When a person develops an uncontrollable dependence on cigarette smoking it is referred to as smoking addiction. Nicotine is the substance found in tobacco that causes addiction. An addiction is developed when smoking a harmful substance such as nicotine becomes repetitive and habitual. If a smoker stops smoking suddenly the person experiences some withdrawal symptoms. This is due to the fact that the physical system has re-adjusted itself to act without the particular substance.

If a person has asthma, smoking is very dangerous. This is due to the fact that smoking causes a considerable amount of damage to the lungs. When a person inhales nicotine smoke, he or she may wheeze, cough and may experience shortness of breath. These things are experienced when smoke irritates the pathway of air called the airways. This causes the airways to become narrow, swollen and even leads to accumulation of mucus, which is sticky. These adverse effects are similar to the effects that happen during an asthma flare-up. This is why smoking can induce asthma flare-ups on a regular basis. These flare-ups are difficult to control with medication.

A person may have many reasons for developing the habit of smoking. Quitting smoking can improve the negative effects of asthma. If an asthma patient continues to smoke, it can nullify the effect of any medicine taken by the person to control asthma. Smoking also disturbs sleep by causing a person to cough during the night. Smoking can also affect the performance of an athlete. For these reasons, it is important for an asthma patient to stop smoking. Asking a physician about medication and different approaches to cut down on a smoking habit is helpful.

Even if a person does not smoke, he/she may encounter smoky atmospheres at parties, restaurants or at home. Secondhand smoke is known to be a trigger for asthma. Therefore, it is very importqant to avoid the inhalation of smoke for an asthma patient. Continuous exposure to smoke can cause a person to feel intense asthma symptoms.

The smoke from cigarettes, cigars and pipes can cause adverse effects to the body in different ways. Smoke is particularly harmful to the lungs of an asthma sufferer. Cigarette smoke is a powerful and major factor in triggering the symptoms of asthma.

When a person is subjected to cigarette smoke, the inhalation of the smoke causes the irritating substances to settle in the lining of the airways. These irritating substances can have adverse effect on an asthma sufferer.

Smoking affects the lungs and the circulatory system. Deaths caused by circulatory disease due to smoking are greater than deaths caused by lung cancer. Blood delivers oxygen and other nutrients to the tissues and various organs in the body. The circulatory system directs the blood flow in the body by acting as piping highways. Each and every blood vessel is linked with Teflon-like thin cell layers to ensure the smooth flow of blood. The carbon monoxide gas that is emitted from cigarette smoke damages these vital layers. This also causes accumulation of plaque and fats to stick to the walls of the blood vessels.

Besides carbon monoxide, nicotine also causes considerable amount of damage to the blood circulation in the body. Whenever nicotine enters the brain, it causes the body to activate the stress defenses related to the fight or flight mechanism. This leads to the body to release the stored fats straight in to the blood stream immediately. With each puff of new nicotine the stored fat is pumped back into the blood stream. Stored fats released due to nicotine adhere to the walls of blood vessels that are damaged by carbon monoxide.

It has been found that nicotine causes new blood vessels to grow inside the vessels of the circulatory system. This is known as vascularization. These newly formed blood vessels supply vast amounts of oxygen and other nutrients to the plaques and fats that have adhered to the walls of the vessels.

Smoking causes damage to the vessels that deliver blood to our brain and heart. The blood vessels related to hearing can also be damaged and blood supply to the skin can affected as well. As a result, these vessels show wrinkles. This can lead to early hair loss, early aging and even tooth loss.