Health Management Center
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Smokers
Toss your cigarettes away! Into the nearest trash basket. Cigarette smoking is
an enemy—particularly if you have asthma. It can trigger frequent episodes.
Smoke entering your lungs can trigger an asthma episode. Some smokers with
asthma keep their lungs in a constant asthma state.
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When you smoke
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Hot smoke dries the lining of your airways and makes them sore
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You breathe in poisonous gases. They paralyze your cilia, the tiny hair-like
sweepers in your airways that help clean out dirt and mucus
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When your cilia can’t work, smoke leaves behind more dirt, and it causes your
lungs to make more mucus than usual
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Mucus in your lungs makes a perfect place for infections to grow
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In cigarette smoke, carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas, robs your blood of oxygen
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Irritation from smoke deep in your lungs can cause permanent damage to the
tiny, fragile air sacs that deliver oxygen to your blood
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You are at greater risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or cancer
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Environmental tobacco smoke in the home places your family members, especially
children, at increased risk of developing respiratory conditions, like asthma
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When you stop smoking
The minute you stop smoking, your body goes to work to repair much of the
damage to your airways.
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After a period of coughing up excess mucus, your cough will lessen. That may
happen in a couple of days, or it may take weeks
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With your airways more open, you will breathe easier
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Your lungs will put more oxygen into your blood, and you’ll feel less tired
than when you smoked
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Your lungs will be better able to defend themselves against infections
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Your blood circulation and your senses of taste and smell will improve
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You’ll probably be able to do more work or exercise without shortness of breath
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You can look forward to a longer, healthier life
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You can be proud of yourself for winning a tough struggle
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Your example will help others make the decision not to smoke
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You will decrease your risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or cancer
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Your family members will benefit from breathing smoke-free air
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Preparing to quit
Some people find it surprisingly easy to quit suddenly. After a few days of
missing cigarettes, they just don’t want them anymore. For some, it’s a
struggle, but they stick to it, taking one day at a time, and it starts getting
easier in a couple of weeks.
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Non-smokers
Secondhand smoke—from other people’s cigarettes—is a real threat to nonsmokers.
Secondhand smoke seems to be everywhere. It irritates your sensitive lungs, and
for many asthma sufferers, it is a powerful trigger of asthma episodes.
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What can you do to avoid it?
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Think about your right to breathe clean air
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Discuss your need for clean air first with your family, closest friends, and
immediate co-workers
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Declare your home off-limits for smoking
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Request a smoke-free work area
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Call ahead to restaurants to ask if they have a smoke-free dining area
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Ask smokers to observe no-smoking signs in public areas
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Remove yourself from smoking areas
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Smoking Cessation Programs
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Please contact your local hospital, which may offer smoking cessation programs
or clinics
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Contact the American Lung Association @ 1-800-Lung-USA or at
www.alact.org
to find out about their smoking cessation programs
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Contact the American Cancer Society @ 1-800-ACS-2345
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If you have emphysema, chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease you are eligible to enroll in our BREATHE-COPD smoking cessation
program. Call 1-800-390-3522, ext. 2426.
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Smokers
