How Smoking Increases Your Hepatitis Risk

As you probably already know, smoking can cause lung and skin problems, and it’s a major factor in several types of cancer. But that’s not the whole story. 

If you’ve been smoking for years and are now dealing with bloating around your belly or noticing your skin or eyes turning yellow, smoking could be behind that too.

Yes, smoking has been linked to hepatitis. The trouble with all types of hepatitis is that they creep up on you, often going unnoticed until the pain in your chest starts getting worse.

If you’re spotting any hepatitis symptoms, it’s best to get yourself checked by a doctor straight away.

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Keep reading to find out how smoking raises your risk of hepatitis and what other factors play a part, aside from tobacco.

Compromises the Immune System

A weak immune system makes you more likely to develop any type of hepatitis.

Constant exposure to cigarette smoke weakens your immune system, and when that happens, your body’s left defenceless against harmful substances, germs, and changes in your cells that could make you ill. 

Smoking and drinking alcohol tend to go hand in hand, and together they can do a number on your liver. If your liver isn’t working properly, it can lead to serious diseases. 

After all, the liver’s main job is to filter your blood, keep your metabolism ticking along, and store your vitamins and minerals. When your liver’s struggling, your immune system takes a hit as well.

You’re probably aware that cigarette smoke has over 7,000 harmful chemicals, and they can reduce your body’s ability to make antibodies that fight off viruses and bacteria, including the ones that cause hepatitis. 

So, the best way to give your immune system a fighting chance is to quit smoking.

Liver Cell Damage

If you’re a regular smoker, you’re flooding your body with free radicals. These are harmful little chemicals that can seriously mess up your liver and even cause it to shut down.

Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that cause oxidative stress as they try to stabilise themselves. This can damage not just your liver, but other organs too. 

Your liver, being the body’s main filter for all those chemicals from cigarette smoke, is especially at risk from oxidative stress. 

When your liver tries to heal, it often swells or gets inflamed, which is why you might feel bloated and uncomfortable.

Now that you know this, carrying on smoking is a bit like playing with fire. The more you smoke, the more oxidative stress builds up, keeping your liver in a constant state of inflammation. 

Over time, this can turn into cirrhosis—a potentially deadly condition.

Other Factors That Increase the Risk of Hepatitis

The effects of smoking on the liver demonstrate how it increases the risk of contracting diseases of all kinds. If you’re also doing any of the following, you might expect your liver to function poorly or be severely damaged.

Drug Abuse

Drugs that contain opioids are known to weaken the immune system. By smoking and consuming other dangerous substances, the body becomes prone to many infections as the liver progresses towards severe cirrhosis and, later on, organ failure.

Excessive Alcohol Consumption

As mentioned, smoking and drinking cause permanent damage to the liver if done simultaneously over a long period. 

When alcohol is consumed, it is primarily metabolised in the liver. Enzymes in the liver break it down and create chemicals that cause severe liver cell damage. 

Moreover, continuous consumption of alcohol increases the amount of free radicals in your body. Combined with the volume of oxidative stress cigarettes produce, your liver is at high risk of inflammation and long-term damage.

Unsanitary Food Preparation

It’s important to know where you’re sourcing your food or if your favourite restaurant is sanitary – especially if you love eating sushi or lightly cooked meats.

Many cases of hepatitis-A originate from food stored and prepared in unsanitary conditions and handled without proper care. 

If you love eating from markets, unlicensed food trucks, or that old little take away joint with the weird smell, think twice before doing so, especially if you’ve been smoking for years.

Does Vaping Also Increase Your Hepatitis Risk?

Unfortunately, there are very few studies on how vaping affects the liver.

Nicotine vaping products (NVPs) are believed to be safer than smoking because they don’t expose you to the thousands of dangerous chemicals in cigarettes. But that level of safety depends on where you buy your vapes.

Illegal under-the-counter NVPs from corner stores, tobacconists, and other establishments contain enormous traces of lead and nickel, two dangerous metals that are gravely toxic to the human body.

These illicit NVPs are made for maximum profit by parties unconcerned about your wellness and health in unsanitary environments without any regard for acceptable standards (let alone medical standards).

NVPs from Pharmacies

On the other hand, NVPs that you can buy from pharmacies are manufactured and distributed like other trusted medicines. They’re only available through a prescription and as a second means to stop smoking in a smoking cessation programme.

NVP products sold in pharmacies are made under stringent pharmaceutical standards on the manufacturing process and ingredients, are toxicologically assessed for inhalation, are locally insured, and are specifically designed to help you stop smoking.

Furthermore, they’re much better than nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products. The latest Cochrane Review found high-certainty evidence that NVPs are more effective than NRT in helping people stop smoking.

Summary

Smoking is a preventable burden that also increases your risk of developing one of the worst diseases in the world. By stopping smoking, along with changing your habits and lifestyle, you can significantly lower the risk of having hepatitis. 

If you’re reading this because you feel that smoking and hepatitis are closely related, we hope this information has helped you in many ways. Also, if you’re struggling to quit smoking, we can help.

Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around! 

If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good.

Link Reference:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5352117/
• https://ccr.cancer.gov/news/article/new-insights-into-why-smoking-causes-fatty-liver-disease
• https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2021-01/LancioniC-W21-Plein_2017_opioids_immunity_review.pdf
• https://www.bbc.com/news/health-65614078
• https://www.cochrane.org/news/latest-cochrane-review-finds-high-certainty-evidence-nicotine-e-cigarettes-are-more-effective