Does smoking increase my risk of rheumatoid arthritis?

Yes, smoking is linked to the development of rheumatoid arthritis, particularly for people who have smoked 20 years or longer.

Smokers also have an increased risk of more-severe rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, they may be less likely to experience remission.

Smoking decreases the effectiveness of some drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and can be a barrier to engaging in activities that may relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, such as exercise.

The exact reason why smoking is linked to rheumatoid arthritis isn’t well-understood, but researchers think that smoking stirs up faulty immune functioning if you already have certain genetic factors that make you more likely to develop RA.

The exact cause of RA remains a mystery. Your genes and hormones can play a part in the development of RA. Bacteria, viruses, and other potential infectious agents might also play a role in the disease.

Environmental factors, such as air pollution or insecticides, may also contribute to RA. Smoking is also an environmental factor.

Smoking can also interfere with the effectiveness of your RA medications or other treatments. Smoking may make it more difficult to incorporate an exercise program into your treatment plan. If you need surgery, smoking may increase the chances of complications. It can affect anesthesia and drug metabolism, as well as your heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. Nonsmokers also seem to do better after surgery.

 

Many people with rheumatoid arthritis aren’t aware that smoking makes their condition worse, so they don’t see it as a reason to quit. Plus, there are factors unique to rheumatoid arthritis that may make it more challenging to quit smoking. These factors include the idea that smoking is a distraction that helps people cope with the pain of rheumatoid arthritis and feelings of isolation and lack of support.

But quitting smoking is important for your overall health too. Along with increasing rheumatoid arthritis risks, smoking also ups your odds of:

• Lung and other cancers
• Stroke
• Respiratory disease
• Cardiovascular disease
• Osteoporosis
• loss of appetite
• extreme fatigue
• dryness, extreme sensitivity, or pain in your eyes
• skin nodules
• inflamed blood vessels

If you have rheumatoid arthritis and smoke, quitting could have numerous benefits. Talk to your doctor about strategies to help you quit.