Asthma And Avoiding These Bad Habits

What is particularly notable is the large number of people who have died from asthma who were abusing tobacco, alcohol, or drugs at the time of death. If you don't smoke or abuse drugs and drink only in moderation, you have a much better prospect of living a long life with asthma. If, however, you have any of these bad habits, not only are you more likely to die from asthma, but you also risk developing emphysema, cancer, and cirrhosis of the liver. These habits are literally killers of asthmatics, so I urge you to give them up now.

 

 

Tobacco smoke has over 4,000 different compounds, forty of which cause cancer in humans. Of all the oxidant stressors, smoking is probably the most devastating. The free radicals generated by tobacco decimate vitamins C and E, the lung's chief antioxidants. Once reserves of vitamins C and E are depleted, your lungs are prone to oxidative damage. Also, immunoglobulin E (IgE) and eosinophils are present in higher-than-normal levels in smokers and the children of smokers. Children of smokers have a higher incidence of lung disease, asthma, childhood illnesses, and hospitalizations. Even more disturbing, the asthma seen in the children of smokers tends to be worse than the asthma found in children from smoke-free homes. Smokers also have increased airway reactivity that becomes worse with time. What this translates into for asthmatics is, the more you smoke, the worse your asthma.

 

If you decide to quit smoking, the best advice I can offer is to let everyone know you're quitting and never smoke the same brand of cigarette twice. If you announce your intention to quit and then resume smoking, you let yourself and everyone you know down, a powerful incentive for sticking with your resolution to quit. Switching brands each time you buy cigarettes takes some of the pleasure out of smoking. Tobacco abuse is a double-edged sword: you not only get hooked on nicotine but also develop a taste for a particular brand of cigarette. By choosing a different brand each time you buy cigarettes, you increase your chances of quitting.

 

Don't be discouraged if at first you fail. The average smoker tries to quit many times before succeeding. Even after you quit, the battle is only half over, because for several years you'll be constantly tempted to light up. To increase your chances of success, establish an alliance with a trusted healthcare professional who can offer you a variety of pharmacological or natural remedies to aid your recovery. Once you have stopped smoking, try to avoid breathing in second-hand smoke. Second-hand smoke is bad for your health and provides a tempting reminder to your brain of the nicotine it craves. Staying away from tobacco smoke will keep your lungs honest.

 

If you have the misfortune of living with a smoker, sit down and explain to this person what their smoking is doing to your health and lungs. If they can't quit, then they will have to smoke outside. The same goes for company, friends, relatives, or anyone who wants to smoke in your home. Guard your home like a mother bear protects her cubs and insist that your abode remain a smoke-free environment.

 

 

Given the high percentage of people who die from asthma while abusing drugs or alcohol, it is clear that alcohol and drug abuse don't mix with asthma. I have no objection to a moderate amount of alcohol every now and then. There are recognized health benefits associated with moderate alcohol use, especially wine. In fact, according to a study from King's College in London on the dietary habits of 9,709 individuals, red wine intake was negatively associated with asthma severity due to the protective effects of flavonoids contained in the wine. Weighing against the benefits of moderate alcohol use is the fact that sulfites, commonly used as a preservative in alcoholic beverages, are toxic to the lungs and can trigger asthma attacks in sensitized individuals. However, for the vast majority of people, especially asthmatics, it's heavy drinking that causes trouble. So, if you have a glass of wine with your evening meal, you should be OK as long as you limit yourself to one drink a day. If you think you may have an alcohol problem, I strongly suggest you seek profession help.

 

Drug abuse is totally incompatible with asthma. Not only do illegal drugs take a devastating toll on your body, but a significant percentage of people who died from asthma have been subsequently found to have recently used illegal drugs.