Asthma

[Roxie2906]

Hi there.
I know someone who has asthma and is a longtime smoker. He finishes a packet of 20 cigarettes in one day. What happens if he constantly uses an asthma pump right before smoking a cigarette?

[jemma116]

It very much sounds like this person is using his inhaler to open up his airways to be able to smoke.

Each cigarette contains 92 carcinogens and smoking also depletes the body of oxygen.

Because this person has been smoking for many years, he/she will have an addiction to the nicotine and will need help to reduce the amount of cigarettes that they smoke in one day.  Even if they smoke 1 cigarette less a day and decrease the amount steadily,  that is the going in the right direction.

If they have no desire to even to try to reduce the amount of cigarettes that they smoke in a day, even though they are made well aware of the risks involved, which are more advanced diseases of the lungs, poor circulation that can lead to gangrene and amputation as well as cancer and death,  then unfortunately if they will not accept help to cut down on amount of cigarettes they smoke and use their inhale responsibly, there is not much anyone one can do to help them.

There are different methods available to help people to reduce or to stop smoking altogether and there is help available through the doctor too.  

If they do not want to reduce the amount of cigarettes they smoke or to stop smoking, then unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to help him/her.

If they are not aware of the dangers of smoking and you are not able to talk comfortably with them about it, you can get leaflets and literature on the subject and leave it lying in a place where it will catch their attention.

[caregiver222]

Eyewisewoman's comments are on the money. As for the medication, over time the cells become less responsive to overuse, and medication less effective. Overuse also induces ventricular irritability, increasing the probability of ventriculat fibrilation. The carbon monoxide from the cigarettes binds with the hemoglobin and significantly reduces oxygen carrying ability for over a week after smoking.

[evewisewoman]

Hi Roxie,

Welcome to the allergy forum. I see you joined Med help recently.
Cigarette smoke is an asthma trigger. I know this because I have asthma and if I smell second hand cigarette smoke, I always start coughing and usually have to end up using my asthma inhaler.  Did you say your friend uses an asthma pump before smoking a cigarette ?  Did you also say that your friend smokes 20 cigarettes a day. So am I to understand that your friend is using his asthma pump before smoking a cigarette and he smokes 20 cigarettes a day ?  Okay, listen carefully, Roxie.  This is serious.
Your friend by using an asthma pump so many times to overdose on the asthma medication he is taking and end up extremely sick or worse.
Your friend is risking his life by smoking and having asthma.  I would suggest that your friend make an appointment with this doctor immediately.
Your friend needs to give up smoking right now.  His doctor will tell him the best way to go about doing this.  If your friend does not stop smoking, he will most likely have a major asthma attack which means his bronchial tubes will go into spasms. He will not be able to breathe and he will fall unconsciousness and pass away.  This is no joke.  Also if your friend does not quit smoking, he may get lung cancer and a number of different cancers.
So, there it is.  Your friend needs to quit smoking. His life depends on it.   Eve