New Delhi: In a rare and shocking side effect, a man who smoked for decades developed wiry, black hair growing at the back of the throat. The 52-year-old unidentified patient complained of difficulty in breathing, chronic cough and also hoarse voice. The patient from Austria had been smoking since 1990, since 20 years of age and had already reported coughing up a hair. When doctors examined him better, they found hair growing inside the throat. Doctors successfully extracted the same to give temporary relief. The patient was also given antibiotics as the hair was covered in bacteria.
How did smoking contribute to hair growth in the throat?
Despite removing hair, the same continued to grow up back every year for the next 14 years like clockwork. The patient was diagnosed with a rare condition known as endotracheal hair growth which is characterised by growth of hair in the throat. Although doctors were not sure of what triggered the same, it was said to be the side effect of smoking. The case, reported in the American Journal of Case Report, found that the incident was a second of its kind.
Scientists from Austria explained the same by saying that smoking can trigger inflammation of the throat which can cause cells to convert into hair follicles. Every time doctors looked, they found six to nine strands of hair, two inches in length. Some of these hairs had been burring themselves into the voice box and making their way up in the mouth. It was also hypothesised that the onset of hair growth was triggered by the patient’s smoking habit.
Doctors eventially decided to not give the patient corrective treatment until smoking stopped. In 2020, when he completely quit smoking, two hairs emerged and one more treatment was performed. Since then, hair did not grow again. But it may not have been the only case of its kind – earlier, at the age of 10, the patient had almost drowned and his trachea was cut open to allow him to breathe. This was later closed with skin graft from the ear and hair growth occured at the same side.
What are the negative effects of smoking?
Conventionally, smoking is known to have the following side effects:
Cancer
Heart diseases
Weight gain
Diabetes
High cholesterol
Hypertension
Skin problems
Despite removing hair, the same continued to grow up back every year for the next 14 years like clockwork. The patient was diagnosed with a rare condition known as endotracheal hair growth which is characterised by growth of hair in the throat. Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
