In recent times there has been an increase in incidence of smoking.
Studies have shown that cigarette smoking exerts multiple effects on the thyroid gland. Cigarette smoke has a variety of toxins that may affect your thyroid. One of the components of tobacco is cyanide which, when smoked, is converted to the chemical thiocyanate.
Effect of Smoking on Thyroid Gland
Thiocyanate cause:
- Disruption of iodine uptake
- Blockage of the production of thyroid hormones.
- Smoking can cause elevated thyroxine (T4) levels
- Also cause a slight decrease in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.
Besides it may increase the risk of disease development in case, reduce the effectiveness of treatment, and eventually induce relapse.
If not stopped, the persistent inflammation caused by cigarette smoking can result in the enlargement of the gland itself, which is of concern to people living with Graves’ or Hashimoto’s disease.
Side Effects of Smoking
Graves’ disease, a form of autoimmune hyperthyroidism characterized by thyroid enlargement (goitre), occurs twice as frequently in smokers. Moreover, in person living with the disease, smoking is associated with faster disease progression, the deterioration of symptoms, and a poorer response to thyroid treatment.
The association between smoking and Hashimoto’s disease, is not clearly defined. It is visible that smoking appears to further diminish thyroid function while spurring the development of goiter, particularly in iodine-deficient people
Thyroid cancer is today the eighth most common cancer in women. While smoking is a risk factor, as it is with lung and throat cancer. Smoking can increase the risk of metastasis, spreading cancer beyond the site of the tumor to other parts of the body.
Whatever perceived benefits cigarettes offers smokers in comparison to the benefits of stopping. In the end, there is no overlooking the fact that smoking will only
- Worsen thyroid symptoms
- Speed the progression of your disease, and
- Make your thyroid treatment all the less effective.
This rule stands for types of thyroid disease.