Updated on July 22, 2025.
You may know that smoking is unhealthy, especially for people who have been diagnosed with asthma. Even if you don’t smoke, your health is still at risk if you are around people who light up, because they emit smoke you can inhale. This is called secondhand smoke, and it can exacerbate your asthma symptoms and make it harder to manage your condition.
How smoke affects the health of people with asthma
Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals. Whether it's inhaled directly from a cigarette or comes in the form of secondhand smoke, it can irritate your airways, causing them to constrict. This smoke can also make its way into your lungs.
Those with asthma shouldn’t just worry about cigarettes. Smoke from cigars, pipes, and even electronic cigarettes can cause flare-ups.
Thirdhand smoke can also worsen your asthma. This occurs when the residue from tobacco smoke settles on surfaces and fabrics, sometimes for months or years at a time. These substances can be breathed into the lungs or absorbed through skin, triggering asthma issues.
Residential wood burning and smoke
A wood-burning fireplace may feel cozy during the winter, but people with asthma should use caution before getting too close. Smoke from wood fires, whether indoor or outdoor, contain fine particles that can be easily breathed into the lungs. This can cause an asthma attack, especially if a fire is lit inside a room that is not well-ventilated. As festive as a fireplace may feel, move to another area of the house or hold off on lighting one entirely.
Ways to limit your exposure to secondhand smoke
Help prevent asthma flare-ups by doing the following:
- Encourage any smokers in your life to quit.
- Do not allow anyone to smoke in your home or car.
- Even if smokers light up outside, walk away to avoid inhalation.
- Avoid restaurants and hotels that have smoking sections or rooms.
- If someone does light a wood-burning fireplace, make sure the room is well-ventilated. Use wood that has been dried for at least 6 months and don’t burn anything other than wood and newspaper.
- If possible, opt for a gas fireplace in your home, making sure it is well-vented to the outdoors.
Get help for an asthma attack
Signs of an asthma attack include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and tightness in your chest. Follow your asthma action plan if you feel these symptoms coming on.
Call 911 immediately if you have trouble walking or breathing due to shortness of breath, your lips or fingernails are blue, and/or your fast-acting inhaler or action plan is not working.
