How does smoking affect eczema?

    Last Updated: October 25, 2023

    Both active smoking and secondhand smoke exposure increase the risk of atopic dermatitis.[1] Smoking has the potential to disrupt the healthy functioning of the immune system, both aggravating pathogenic (potentially disease-causing) immune responses and impairing protective ones.[2] Prenatal exposure to smoking wasn’t associated with atopic dermatitis risk in general but has been in studies conducted in Asia.[3][1] The reason for this discrepancy is unknown.

    References

    1. ^Robert Kantor, Ashley Kim, Jacob P Thyssen, Jonathan I SilverbergAssociation of atopic dermatitis with smoking: A systematic review and meta-analysisJ Am Acad Dermatol.(2016 Dec)
    2. ^Feifei Qiu, Chun-Ling Liang, Huazhen Liu, Yu-Qun Zeng, Shaozhen Hou, Song Huang, Xiaoping Lai, Zhenhua DaiImpacts of cigarette smoking on immune responsiveness: Up and down or upside down?Oncotarget.(2017 Jan 3)
    3. ^Yu Ting Ng, Fook Tim ChewA systematic review and meta-analysis of risk factors associated with atopic dermatitis in AsiaWorld Allergy Organ J.(2020 Nov 2)