How Does Smoking Affect Asthma?

[MissCandyGirl]

I have a good friend who has asthma and smokes. I am a little worried, as I do not know the impact of this. Is it very dangerous to the lung? I know how serious smoking is, but does asthma and smoking together increase the possibility of death? That sounds very dramatic, but it is a deeply serious issue.

How would you convince your friend to stop smoking? How would you approach them? I am very concerned my friend will one-day suffocate, to be blunt. Obviously, if she can't breathe, she'll die. That is a simple equation. But getting her to see it worries me.

What would you do in my shoes?

[talkhealth]

Hi MissCandyGirl,

We have noticed that you never received any replies.

Please find some information here about smoking which may help your friend to see the damage she is doing, especially with asthma.

http://www.awp.nhs.uk/media/919332/smok ... health.pdf

Kind regards
talkhealth

[Jackholder09]

Smoking and asthma are directly proportional to the increase in the chances of death. I also have an asthma problem and because of smoking several times I face breathing problems. I quit smoking 5 years ago and now something I do smoke vape. Smoking affects the lungs and causes breathing problems which may result in death. If your friend face difficulty to quit smoking then suggest him to use vape instead of smoking. Vape is far better than smoking cigarette.

[MissCandyGirl]

Vaping is the lesser evil. Whether or not it should be used is subjective. BUT you are right when you say vaping isn't as toxic as smoking actual cigarettes. In an ideal world, there'd be no cigarettes OR vaping. And so many people do continue to use tobacco. In fact, my mum did herself. She is deceased now, but even today in the world people are smoking.

I wish cigarettes were made illegal. I hate them and see no sense in them being allowed to be sold in shops. It doesn't seem right when you look at the death rates tobacco has caused throughout the 1900s and now the 2000s. The government needs to ban tobacco in Britain. And other countries must follow suit.

[scilover]

Be respectful and non-judgmental.

Think about how you would like to be treated if you were that person. Do not be judgmental. You don't know why the person smokes and it is not a reflection on their character. Focus on the behavior and how it affects you.

Do help the quitter remember all the reasons they wanted to quit and help them forget about the slip as soon as possible. Do continue to offer support and encouragement. Remind them they're still a “quitter” – NOT a smoker. Don't scold, tease, nag, blame, or make the quitter feel guilty.

[MissCandyGirl]

You've got a point, scilover. In fact, I never mention my thoughts on her smoking at all. Actually, I don't think she realizes I know she smokes. Hard to believe but true.

I am just scared because - combined with her asthma - she could become very ill. I know you realize this already. But - at the end of the day - she does smoke. That is her choice: her prerogative. I still can't help feeling, though, angry that tobacco companies are getting away with giving vulnerable people, who are easily influenced, access to a product that can result in lung cancer. To me, that is like giving a child a loaded gun.

No one IRL knows I feel this way, but I do. I keep my opinions to myself on the whole. But it saddens me that so many people with no awareness of the risk are being encouraged to light up.

[LucilleM]

Exposure to smoke — either by smoking or through secondhand smoke — is a common trigger for asthma attacks in people who already have asthma. Quitting smoking will decrease the number of asthma attacks you have, improve your day-to-day asthma symptoms, and help your lungs to heal.
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[MissCandyGirl]

Smoking destroys the health, full stop. Whether worsening asthma, resulting in lung cancer, turning fingernails yellow, blakening the teeth from the tar... smoking is bad news, period.

You see those old time movies with everyone smoking: years later they now have a hacking cough and some even have lung cancer. It is a habit I'd advise my worst enemy to avoid.

[alfredlan217@yahoo.com]

This is great! Thanks!

[Latrice Sang]

When a person inhales tobacco smoke, irritating substances settle in the moist lining of the airways and can set off asthma episodes. Smoke irritates the airways, making them swollen, narrow, and filled with sticky mucus, the same things that happen during an asthma flare-up it is also more severe and harder to control, even with medicine.