Smoking And Asthma - Recipe For Disaster

Smoking and asthma are two the things that just do not go together. Smoking on its own is bad enough, both for the smoker and those who live with them. However, for asthmatics the situation is even worse. Asthmatics have very sensitive airways and the one thing that smoking does is dump a lot of harmful tar and carcinogenic elements into a person's airways. This is nothing short of a recipe for disaster for an asthmatic.

Smoking is one of the biggest triggers for an asthma attack. By being a smoker yourself or living with someone who smokes, an asthmatic makes themselves prone to far more attacks than they need to suffer from. Remember that an asthma attack isn't something that can be shrugged off like a rash or a bruise. It's a debilitating condition that affects the way a person breathes, leaving them coughing and gasping for breath. Smoking and asthma are connected in that they bring out the worst in the asthmatic.

One of the worst things about smoking is its addictive nature. Oddly enough, starting out with smoking is not a pleasurable experience at all and many people get sick or start coughing after their first cigarette. But the nicotine in the cigarettes is very addictive and more often than not, people who smoke once often end up smoking for the rest of their lives.

 

What makes this situation even sadder is that all smokers know that cigarettes are bad for them and that they are slowly killing themselves. The addictive nature of smoking is such that you know it's bad for you but you can't stop. While many smokers may feel that the effects of their smoking will catch up with them, somewhere down the line, but with an asthmatic, the deal is very different, as smoking and asthma can prove to be fatal.

Anyway, you look at it; smoking is bad- for you and the people around you. Smoking and asthma is much worse. Remember that asthmatics have airways that are far more sensitive than ordinary airways. This is why; even the smallest trigger can cause an attack. When you smoke, you put an asthmatic in the presence of a constant trigger. In fact, many asthmatics who choose to smoke find that they are in a constant state of asthmatic attack. Smoking around someone who has asthma not only triggers an attack, it makes them weaker. Mixing smoking and asthma is a deadly and often fatal blend.

 

Expectant mothers should definitely not smoke- smoking during pregnancy is a guaranteed way of having an asthmatic child. Also, remember that second hand smoke is just as bad as smoking. In fact, the smoke from the end of a burning cigarette is the most toxic. So what can you do to quit smoking? It’s a very difficult thing to do but there are a number of ways to go about it. First, consult with your doctor about nicotine gum or patches. Whenever you feel like smoking, occupy yourself or go for a walk. Snacking on healthy foods is a good option as well. Some people have found that therapy like hypnosis, yoga, or acupuncture is also helpful in quitting smoking. It is also a good idea to join a support group. Remember that smoking does not just kill you; it kills the people around you as well. When it comes to asthma, smoking and asthma are just two things that cannot exist together.