Melanosis In Smokers: Symptoms And Treatment
Melanosis in smokers is just one of the potential dangers of smoking. We all know that being a smoker brings with it many problems. It is very harmful to health, although people are not aware of all the health problems that can be linked to this habit, apart from lung cancer.
Melanosis consists of dark spots that occur on the skin and mucous membranes. It is a benign process, but people confuse it with much more complex processes such as oral cancer. Both situations are first characterized by dark spots in the mouth.
Researchers currently estimate that around 8 million people die each year as a result of smoking. Moreover, it not only affects the smoker but can also affect the health of everyone around them.
The number of smokers continues to increase worldwide, and perhaps the reason for this is that the population is not fully aware of all its negative effects yet. Therefore, in this article we will explain what melanosis in smokers is and how it should be treated.
What is melanosis in smokers?
As we have already mentioned, melanosis is characterized by the presence of dark spots in the mouth, mainly on the gums. It is a benign and reversible condition. According to researchers, it is entirely due to smoking.
This means that there are no genetic factors that affect the occurrence of these spots. In addition, although the main cause is smoking, they can also be caused by chewing tobacco.
Melanosis in smokers is due to the fact that some components of tobacco stimulate the melanocytes in the mucous membrane. Melanocytes are the cells that are responsible for producing melanin. This is the substance that determines the color of our skin.
Researchers estimate that melanosis affects around 30% of all smokers. The factors that most influence the development of this disease are how long one has smoked and also the amount of tobacco consumed.
In addition, it is often accompanied by bad breath and yellowing of the teeth. In principle, it is only an aesthetic problem. The truth is, however, that melanosis can lead to undetected detection of more serious diseases, such as cancer.
How to distinguish melanosis?
As we have explained, the importance of melanosis lies in the fact that it is easily confused. In other words, a person who has dark spots in his mouth due to smoking, may have various health problems. It can even be cancer.
Oral cancer is closely linked to being a smoker. In fact, almost 8 out of 10 people who suffer from oral cancer are smokers. The symptoms of this pathology are varied. The first sign that appears is usually in the form of discoloration of the mucous membrane.
However, cancer is not the only health problem people often confuse with melanosis in smokers. We believe it is important to know that certain lesions in the blood vessels have a similar appearance. Similarly, there are other diseases such as:
- Peutz-Jegher syndrome
- Addison’s disease
How do doctors diagnose it?
The only way to distinguish melanosis in smokers from other health problems is to perform a biopsy. In this way, the doctor makes sure that the dark spots are not a sign of other problems. However, the patient should ideally stop smoking before performing the biopsy.
When they stop smoking, if there really is melanosis, the spots will disappear over time. As we have already mentioned, it is a reversible problem. Still, it can take years to disappear.
Melanosis in smokers: Conclusion
Melanosis is a benign condition. However, if you smoke, it is very important to see a doctor at any sign this may occur. You need to check if it is melanosis, or if the spots are due to a cancerous process or another disease.
In addition , you must avoid smoking at all costs. All the substances it contains have negative effects on our body. Therefore, you should think about different forms of treatment, medications and many other ways to quit this habit.
