1. Asthma and Smoking are Double Trouble
Asthma is a disease process that makes it difficult to breathe by causing airway swelling, irritation, and blockage with mucus. Smoking does the same thing to your lungs, a double-whammy. As a result, smoking can cause asthma flares. People with asthma experience faster age-related declines in lung function. Smoking worsens the situation.
2. Smoking and Asthma Medications are a Bad Combination
If you use controller medications for your asthma, and you probably do, you should know that cigarettes cancel most of the benefits of these drugs. As a result, you'll need to use your rescue medication more often. So the next time you go to the pharmacy to pick up your asthma medications, think about the money you spend on them. If you smoke, it may all be a waste.
3. Second-hand Smoke is Bad for People with Asthma
If you have asthma, don't hang with friends while they smoke. The smoke that comes from the end of a burning cigarette is extremely irritating and can cause an asthma attack. If you absolutely can't avoid spending some time in a smoky environment, make sure you have adequate amounts of asthma medication with you to control your asthma symptoms. If you're a smoker, be aware that your smoke can make your asthmatic friends sicker. Your smoke is also damaging to the lungs of young children. If the child has asthma, exposure to cigarette smoke may increase his risk of respiratory infections. These infections may asthma more difficult to control.
4. Second-hand Smoke Exposure Can Cause Asthma
The children of parents who smoke are 20% to 30% more likely to have asthma than kids from smoke-free families. The more a parent smokes, the higher the risk. Compared to kids whose parents don't smoke, those whose mothers smoke 20 or more cigarettes a day are four times more likely to develop asthma. Some scientists have speculated that the increase in cigarette smoking over the past 100 years is responsible for the enormous increase in asthma in children during the same time period.
5. If You Have Asthma, You Really Need to Stop Smoking
People with asthma have an urgent need to quit smoking. There are lots of ways to try. Go cold turkey. Get support from the local branch of the American Lung Association. Use an over-the-counter nicotine patch. Ask your doctor for a prescription anti-smoking product.
