Setting the stage for an asthma attack Today, doctors know that in some cases leeches may actually help wounds heal. But they've also learned that treating asthma with cigarettes is as wise as prescribing whiskey for alcoholism. Lighting up is just about the last thing a person with asthma should do. Tobacco smoke, including secondhand smoke, damages the cells that make the protective coating of mucus lining the bronchial tubes. Without their first line of defense, the tubes become irritated and inflamed, setting the stage for an asthma attack.
Smoke also makes the airways slow to heal.
In short, smokers with asthma can't take breathing for granted. They often need extra medications just to keep their airways open, and they still suffer more than their share of attacks. As long as they keep smoking, they'll find it hard to bring their asthma under control. Talk to your doctor if you're having trouble quitting. Quitting is often extremely tough, but you don't have to do it alone.