You don't have to smoke to suffer from the effects of tobacco smoke. Exposure to exhaled smoke from a cigarette smoker or exposure to smoke from the lighted end of a pipe, cigar or cigarette can increase the levels of harmful chemicals in your body, according to the American Cancer Society. Inhaling secondhand, or passive, smoke from these sources increases your risk of developing certain health conditions and diseases.
Identification
Passive smoking occurs when you breathe in tobacco smoke at home, at work, in a car or in a public place. The American Cancer Society reports that a major source of secondhand smoke exposure for adults occurs in the workplace.
Lung Problems
Passive smoking irritates the lungs, lowers the amount of oxygen in the blood and damages cilia, tiny hair-like structures in the lungs that push mucus and dust out of the airways. Secondhand smoke may trigger or worsen bronchitis, asthma and chronic lung diseases, including emphysema. Approximately 3,400 non-smokers die each year from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke exposure, according to the American Cancer Society.
Considerations
Exposure to secondhand smoke may cause more frequent asthma attacks in both adults and children. The Cleveland Clinic reports that children who have asthma are particularly sensitive to secondhand smoke and are more likely to develop sinus and lung infections that worsen asthma symptoms and make the condition difficult to control.
Effects on the Heart
Living or working with a smoker may increase your risk of developing heart problems. Breathing secondhand smoke for even short periods of time can negatively affect your cardiovascular system, according to "The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke," a 2006 report from the U.S. Surgeon General. Secondhand smoke can also increase the risk of heart attack because it may interfere with the way the heart and blood vessels normally function.
Cancer Risk
The American Cancer Society reports that tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds, over 60 of which are known or suspected to cause cancer. While a link to lung cancer from secondhand exposure exists, a possible link between secondhand smoke and breast cancer is still being studied as of 2010, according to the American Cancer Society.
Warning
Babies and children exposed to cigarette smoke in their homes may experience more frequent bouts of bronchitis, pneumonia and ear infections. Women who smoke while pregnant are at an increased risk of having low birth-weight babies, according to the American Cancer Society. Keeping your home smoke-free is important to your child's good health. KidsHealth reports that exposure to secondhand smoke raises the chance that a baby will die from sudden infant death syndrome.
