Why do some people smell smoke and cough and have chest tightness? Stop hurting people

According to incomplete statistics, there are currently about 1.1 billion smokers in the world [1].

They are hurting not only their lungs, but also passers-by, colleagues, friends, and loved ones.

Among these people, some are only irritated by the smell of smoke, while some will cough and chest tightness, which is not a sentimentality, but an allergic reaction.

A wisp of cigarette, after drifting into their bodies, what happened?

Cigarettes contain some substances that induce allergies: smoke tar, nicotine, and irritating compounds[2].

After these substances enter the respiratory tract, astute immune cells will evolve weapons to deal with them, and this preparation process is the sensitization of immune cells.

When a similar substance invades again, the previous weapon will attack the invading foreign substance, but the body will also pay a painful price. For example, they "stab" the airway tissue indiscriminately, so that smooth muscles contract, respiratory ventilation is affected, and allergic asthma occurs.

Allergic asthma can be quickly relieved and restored after the body has broken away from the allergen or used anti-allergic drugs.

This also makes many people despise its harm:

1. Irreversible stenosis of the airway occurs

When asthma occurs, the immune system activates and releases active substances many times, and after repeated attacks, it will cause damage to the airway structure, and the self-healing process of airway damage is not always able to break the mirror and re-round, which will cause the elastic retraction function of the airway tissue to gradually decrease, resulting in irreversible airway stenosis [3].

2. Immune overdrive can be life-threatening

Once the "ready" immune system is on the offensive, serious consequences can occur, commonly pneumothorax, lung infection, respiratory failure, and even sudden death, when the airway is narrowed to complete obstruction, it is in a state of suffocation, and continuous asphyxiation can lead to death [4].

Unfortunately, studies have found that more than 40% of children with asthma live with relatives with a penchant for smoking [5].

Brother Dian would like to advise everyone that if you can't help but want to smoke, please consciously do it:

Do not smoke in public places, including walking on the road, waiting for trains at stations, and queuing up in shops.

If you want to smoke at home, please avoid your family, especially the elderly and children.

For friends who know that they have allergic asthma:

1. Wear a mask when you go out

Friends with asthma wear masks correctly and will not affect breathing.

Proper wearing of masks can filter out allergens such as cigarette particles, pollen particles, and mold spores in the air, which can effectively prevent allergic asthma [6].

Some people believe that masks hinder breathing, and this claim has no scientific basis. Proper wearing of the mask does not affect breathing.

If you have difficulty breathing, move to an open space with good air circulation and put on your mask again after relief [7].

2. Drug treatment, commonly used inhaled corticosteroids, can not be stopped without authorization

For some asthmatic patients whose airway immune cells are constantly on the defensive, prophylactic control drugs are needed, and inhaled corticosteroids are most commonly used clinically.

In patients of varying severity, hormones are often used in conjunction with different drugs [8].

The use of drugs should strictly follow the doctor's instructions, and the drug should not be stopped without authorization and reviewed regularly.

Adherence to medication can reduce the symptoms of allergic asthma. After remission, the dose should be gradually reduced on the advice of a doctor.

3. Mediterranean diet, cooking using vegetable oil

People with allergic asthma should eat vegetables, fruits, fish, seafood, legumes, nuts, and vegetable oils for food cooking.

Eating foods rich in high-quality protein, fiber, and unsaturated fatty acids can regulate immune function in patients with allergic asthma and prevent or improve allergic asthma [9].

If you are allergic to seafood, eggs, etc., you should avoid ingestion.

Patients who do not know whether they are allergic to these foods can go to the allergy department of the hospital for allergen testing.

4. Exercise can assist drugs in the treatment of allergic asthma

Studies have shown that appropriate exercise can assist medications in treating mild asthma, boost immunity, and improve lung function [10]. However, the exercise training of patients with allergic asthma should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor, and outdoor exercise in a humid environment and exercise of unreasonable intensity will induce asthma and backfire.

Some people's immune system is highly sensitive, when the external sensitizing substance invades the airway tissue, just like the 119 rapid police arrived at the scene to rescue, will not care about their own safety, so the response is often very strong, and may lead to serious consequences.

Allergic asthma is also a disease associated with polygenes, and children who have parents or grandparents in the family are 6 times more likely to get the disease than normal people [11], that is, patients with a family history have a higher risk of asthma.

A puff of smoke hurts ourselves and hurts others, so let's not smoke in public places!

Contributing Author: Rao Mingjun

Doctoral candidate in respiratory medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University

Review expert: Wang Xinxia

Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University

bibliography

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Zhu Zaifeng. Study on Harmful Components and Their Harmfulness in Cigarette Smoke[J]. STUDIO CLASSROOM.

[3] Chuang H-C. Airway Remodeling in Asthma[J]. Frontiers in Medicine. 2020;7(191).

[4] Medscpe. Status asthmaticus clinical presentation[EB/OL]. [2021-12-20] https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2129484-clinical.html

[5] Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Tobacco Smoke and Asthma[EB/OL]. [2021-12-20] https://www.aafa.org/secondhand-smoke-environmental-tobacco-asthma.html

[6] Achooallergy. Asthma & Allergy Mask Buying Guide[EB/OL]. [2021-12-27] https://www.achooallergy.com/blog/buying/allergy-asthma-mask-buying-guide/.html

[7] Nationalasthma. No evidence that face masks cause asthma attacks[EB/OL]. [2021-12-27] https://www.nationalasthma.org.au/news/2021/no-evidence-that-face-masks-cause-asthma-attacks.html

Zhou Xin,Zhang Min. Interpretation of Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Bronchial Asthma in China (2020 Edition)[J]. Diagnostic Theory and Practice. 2021; 20:138-43.

[9] Julia V, Macia L, Dombrowicz D. The impact of diet on asthma and allergic diseases[J]. Nat Rev Immunol. 2015 May;15(5):308-22.

[10] Zhang YF, Yang LD. Exercise training as an adjunctive therapy to montelukast in children with mild asthma: A randomized controlled trial[J]. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Jan;98(2):e14046.

[11] WebMD. Asthma Risk Factors[EB/OL]. [2021-12-20] https://www.webmd.com/asthma/asthma-risk-factors.html

Editors: Guo Qian, Ye Zhengxing, Zhang Liang

Proofreading: Wu Yihe | Typesetting: Li Yongmin

Operation: Han Ningning | Coordinator: Ye Zhengxing