Smoking and Asthma

Smoking has been proven to be extremely harmful to the respiratory system. For people with asthma, tobacco smoke frequently tops the list of the most common triggers of an asthma attack. An asthmatic does not have to smoke to be affected, as even second-hand smoke can trigger asthma attacks or cause permanent harm to the airways, making it easier to have an asthma attack in the future.

Tobacco smoke is usually inhaled from a cigarette, cigar or pipe, and a number of chemicals in tobacco smoke have been proven to harm the lungs, as well as the arteries and other parts of the body. Asthmatic children are the most susceptible to tobacco smoke – particularly second-hand smoke. Children have smaller airways, so the airway constriction and mucus buildup that occurs after inhaling tobacco smoke can cause a severe asthma attack in a child. Children should avoid people or situations in which smoking is common.

Anyone with an asthmatic condition who smokes should immediately quit. Smoking can greatly complicate an asthmatic condition by damaging the lungs, even if it does not trigger an attack. In addition, many health risks have been linked to smoking, including cancer, respiratory infections and types of heart disease.

For a multitude of reasons, expectant mothers should not smoke. Low-birth weight and a host of medical problems have been linked to smoking. For instance, children born to mothers who smoked while pregnant are 10 times more likely to develop asthma.