People who continue to smoke and have asthma will have:
- Worse asthma symptoms due to irritation from the smoke.
- More hospital admissions than non smokers.
- Risk more lung damage including developing COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).
- Reduced effect from inhalers and other medicine.
- You may need higher does of preventer medicines to control symptoms.
Smoking worsens symptoms:
- Increases frequency of inflammation.
- Inflammation can be more severe.
- There can be more symptoms.
- Reduces your quality of life.
Smoking changes the lung:
- Smoking alters airway by inflammation which in turn can lead to permanent damage after repeated exacerbations or flare ups.
- Airways become narrower.
- Gradual worsening of lung function.
Smoking affects the medicine you take:
- Smoking affects the way some medicines work reducing the response and effectiveness of corticosteroids.
If you have asthma you should not smoke.