Is Vaping Ok For People With Asthma
Some people with asthma might think that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to smoking. E-cigarettes don’t fill the lungs with smoke, but do put nicotine in your system. Besides being an addictive drug, nicotine is also toxic in high doses, and raises blood pressure and heart rate.
Experts also agree that the vapors from e-cigarettes are harmful not only to those to vape, but to those around them.
Risks Of Marijuana For Asthma
It is common knowledge that asthma typically reacts badly to smoke being inhaled. The following is what happens if you smoke weed and have asthma first, the marijuana smoke would most likely inflame the airway leading to an asthma attack.
There have been research findings indicating that smoking marijuana can increase your chances of getting lung cancer. Besides cancer, smoking marijuana increases your chances of getting lung infections, which only exacerbate asthma attacks and impair the proper function of the lungs.
An asthmatic smokes weed and bronchitis affects their lungs, making their conditions even worse. Smoking weed with asthma is, therefore, an entirely bad idea.
With all the information above, one might be left wondering, does marijuana help asthma without driving the sufferer crazy? The answer is yes. Marijuana has two different cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol .
While both THC and CBD have demonstrated some anti-inflammation properties, CBD is preferred.
CBD is a bronchodilator, and it is the right cannabinoid in to use for wellness since THC is psychoactive.
If you introduce THC into the system, youll get high, and whatever benefit you gain in terms of health will be wiped out. The relationship between CBD and asthma is, therefore, more widely accepted than that of THC and asthma.
Research on the use of medical marijuana for the management of asthma still has many unanswered questions.
How Can I Quit Smoking
- Discuss quitting with your doctor. Decide when youll quit and prepare for that day.
- Discard all cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays.
- Avoid all situations that may trigger your desire to smoke. For example, if you always have a cigarette after a meal, get up and take a walk instead or immediately begin to clear the table, etc.
- Whenever you get the urge to smoke, take a deep breath and hold it for five to ten seconds.
- Dont let others smoke in your home.
- Keep finger foods, like carrot sticks, handy. Or, chew gum when you get the urge to smoke.
- Stay active to keep your mind off smoking. Go for walks or read a book.
- Join a support group or smoking cessation class.
- Talk to your doctor about nicotine replacement aids that can help when you are trying to quit.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 04/30/2021.
References
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Potential Drugs To Treat Smokers With Asthma
Alternative or additional treatment to inhaled corticosteroids may be required for asthmatics who are unable to stop smoking or who have persistent symptoms following smoking cessation. There are no published clinical trials of noncorticosteroid therapies in asthmatic smokers, but several currently licensed drugs, as well as new drugs under development, may show efficacy in this group of patients .
The combination of a long-acting 2 receptor agonist and an inhaled corticosteroid is highly effective in the treatment of asthma and, to a lesser extent, COPD , . These two drugs may interact to potentiate the suppression of inflammation associated with both conditions , . Thus, possibly the combination of these drugs may be of benefit in the treatment of asthmatic smokers. Low-dose theophylline activates HDAC, which is recruited by corticosteroids to suppress inflammation . Theophylline reverses the suppressive effects of cigarette smoke on HDAC in vitro, and, thus, could potentially restore corticosteroid sensitivity in asthmatics who smoke. The efficacy of selective phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors, such as cilomilast and roflumilast, in the treatment of COPD and their inhibitory effect on neutrophil function suggests that these compounds might be effective in asthmatic smokers.
Teens Are Twice As Likely To Smoke If They Have Asthma
Smoking is bad for everyoneâs lungs â but itâs especially bad for people with asthma. So you would think that someone with the lung condition would steer clear of activities which can trigger an attack.
Smoking is bad for everyones lungs but its especially bad for people with asthma. So you would think that someone with the lung condition would steer clear of activities which can trigger an attack. However, a new study found that teens are even more likely to smoke cigarettes if they have asthma.
If you have asthma, its important that you avoid exposure to cigarette smoke of any kind. Smoking makes breathing much harder for kids with asthma, Gailen Marshall, MD, PhD, said in a news release.
This didnt appear to matter to teens though. For the study, which was presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, CA, researchers assessed more than 3,300 teens between the ages of 13 and 19. They were split into one of two groups, depending on if they had asthma or not, and filled out questionnaires.
The study found 22% of the kids with asthma smoked, while only 12% of kids without asthma smoked, said Bradley Chipps, MD, an allergist and asthma expert who was not involved in the study. The most common reason that any of the teens started smoking was curiosity.
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If I Have Asthma Can I Use Medical Marijuana
Constricted lungs, dizziness, shortness of breath, and wheezing can signal asthma! Asthma attacks are always uncomfortable and sometimes even dangerous if youre not careful. If youre asthmatic, the last thing you need is smoke in your lungs. Even vaping can cause problems.
Which brings us to these question.
- If I have asthma, can I use medical marijuana?
- Will it help my condition?
- Will it make it worse?
Lets explore.
How Can You Reduce Your Familys Exposure To Secondhand And Thirdhand Smoke
As a parent, you can limit your childrens exposure to tobacco smoke. To do this, you can quit smoking yourself, if you are a smoker. You can also ask guests to not smoke in or near your house or car. Wherever possible, protect your kids from secondhand and thirdhand smoke.
Quitting is not easy, but it is possible. Stop-smoking programs, counseling and products like nicotine gum or patches can help. Your doctor should be able to help you. Until you quit, do not smoke around your child, in your home or in your car.
Choose childcare carefully so your children will not suffer from the harmful effects of secondhand and thirdhand smoke. Remember, children exposed to secondhand and thirdhand smoke may get sick more often. Protecting them from exposure is good preventive medicine. Your childs health depends on it.
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How Do I Know If Other Medicines Im Taking Are Making My Asthma Worse
Any medicine can cause wheezing or shortness of breath if youre allergic to it. If you notice that your asthma gets worse every time you take a certain medicine, tell your doctor as soon as possible. If you use a peak flow meter to check your asthma, tell your doctor if you see changes in your peak flow readings after you take a certain medicine. Your doctor can decide whether your medicine should be changed.
Treating Asthma In Smokers
Inhaled 2adrenoreceptor agonists play a central role in the relief of asthma symptoms. However, there are no clinical studies specially designed to evaluate any interference of smoking on the efficacy of such agents .
The therapeutic response to corticosteroids varies markedly between individuals up to one third of the asthmatic smokers show evidence of insensitivity to these drugs . Since this condition is not universal, these drugs should be included in most asthma treatments. The reduction or complete absence of responsiveness among asthmatic smokers remains heightened in long-term treatments and is independent of the type and the formulation of the corticosteroids . However, when detecting this clinical situation it is necessary to consider a possible non-adherence to asthma treatment, the correct use of the devices and/or the continuous use of some form of tobacco.
A possible mechanism for the corticosteroids insensitivity or resistance may be the increased airway mucosal permeability in smokers, which could lead to increased clearance of inhaled corticosteroids from the airways. Smokers also have decreased histone deacetylase activity, which is necessary for corticosteroids to suppress cytokine production .
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Use A Bowl To Smoke Shatter
You can also smoke shatter by adding to your bong bowl, which is appealing for those whove been smoking flower for a while and want to try smoking shatter without buying a whole new rig.
Start by filling up your bowl half-way with weed and then take your dab and drop it onto the weed. Then pack the rest of the bowl and light it up.
Why Is Tobacco Smoke So Harmful
When a person inhales tobacco smoke, irritating substances settle in the moist lining of the airways and can set off asthma episodes. Often, the lungs of people with asthma who smoke are in a constant state of poor asthma control. These people often have ongoing asthma symptoms. Heres how tobacco smoke harms your and other peoples lungs:
- Tobacco smoke damages tiny hair-like projections in the airways called “cilia.” Normally, cilia sweep dust and mucus out of the airways. Cigarette smoke damages cilia so theyre unable to work.
- The smoke also causes the lungs to make more mucus than normal. As a result, when cilia don’t work, mucus and other irritating substances build up in the airways.
- Tobacco smoke contains many cancer-causing substances . These substances deposit in the lungs and can cause lung diseases such as lung cancer and emphysema.
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Smoking Weed Vs A Cigarette
Many people think marijuana is healthier than tobacco and that if youre going to smoke something, pot is the lesser of two evils.
There is some truth to this, Dr. Gerber says.
Pot has fewer inhalants in it than tobacco, he says, adding that people tend to only take a few puffs off a blunt rather than chain smoke like tobacco users may do with cigarettes. This can lead to less product being inhaled over time.
On a cellular level, however, marijuana smoke may actually be more harmful than tobacco smoke.
In the Journal of the American Heart Association study, the rats blood vessels took at least three times longer to recover function after only a minute of breathing secondhand marijuana smoke, compared with recovery after a minute of breathing secondhand tobacco smoke.
In addition, the researchers noted in the Frontiers in Pharmacology study that cannabis smoking caused harmful effects on lung function and inflammation that tobacco smoking did not.
Can You Improve Your Asthma By Quitting Smoking
The statistic is shocking: 21 percent of people with asthma smoke cigarettes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , even though smoking is a well-known asthma trigger.
Further, secondhand smoke is especially dangerous for people with asthma particularly children with still-developing airways. They are more vulnerable to getting sick with bronchitis, pneumonia and ear infections.
Smoking kills more than 1,300 Americans per day. In addition to increasing risks of asthma flares and possibly developing asthma, it increases the risks of developing lung disease, heart disease and stroke.
Quitting is the single best thing you can do to improve your asthma and your overall health. It can significantly reduce your childs risk of an asthma flare.
E-cigarettes are marketed as a way to quit smoking, but theres no definitive evidence to support this claim. In fact, e-cigarettes contain substances that have been linked to respiratory illness, as well as pollutants that can be inhaled secondhand and worsen asthma.
Here are helpful steps to START quitting:
S = Set a quit date.
T = Tell your family, friends and coworkers you are quitting and ask for their support.
This will give you a group of people who will support you. Plus, publically declaring what you are going to do makes it harder to go back.
A = Anticipate problems and think about how you will handle them.
R = Remove all your cigarettes from your home, work and car.
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Does Having More Severe Asthma Put Me At Higher Risk Of Covid
The severity of someones asthma depends in part on how well it is controlled, and this control may be the key to how hard COVID-19 hits a patient. As previously mentioned, though there are some conflicting reports as to whether or not and how much having asthma increases your risk of getting sicker with COVID-19, that consensus statement published in June in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics did list severe and particularly uncontrolled asthma as a risk factor.
Complications could be worse with asthma, but possibly not so much if the asthma is well-controlled, Meadows explains. The vast majority of people who are getting COVID-19 with asthma are having a flare similar to what they have with a cold. It may require increased use of rescue or reliever medication .
It’s Not Just Cigarettes That Cause A Problem
The smoke from cigars, pipes, hand-rolled cigarettes, and shisha can trigger symptoms too.
For example, shisha pipes have all the same risks as tobacco smoke and are linked to the same diseases. The same amount of smoke can be inhaled during a typical hour-long shisha session as from more than a hundred tobacco cigarettes.
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How Is This Medicine Best Taken
Use Vicks Sinex ) as ordered by your doctor. Read all information given to you. Follow all instructions closely.
- Do not take Vicks Sinex ) by mouth. Use in your nose only. Keep out of your mouth and eyes .
- Some of these drugs need to be shaken before use. Be sure you know if this product needs to be shaken before using it.
- Some products may have different ways to prime the pump. Some pumps may also need to be primed if not used for different periods of time. Follow how and when to prime as you have been told.
- Blow your nose before use.
- Do not tilt your head back before using Vicks Sinex ).
- Put the cap back on after you are done using your dose.
What do I do if I miss a dose?
- If you use Vicks Sinex ) on a regular basis, use a missed dose as soon as you think about it.
- If it is close to the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your normal time.
- Do not use 2 doses at the same time or extra doses.
- Many times Vicks Sinex ) is used on an as needed basis. Do not use more often than told by the doctor.
Cannabis Use And Its Impact On Asthma And Allergies
Allergy & Asthma Network and Joanna Zeiger, PhD, hosted a Twitter chat on June 11 on cannabis use and its impact on people with asthma, exercise-induced bronchospasm, allergies, eczema and urticaria. As part of the Allergy & Asthma Network Pain, Exercise and Cannabis Experience survey, Dr. Zeiger answered questions during the Twitter chat that are summarized here for you.
Dr. Zeiger is CEO and researcher with Canna Research Group, an organization seeking to better understand how people are using cannabis to manage medical conditions.Dr. Zeiger is also a former U.S. professional triathlete who was the 2008 Ironman 70.3 World Champion and competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics where she placed 4th in triathlon. She is the author of The Champion Mindset An Athletes Guide to Mental Toughness.
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Potential Risks Of Marijuana For Asthma
Despite any possible benefits, marijuana also poses enormous risks if you have asthma. This is particularly the case if you smoke it. Smoking any substance can increase inflammation in your lungs. This makes asthma symptoms worse.
Smoking marijuana may even increase your risk for an asthma attack. In severe cases, you may need to be hospitalized for an asthma attack. This helps to prevent life-threatening complications.
When you smoke marijuana, large air sacs called bullae may start to develop in your lungs. These can eventually disrupt your breathing. According to the American Thoracic Society, youre at an increased risk of developing bullae from smoking marijuana if youre under the age of 45.
Over time, bullae can grow and cause shortness of breath. Whats even more dangerous is the development of pneumothorax. This is a life-threatening condition that occurs when bullae rupture in the lungs.
In the short term, smoking marijuana can cause:
- frequent coughing
Forms Of Marijuana For Use
When you think of smoking weed and asthma, it might seem a bit counterintuitive. After all, the most popular way to use cannabis for recreation is smoking. Smoking anything with asthma is probably not the best idea.
But its important to remember that smoking is only one way to use weed. There are also several other forms of marijuana. Keep in mind each form may have a different concentration of THC and CBD, onset, and duration of effects.
There is not a best form of marijuana to use. It comes down to personal preference. Certain forms, such as patches tend to provide an exact dosage more accurately than vaping or smoking weed.
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What Are Some Benefits Of Cannabis
Joanna Zeiger: We published several articles from a survey we did on athletes the Athlete PEACE Survey study. The athletes reported several benefits to cannabis use.
The athletes reported decreased pain, improved sleep, less anxiety, fewer muscle spasms and improved well-being. These benefits have also been reported in many other studies in medical patients.
We know that cannabis is helpful for people with seizure disorders and can alleviate nausea and lack of appetite in cancer patients. There is evidence cannabis can help inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatic conditions.
Additionally, cannabis seems to help people with post-traumatic stress disease and other mental health conditions.