The Negative Effects of Smoke
Smoking is harmful to your health, even if you don’t have any breathing problems. But for people with asthma, smoking can trigger their symptoms and make them much worse, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). This is because asthma makes your airways especially sensitive to any foreign substances, and the least exposure can cause them to react by contracting and going into a full-blown asthma attack.
Further, smoking can damage your celia, which are the tiny hair-like mechanisms that work to sweep your airways of dust and mucus and keep them clear. When these don’t function properly, your lungs are at greater risk of causing your asthma to kick in.
The Risk of Second-Hand Smoke
These facts make it essential that you quit smoking and take care of yourself. But keep in mind that quitting may not even be enough alone, if you are also regularly exposed to other people’s smoke. Consider the fact that the most harmful parts of a cigarette will burn off in the air (rather than into a smoker’s lungs), causing a hazard for those nearby to inhale. This means that passive cigarette smoke can be harmful to your health even if you never take a puff.
The Littlest Victims
Further, the sensitive lungs of young children are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects that come with breathing in other’s smoke. In fact, kids with asthma who are regularly exposed to tobacco smoke will be sicker more frequently while they are young and may even experience compromised lung function when they become adults.
Protect Yourself
The bottom line is that if you do smoke, it is essential that you break the habit and protect yourself. It is also important to steer clear of places where you will be exposed to second-hand smoke. Finally, if family members or close friends smoke, encourage them to stop for the good of you and your health. While this is not an easy habit to break, there are a number of smoking cessation options available today that have been shown to be effective. You can talk to your doctor about what method might help you be most successful in your endeavor.
Get a Second-Chance
The good news is that when you do stop smoking, you may just be able to reverse some of the negative effects you’ve experienced. For instance, one recent study following asthmatic smokers who quit found that their lung function improved by more than 15 percent in less than two months, and in some cases the frequency and severity of their asthma attacks also lessened significantly. This is encouraging news and just might incent you, or someone you love, to give smoking up. In addition to giving your lungs a gift, quitting smoking will also reduce your risk of a smoker having a heart attack or stroke.
