Asthma is a common respiratory condition in which the airways of the lungs constrict and limit your ability to breathe. It often develops during childhood, but can endure into or even start when you are an adult. One of the keys to controlling asthma is avoiding environmental triggers that can cause an asthma attack. Avoiding smoke inhalation is an important consideration. Even small amounts of smoke in the air can aggravate your asthma and make it difficult for you to breathe.
Risk to Asthmatics
Asthma severity and attacks in adults can increase with exposure to secondhand smoke. Numerous sources, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, cite statistics from the American Lung Association showing that between 200,000 and 1 million U.S. children suffer from more severe asthma attacks after exposure to secondhand smoke.
When Smoke Causes Asthma
Smoke can increase the risk of asthma in people who otherwise might not develop the condition. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, citing the the American Lung Association and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says that about 11 percent of all U.S. asthma cases are the product of smoking in the home. As many as 26,000 children in the United States develop asthma from smoke inhalation every year. Children are more likely to develop asthma when they encounter secondhand smoke in the home, and inhaling the smoke from as few as 10 cigarettes a day can increase a child's risk of developing asthma.
Precautionary Measures
The best way to prevent smoke inhalation from causing or exacerbating asthma is to establish a smoke-free home. Do not smoke in your home or motor vehicles, and do not allow guests to do so. Keep yourself and your children away from places where smoking is rampant. Encourage businesses, day care centers and other public places that you frequent to establish smoke-free policies.
Considerations
Secondhand smoke and its effects on asthma come at no small cost. An estimated $16.1 billion was spent in the United States in 2000 to treat asthma related to smoke inhalation, reports the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, citing several sources, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Persons with asthma should carry emergency medication, often in the form of an inhaler, to be applied when an asthma attack strikes. This brochodilater opens the airways of the lungs, enabling the asthma sufferer to breathe.
