Smoking and CMT by Dr. Greg

[Guest guest]

Dear ers,

Since the topic of smoking and CMT came up, I pulled the article

below from our Files section to make it easier for all to read. As

you know, Dr. is one of a small handful of USA doctors who

specialize in CMT. As I re-read this article, I discovered it also

mentioned 'the bladder' - and since this has been a current topic,

thought I would post this. ~ Gretchen

The following is part of an article on the topic:

CMT and Smoking by T. , M.D.

Medical Director, Providence Rehabilitation Hospital

Chehalis, WA, U.S.A.

Smoking and CMT

Smoking tobacco can also be harmful as the products in the tobacco

can harm the nerves and close down the capillaries. If you think you

have cold hands and feet all the time, talk to a person who has CMT

and smokes.

Let's talk about some of the things smoking cigarettes does to your

body with particular attention to CMT. The heart and lungs take the

biggest brunt of cigarette smoking. The respiratory (breathing)

system is amazingly well-designed and can put up with unbelievable

assaults but years of inhaling carbon and tar-laced smoke can

oftentimes be too much. Lung cancer, although still relatively

uncommon, occurs at a much higher rate in smokers. The more

concerning and extremely common problem in long-term smokers is

emphysema, also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

(COPD). This is really a problem with the airways (bronchi). The

bronchi become inflamed from the smoke, which paralyzes the ability

of small air-like cells in the bronchial walls to clear mucus and

bacteria. This leads to permanent damage and explains why smokers are

so prone to chronic bronchitis.

In the end stage of COPD, the lungs also become damaged and

overinflated giving people a " barrel chested " appearance. Death from

COPD is horrid with a chronic air hunger that cannot be satisfied. I

have witnessed it hundreds of times in my patients. This is made even

worse in CMT since the phrenic nerve, which controls breathing, is

affected. So take everything I just said and multiply it by ten.

Next, let's look at the heart and vascular system. Although these

systems are not directly affected by CMT, damage to them can decrease

blood flow to vital structures, like nerves, which are involved.

Nicotine is a direct cardiac stimulant and also works through

adrenaline. This puts a demand on your heart making it pump harder

into a vascular system that is " clamping down " from the nicotine

which is making your blood vessels constrict. The result:

hypertension, peripheral vascular disease and coronary artery

disease. The secondary effects: strokes, heart attacks, limb

amputation.

Now put that into the context of CMT. The decreased blood flow to the

arms and legs can further cause damage by limiting the amount of

oxygen that gets to the nerves. Chronic vasoconstriction eventually

causes permanent clogging of the arteries known as peripheral

vascular disease (PVD). This can lead to the development of ischemic

ulcers (open sores) which can get infected and gangrenous, possibly

leading to limb amputation. People with CMT are already at risk for

neuropathic ulcers, so this is an extremely dangerous situation. Many

people with CMT complain of cold hands and feet which can be greatly

worsened by cigarette smoking.

The genitourinary system is also affected by smoking which can

increase the risk for bladder cancer. Smoking can also lead to

impotence in men by cutting down the blood flow to the penis,

impairing erectile function which may already be impaired by CMT.

This article was meant to be a brief highlight of some of the perils

of cigarette smoking with particular attention to CMT. There are so

many health problems associated with smoking that it would take a

large book to cover them all, and we didn't even talk about second-

hand smoke or chewing tobacco.

In closing let me give you some simple and free advice that may be

the most important words you ever hear from a doctor: Don't start

smoking. If you already smoke, do whatever it takes to quit (it isn't

easy, I suggest formal addiction recovery programs), and if you live

with someone who smokes, get them to quit because second-hand smoke

is harming your health.