4 Ways Smoking Harms Your Immunity

4 Ways Smoking Harms Your Immunity

Your immune system is one of the most important systems in the human body. It is a network of organs, tissues, and cells that act as the body’s defense system. It defends the body against germs, bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause illness and disease.

Among numerous ways that smoking is detrimental to the body, one major concern is the harm it causes your immune system. Below are 4 ways that smoking harms your immunity.

Higher Risk of Respiratory Infections

Smoking negatively affects the immune system in many different ways. One way is that smoking increases the risk of developing many different types of respiratory illnesses, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Tobacco smoke has immune-suppressing effects.

The nicotine present in tobacco smoke is a major immunosuppressant. It inhibits the body’s immune response that is present from birth and it also inhibits the immune responses that the body adapts to during life. When cigarette smoke enters the lungs, it causes damage to the delicate lung tissues. This damage leaves the lung at a higher risk of developing respiratory infections – sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1782971/;

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC404586/; https://www.news-medical.net/health/Effects-of-Tobacco-on-the-Immune-System.aspx.

More Frequent Infections and Prolonged Illness

Smoking damages and destroys antibodies within the bloodstream. Antibodies typically help fight infections and illnesses. Smokers have fewer of these antibodies available within their bodies. With fewer antibodies, they may experience more severe infections. With infections being more severe and the lack of antibodies, smokers will remain sicker for longer durations than non-smokers

(https://www.parkview.com/well-being/smoking-cessation/how-smoking-affects-the-body#:~:text=Smoking%20causes%20inflammation%20in%20the,that%20can%20make%20breathing%20hard.)

Wounds and injuries will also take longer to heal for smokers than for non-smokers. Nicotine found in cigarette smoke causes arteries to spasm and narrow. This narrowing causes less blood to reach the areas that contain the infection.

With less blood available the infection will have fewer nutrients needed for the healing process. Sometimes medications and antibiotics are needed for treating an infection. The decreased blood flow will prevent the needed amount of medication to reach the infected area also prolonging the infection.

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Fewer Available Antioxidants

Smoking destroys antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants are compounds found in the body that help protect cells from damage. Antioxidants sources can be natural or artificial. A variety of foods such as fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant we derive from food. It is important to the body because it helps keep the skin healthy and maintain good blood flow

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3755630/#:~:text=The%20burning%20of%20a%20cigarette,ultimately%20promote%20an%20inflammatory%20response.)

The body depletes its stores of vitamin C in smokers trying to fight off the effects of smoking. The body also produces antioxidants. Lastly, exogenous antioxidants are that come from outside the body.
WebMD reports that Antioxidants help kill free radicals which are the cells responsible for causing cancer. The oxidants found in cigarette smoke overtake the antioxidant defenses in the lungs. These facts help support the reasons to eat a balanced, healthy diet to boost antioxidant levels in the body.

Autoimmunity

Smoking weakens the immune response when it comes to fighting off and healing infections. Smoking can also cause the body’s immune system to turn against its own cells. Smokers who experience severe or chronic lung disease may suffer from autoimmune responses in the body. This indicates the body’s immune systems are attacking the lung tissue.

(cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/50th-anniversary/pdfs/fs_smoking_overall_health_508.pdf)

The CDC further reports that since smoking suppresses the availability of antioxidants in the body then oxidative stress produced. This stress can lead to the development of autoimmune conditions. Some examples of autoimmune diseases are lupus, sarcoidosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Some autoimmune diseases can in turn cause certain lung diseases. This shows that if smoking in itself does not cause lung damage and disease then the autoimmune response from smoking could. In summary, smoking is detrimental to the body’s health in numerous ways.

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