|
|
 |
have asthma? don’t smoke!
OK, you’ve heard it all before. Smoking is bad for you. Not
only that, it can kill you. If you smoke, you are more likely to get lung cancer,
heart disease, and stomach ulcers or have a stroke.
If you have asthma, it’s extremely important that you don’t smoke. Cigarette
smoke makes your asthma worse by irritating your airways and causing them to
narrow. Smoking also increases the risk of asthma attacks and may permanently
damage your airways—something no medicine can cure.
not smoking is sometimes not enough
If you’re already a nonsmoker, that’s great. Unfortunately
it doesn’t mean you’re home free where smoking is concerned. Inhaling other people’s cigarette smoke
can also be harmful to people with asthma. This can be a big problem if a member
of your family happens to smoke. Also, it can be difficult to tell friends who
smoke just how their smoking affects you. But if you have asthma, it’s really
important to speak up and let people know their smoke is more than just a nuisance
to you—it can make your asthma worse, and that is a serious problem.
how to ask people not to smoke around you
- Tell them your concerns.
- Let them know that being around smoke makes your asthma worse—they probably don’t
even realize what they’re doing to you.
- Encourage them to give up smoking, but
remember, smoking is an addiction and quitting
can be very difficult.
- If they can’t give up, ask them to smoke outside.
|
|
|
