CORRELATION OF SEVERITY OF SMOKING WITH THE SENSORY NEUROPATHY IN APPARENTLY HEALTHY ADULT MALE SMOKERS

Dr Jyoti Arora; Dr S.K.Sadawarte; Dr Jyotsna Gumashta

Volume : VII, Issue : V, May - 2018

CORRELATION OF SEVERITY OF SMOKING WITH THE SENSORY NEUROPATHY IN APPARENTLY HEALTHY ADULT MALE SMOKERS

Dr Jyoti Arora, Dr S. K. Sadawarte, Dr Jyotsna Gumashta

Abstract :

Tobacco smoke is a toxic mix of more than 7,000 chemicals.Some of the chemicals in cigarette smoke/bidi like nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, cyanide etc. are toxic to the peripheral nerves. Previous studies have found neuropathy in COPD patients but very few studies were done in smokers to find out the nerve damage. In smokers, nerve damage is not diagnosed until the appearance of symptoms and is not yet an established fact. We performed Nerve Conduction Study(NCS) on sensory nerves of both upper and lower limbs among mild, moderate and heavy smokers as well as in non–smokers. The results of SNCV were found within normal values among smokers but when the results were compared with the non–smokers, it showed significant reduction in all the parameters of Sensory nerve conduction study and distal latency was the most affected parameter in heavy smokers. The results have also revealed dose–response relationship with the smoking. In the study, all the cases of neural dysfunction are sub–clinical in nature. These results make a strong foundation for future neuropathic changes in apparently healthy adult male smokers as observed in different studies in COPD patients.