Schizophrenia And Smoking!! What’s The Connection?

One of the most complex mental disorders – Schizophrenia, involves chronic and severe disabling in the brain. The cause for this illness is still unknown, though researchers believe that this chemical imbalance is multifactorially inherited, which means that there are many factors involved for its cause.  A combination of genes from parents and other factors that contribute to its development are genetic, behavioral and environmental.

According to WHO, Schizophrenia affects about 24 million people worldwide. Men and women are equally affected; however its symptoms appear earlier in men than in women.  Usually men are affected in early teens or 20s, whereas women suffer from it during 20s or early 30s. Children suffer from the same symptoms as adults, although they only experience auditory hallucinations early on. Other symptoms appear later in their mid-adolescence or older.

According to a new research, 75 % of the people suffering from schizophrenia smoke. This is a rate thrice as much as the smokers in the general population. Moreover, Schizophrenics inhale more deeply and smoke more frequently than the smokers in general.

Scientists think that nicotine in tobacco may contribute in reducing the symptoms of schizophrenia temporarily. People with this condition are not consciously aware of this addiction, that by smoking they are actually self-medicating. The bad luck however is, that it increases other risk factors like cancer, lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and early death.

Consulting a doctor is important before concluding the symptoms to be schizophrenic, as they may look similar to conditions in other mental disorders.  A psychiatrics then participate in a comprehensive set of mental health evaluation to determine the best treatment for the patient.