Smoking and asthma don't mix

Smoking or being exposed to other people’s smoke is particularly harmful for people with asthma, as they already have sensitive airways and the smoke can aggravate or trigger their asthma. This makes their asthma harder to control and can increase the risk of asthma attacks, and of permanently damaging their airways.

What happens if you have asthma and you smoke?

Asthma can be triggered by many things and cigarette smoke, with its 4000 harmful chemicals, is a major trigger.

• Smoking makes your asthma worse
• Smoking may increase your chances of having asthma attacks
• Smoking makes your day-to-day asthma control harder to achieve
• Smoking increases your chances of permanently damaging your airways - there is a very real risk of developing chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

When you have asthma your airways are extra sensitive and they can become red and swollen (inflamed), the muscle around the outside of your breathing tubes can tighten, and extra mucus may be produced.

Tobacco smoke damages the little hair-like structures, called cilia, which remove dust, pollens and other irritants from your lungs. This means that the normal cleaning action of your lungs is damaged and you are more prone to chest infections, which in turn brings on or worsens your asthma.

Smoking marijuana is also very harmful to the lungs.

Also see: COPD and Lung cancer

How does passive smoking affect you if you have asthma?

Passive smoking occurs when non-smokers breathe in harmful sidestream smoke of others.

If people smoke around you it can:

• trigger an asthma attack
• increase the number of asthma attacks you have
• increase your need for asthma medications
• increase your sensitivity to other environmental triggers (eg. pets, pollens and chemicals)
• reduce your lung function.

How does smoking affect your family?

If a woman smokes during pregnancy the chemicals in the smoke are passed on to the baby. These chemicals affect the cells of the developing lungs. This may increase the baby's chances of having lung problems such as asthma.

Smoking around non-smokers with asthma in the home contributes to the development of asthma and an earlier onset of the disease.

Children who live in a home with smokers are more likely to have respiratory infections - these infections are a known trigger for asthma.

If you have asthma how do you reduce your exposure to cigarette smoke?

• don't smoke
• make your home and car smokefree - put some 'no smoking' signs up
• avoid smoky environments
• ask people not to smoke around you or your children.

What if I am unable to avoid smoky areas?

Always have your day-to-day asthma well controlled. If you are using your reliever medication (blue inhaler) 3 to 4 times a week (excluding before exercise), see your doctor for a check-up and to discuss preventer medication.

The main treatment of asthma is the preventer inhaler, taken every day even when you are feeling well. But make sure you have your reliever medication with you at all times. Take some reliever medication before entering a place you know will have smokers.

Also see: Asthma medicines

Can I get help to quit smoking?

To find out more about how to quit smoking, contact the Quit Group (details further below) for phone support and subsidised nicotine replacement therapy.

Related topics

Also see: Keeping your asthma under control and Asthma triggers

Original material provided by the Asthma Foundation of New Zealand, 2004. Reviewed by everybody, November 2010.