobacco. Smoking cigarettes will only cause heartburn and reflux. It can likewise worsen your IBS symptoms like recurrent abdominal pain and alterations in bowel movements.

Do cigarettes help with inflammatory bowel house?

It depends. While cigarettes are not recommended for treating inflammatory bowel diseases, they have been found to somehow delay the diagnosis and development of ulcerative colitis. In a way, these tobacco products can help individuals who may be at risk of developing UC. They, however, won’t help in treating or delaying Crohn’s disease. They can make their symptoms worse.

Does smoking reduce inflammation?

No. Smoking doesn’t reduce inflammation in your body. Instead, it increases body inflammation as it promotes the growth of pro-inflammatory bacteria. In contrast, non-smokers have higher levels of anti-inflammatory microorganisms, which produce short-chain fatty acids with anti-inflammatory properties.

Do cigarettes treat irritable bowel syndrome?

While nicotine in cigarettes aids in preventing the release of inflammation-producing cells in your digestive tract, it is insufficient to treat irritable bowel syndrome. In fact, certain studies have revealed that cigarette smokers still experience IBS symptoms such as diarrhea, urgency, and flatulence. 

Summary

Despite the perceived health risks of cigarette smoking, recent studies have found that it can somehow help inflammatory bowel disease by preventing ulcerative colitis from occurring than those who are not smoking. Heavy smokers who have UC may then experience milder symptoms than non-smokers.

However, smoking cigarettes may worsen Crohn’s disease symptoms. It is also still not considered a major treatment for UC. After all, cigarettes still produce tar and other dangerous chemicals that cause other illnesses like cancer, lung disease, and heart disease.

To reduce the risk of developing Crohn’s disease and improve its symptoms, it would be better to quit smoking. Smoking cessation is also necessary to save you from developing more life-threatening diseases and symptoms.