{"id":35062,"date":"2019-06-27T10:17:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-27T04:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.1mg.com\/articles\/?p=35062"},"modified":"2019-06-27T10:24:21","modified_gmt":"2019-06-27T04:54:21","slug":"why-asthma-patients-should-quit-smoking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1mg.com\/articles\/why-asthma-patients-should-quit-smoking\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Asthma Patients Should Quit Smoking"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"smoking<\/p>\n

According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 1.25 billion smokers worldwide, with around 2\/3rd of the population living in developing countries. Asthma affects around 300 million people worldwide and a significant fraction of asthma patients are smokers. Moreover, the prevalence of smoking among people with asthma is similar to that of the general population, which accounts for around 20%[1]. It is known that smoking can increase the risk of asthma and its associated health problems, however, the effects of smoking on asthma is more severe. Here we will be shedding light on the ill-effects of smoking and<\/span> why quitting smoking is good<\/b><\/a> for asthma patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is it safe to smoke if you have asthma?<\/b><\/p>\n

Several research studies[2] have proved that as compared to non-smokers, smokers with asthma have:<\/span><\/p>\n

– Increased severity of the symptoms (chest tightness, chronic cough, and sputum production)<\/span><\/p>\n

– Poor control over the symptoms of asthma<\/span><\/p>\n

– Heightened inflammation of the airways<\/span><\/p>\n

– Impairment of the lung function<\/span><\/p>\n

– Insensitivity to asthma medicines such as oral and inhaled corticosteroids<\/span><\/p>\n

– Increased visits to healthcare centers and hospitalization<\/span><\/p>\n

– High risk of asthma-related morbidity and mortality<\/span><\/p>\n

Hence, it is not safe to smoke if you have asthma as it can worsen the symptoms and increase your risk of asthma-related health complications.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, secondhand smoke has similar effects on the quality of life, lung function, and use of medication as active smoking. In kids with asthma, secondhand smoke increases the risk of wheezing, coughing and asthma attacks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Say No To Tobacco Now. Click Here.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Smoking Facts: Myths about Cigarettes<\/b><\/p>\n

Cigarettes are very harmful, not just for the damage that tobacco causes, but also due to the addictive nature of nicotine. Despite awareness about the risks of smoking tobacco, there are many misconceptions that still prevail. Here are some of the most common myths about cigarettes which you should NOT fall prey to when planning to quit smoking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Low-tar cigarettes are safe to smoke<\/b><\/p>\n

Although low-tar cigarettes cause slightly less damage as compared to smoking cigarettes, the effects have been proven to be minimal as compared to quitting completely. Moreover, low-tar cigarettes do less damage as long as you smoke less which means if you smoke quite often the risk remains the same. Also, smokers end up smoking more as they feel that low-tar cigarettes are less harmful which further increases the risk of health complications including asthma[3].\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rolling your own tobacco is safer<\/b><\/p>\n

A study conducted in New Zealand[4] that studied regular smokers with smokers who rolled their own cigarettes found:<\/span><\/p>\n