Asthmatic Smokers

[Fierce Critter]

OMFG - how in the world can an asthmatic even THINK about smoking?

I really don't get that one. I have severe allergies that at times can worsen into borderline asthmatic symptoms. I had to undergo full treatment including 3 strong medications when the symptoms first presented. It was the most miserable, sad year-2years of my life.

Thank goodness only exposure to extreme allergens will do that to me now. But I can't fathom smoking if you are fully diagnosed asthmatic.

Likewise, I couldn't believe that chick Frankie on last year's MTV's Real World. Cystic Fibrosis with a life expectancy of less than 30 and a full-time smoker? WTF? I recently heard (don't ask how) that she quit smoking. But I just can't envision living in a situation where you're purposefully exposing yourself to that which can, at best, make you dependable on an inhaler, and at worse, kill you.

I mean, overeating when you're fat is one thing - it's hard to get away from food - it's EVERYWHERE and we all depend on it, so it MUST be in your life in some capacity. I'm sure that makes the temptation to overindulge that much harder to resist, though it's entirely within your ability to stop yourself from putting that food in your mouth.

But you have to go out of your way to smoke ANYTHING. It's in no way, shape or form something that MUST be in your life.

I don't mean to come off as judgmental, though I guess that's impossible without just NOT posting this. But I'm just amazed and shocked at the number of people I see these days admitting they're suffering from some kind of respiratory disability and yet smoke. I never saw so much of it before recently, and wonder where it comes from, and how in the world you can stand the interaction of smoke/asthma/etc.

[bav]

a) Over the years, I've indulged in a lot of different types of self-destructive behavior because I didn't really believe that I would live long enough for it to matter. Now that I'm at a point in my life where I realize I'm not going to be ODing or getting killed for shooting off my mouth to the wrong person, the sheer addictiveness has set in.

b) It's a stress reliever.

c) It's an alternate method of dealing with past addictions.

Not good reasons per se, but their my reasons.

[Fierce Critter]

I can understand the reason behind smoking in general. I've seen plenty of relatives succumb to the addiction - even a sister who refuses to quit even though her brother died from lung cancer after she was the one who noticed how sick he was and made him go to the hospital where he never came home from. Though it shocks me, I understand the addiction and understand not everyone can quit very easily.

What I wonder at is how much EXTRA sick it must make someone who already has a negative lung condition, and how a person can live like that. Gads, they'd have to be miserable nearly ALL the time. And that would cause me MORE stress.

[bav]

Yea, I usually get chronic bronchitis a couple times a year that lays me out for about a week.

After a while, tho...you get sort of used to the general run-down feeling. It becomes the baseline standard and you forget how much more energy you have when yer healthier.

[Nienna]

I'm a severe asthmatic social smoker. I love smoking. It brings me great joy and satisfaction. I'm not really addicted to it, just enjoy it. I really only smoke if with others who are also smoking, when I go out, or when I'm distressed. (So I smoke all the time lately) Eventually I'll start to feel terrible and not smoke for a month or so to "recover". I know it's stupid, I just don't care.

[fallennon]

When I first started to smoke, I was constantly huffing my inhaler. You think that would be enough to quit, but no. Even as I puff a cigarette right now, typing this response, I have no good reason for why I do it.

I was born with asthma and have always been attached to my inhaler. Smoking did not seem to make this worse. There really was no change in my breathing...it had always been terrible. Then I discovered Advair and it changed my life. I rarely ever use my inhaler thanks to that little steroid I take twice a day.

I think what this all comes down to is that I like to smoke. I started smoking because I liked the whole 1920s image...and every flapper had a smoke in her mouth. Then I just didn't want to quit. I can go 2 days or 2 months without a cigarette, I just choose not to...

When I was pregnant I quit with no problem and no cravings. The day I left the hospital after having my son I smoked a whole pack. I'm not sure...it seems that when I am upset or troubled, smoking helps me slow down and think.

I know that sounds lame, but that is the way that it is...at least for me.

[The_Dark]

According the the FDA and the AMA smoking can only irritate an asthmatic. Even then, they would have to have a severe case of Asthma. Smoke particles are too small to actually cause an attack and contrary to popular belief... you cant be allergic to smoke either.

[JaneDead]

i never knew people could not be allergic to the smoke.

the smoke bothers me, makes me congested and all that. but any smoke does, not just "cigarette" smoke.

[Brenda Starrr]

That's true. As an asthmatic, I'm also a social smoker. I gave it up as a regular habit, but when I drink, I like to smoke. Luckily, I don't drink very often. :clover:

[Nienna]

I have also been on Advair for many years. It really has been a miracle drug for me too. I really only need additional meds if I have a chest cold or bronchitis or something.

[Brenda Starrr]

Advair is awesome. I use that, Albuterol, Rhinocort, Zyrtec, and Singulair, to name a few. This time of year, I need ALL of them.

[The_Dark]

I've met a large number of people that claim to be allergic to smoke. It doesn't matter how much proof you show them that it's not physically possilbe.. they still make the claim.

[Brenda Starrr]

I was told by my doc that I'm allergic to smoke. I think he was only saying it to make me quit smoking.

[The_Dark]

Most likely the case. Unless your seeing a quack.

[JaneDead]

i have met a lot of people that say that they are allergic to it too. that is why i guess i never knew it was not true. i never even thought twice about it. i figured it could be true if they were saying it. figuring they would know better than i would. i have never said i was allergic to it, just irritated by it and i have the same "symptoms" to it as they do.

[Fierce Critter]

Saying one is "allergic" to smoke is a simplified way of saying, "I'm a person that is highly adversely affected by exposure to smoke".

I don't give a rat's ass about studies that show one can't be actually physically "allergic" to smoke. Put me in a room with even one smoker for any length of time and I will end up with problems ranging from simple eye irritation at best to, at worst, needing to hit my "once a year/2 years" albuterol inhaler to stop the ratcheting in my chest.

Dark, I know you're a smoker and like to pull out the "you can't be "allergic" to cigarette smoke" card in posts like this. But that doesn't change the fact that that 2nd hand smoke IS an irritant that can affect certain people very negatively - beyond "cough, cough, ooh that is stinky!" Same goes for perfume (if a person wearing heavy perfume/cologne sits in front of me in a theater, I HAVE to get up and move or suffer greatly) and similar chemical smells & inhalants.

[bav]

Dark, I know you're a smoker and like to pull out the "you can't be "allergic" to cigarette smoke" card in posts like this. But that doesn't change the fact that that 2nd hand smoke IS an irritant that can affect certain people very negatively - beyond "cough, cough, ooh that is stinky!" Same goes for perfume (if a person wearing heavy perfume/cologne sits in front of me in a theater, I HAVE to get up and move or suffer greatly) and similar chemical smells & inhalants.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm the same way with perfumes/colognes, FC. Also with most solvents/cleaners.

[The_Dark]

An irratent is not the same as an allergy. I never said it didn;t really bother you, I said your not allergic to it. An allergic reaction is a very specific thing.

[Fierce Critter]

And I never brought up anything about being allergic to smoke, either. And neither did anyone else before you posted.

I just find it curious that you're so quick to defend AGAINST smoking being a BAD thing - often by bringing up that point. It's like you're extremely defensive of it, and quick to bring up points that support smoking NOT being a "bad thing".

It just jumps out at me. Particularly in a thread like this, where the question was, "how do asthmatic smokers deal with the conflict of lung problem and inhaling smoke". In which regard, I find your comment that an asthmatic has to be "severe' to suffer from it questionable. I've never been diagnosed as fully asthmatic - though I came precariously close in the late 80's. And I suffer horribly when exposed to cigarette smoke.

And in doing some quick ask.com searching, I found plenty of examples of "simple allergy/asthma sufferers" who are VERY adversely affected by 2nd hand smoke.

But, again, the debate over how bad cigarette smoke does/does not affect people is not the subject of this thread. We all know there's plenty of evidence out there to support either side of that particular debate. I just wondered how people with lung conditions such as asthma deal with the addition of smoking, 'cause it seems such a strange combination.

[The_Dark]

You were talking of your allergies and smoking...

I'm not defending smoking at all. Nor will I sit back and watch people blame everything in the damn world on it either.

[Daniel]

You were talking of your allergies and smoking...

I'm not defending smoking at all. Nor will I sit back and watch people blame everything in the damn world on it either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Asthma isn't really an allergy, it is a condition:

http://www.cs.unc.edu/~kupstas/FAQ1.html#section1.3

Given what asthma is, anyone smoking with any sort of severe asthma must have a death wish. Intentionally irritating your lungs while you have this sort of condition just seems crazy to me.

And you are right, you can't be allergic to smoke. Why? Read what an allergy is:

http://www.drgreene.com/21_1291.html

Your body's immune system is designed to attack harmful substances like bacteria and viruses. But with allergies, your body launches an assault on substances that are basically harmless -- such as pollen, mold, dust mites, pet saliva and dander, and even medications and insect sting venom.

Reactions to cigarrette smoke can't qualify as allegies because that shit is poison! Poisons can't be considered allergies because it is a substance your body should be putting up resistance to. Now, someone with dust allegries could be irritated by smoke more than someone without the allergies. I don't have allergies of any kind and get very irritated by smoke, particularly if I am around it for a number of hours at a time. Saying you are allergic to smoke is probably akin to saying you are allergic to banging your head on a brick wall.

[Fierce Critter]

Ummm... I'm not really sure if I've been read correctly at all.

1) I never said anything about anyone being "allergic" to cigarette smoke.

2) I never said asthma was an allergic condition.

Otherwise, I've gotten some really interesting input into the world of smoking asthmatics. Information I probably can't do a damn thing with, but gives me food for thought anyway.

[Daniel]

Ummm... I'm not really sure if I've been read correctly at all.

1) I never said anything about anyone being "allergic" to cigarette smoke.

2) I never said asthma was an allergic condition.

Otherwise, I've gotten some really interesting input into the world of smoking asthmatics. Information I probably can't do a damn thing with, but gives me food for thought anyway.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm assuming TheDark was thinking asthma is an allergy condition, given the nature of his accusations. I assume, as a result, that this is why he was accusing you of saying people are allergic to smoking. Many people make this mistake.

I could be wrong about his perspective, but all evidence points to it.

[honeymustard02]

Ok first I think people like Frankie on the real world don't care what they do to their bodies. They figure they only have a short time to live so why take care of myself.

Second I think people honestly no matter what health facts you put in their face, don't give a shit about their health.

Third I think people mistake something that bothers them as an allergy symptom. Smoke can make them sneeze of cough or congested. All things that happen with allergies. I think people just assume they are allergic to smoke for those reasons.