Some negative reactions of the body, in principle, are not very pleasant and always untimely. But the manifestations of an allergy to tobacco smoke in general seem to be injustice. Passive smokers are not tormented by their own whims. This is an unpleasant consequence for those people who do not suffer from such a habit, but due to circumstances forced to inhale the air saturated with nicotine. Many often do not have the idea that smoking tobacco, they destroy not only their own health, but also significantly worsen the quality of life of others.
Say, my health. Therefore, I will make the decision myself. However, during this process, harmful chemical components are released that affect the functioning of internal organs, including those who do not suffer from bad habits. Today we’ll talk about the causes of the development of allergic reactions to tobacco smoke, and about what help patients can receive.
Causes of occurrence
Cigarettes contain not only tobacco directly, but also a mixture of various resins and flavors. Under the influence of high temperatures, these substances decompose and release carcinogens into the environment, which, in turn, are deposited not only in the bronchial tubes of a smoking person, but also in the organs of those who voluntarily become a passive accessory to this process. There is also an allergy to tobacco smoke in children.
Harmful substances
A lit cigarette throws into the environment more than 4 thousand. various chemical compounds, 80 of which are considered carcinogens. Tobacco molecules have a very small mass, due to this they remain in the air for a long time. This is especially true for enclosed spaces. You can find out immediately about where you smoke by the characteristic smell. But the unpleasant corrosive amber is not so scary. The main danger is a suspension of smoke remaining in the air. As a result of this, an allergic reaction to tobacco can develop even if no one is smoking nearby, it is enough to inhale the air saturated with nicotine. Manifestations of this disease make themselves felt when the human immune system perceives the components of cigarette smoke as foreign bodies. As a result, antibodies are produced in response that cause unpleasant symptoms.
Human immune cells perceive harmful substances as an infection and react accordingly: they try to prevent it from entering the body and render it harmless. Carcinogens have a negative effect on the mucosa of the respiratory organs, making them susceptible to the penetration of other allergens. Therefore, cigarettes can cause not only a real reaction to tobacco, but also affect its manifestations on other external and internal irritants.
For people with chronic bronchopulmonary diseases who have suffered long-term respiratory pathologies, they are allergic to tobacco smoke. Most often, young children suffer from this, since their immune system is not yet working at full capacity, the constant inhalation of harmful substances provokes chronic rhinitis and manifestations of bronchial asthma in them.
Signs of Allergic Reactions
Allergies can cause minor changes in human health, and can affect the functioning of the whole organism as a whole. The most common reactions to cigarettes include:
- sneezing, runny nose, constant nasal congestion;
- conjunctivitis (more common in a passive smoker), in which corrosive smoke irritates the mucous membranes of the eyes, which causes redness and lacrimation;
- irritation and swelling of the larynx and lungs.
As a result, the first symptoms of tobacco smoke allergy in non-smokers are manifested by sore throat, hoarseness, dry cough, and then shortness of breath and suffocation may occur. If the source is not eliminated and a similar condition is not treated, then bronchial asthma develops, which is considered the most unfavorable course. Doctors have long noted that young children are 5 times more likely to suffer from this ailment if they live in families where their parents smoke.
Tobacco smoke and children
Often there is an allergy in infants to tobacco smoke. It is dangerous for young children, as it affects the development of respiratory diseases, and later on asthma. Constantly reddened throat, sneezing, lacrimation - all this can be a manifestation of sensitivity to carcinogens of cigarette smoke. Such symptoms should alert parents and make them show the child to an allergist. It is clear that treating a baby for a cold in this case is completely useless.
It is quite simple to distinguish an allergy: in a few days after staying in non-smoked rooms or in the fresh air all the symptoms go away. How does tobacco smoke allergy manifest? To answer this question, you need to familiarize yourself with the main symptoms.
Symptoms
If a person has a true allergy to cigarette smoke, then the symptomatology of the disease develops immediately after inhalation and manifests itself in the form of a sore throat, sneezing, lacrimation, itching of open areas of the body, sharp bouts of headache.
There are frequent cases when a person is forced to stay indoors with smokers for a significant part of the time. Of course, this worsens health, there are constant headaches, respiratory manifestations of a chronic nature. Very often, these health problems are attributed to a decrease in immunity and fatigue (especially if the manifestations are not very pronounced: a stuffy nose, not a lot of tickling in the throat, sometimes sneezing), not correlating them with allergic reactions.
You can understand the reason, for example, spending a vacation in the fresh air. In the changed conditions, the state of health gradually improves and returns to normal. For 2-3 weeks, the lungs of a passive smoker are cleared of carcinogens, which leads to the disappearance of symptoms of an allergy to tobacco smoke.
Diagnosis and treatment
For an accurate and correct diagnosis, a visit to an allergist is necessary. The specialist will schedule special tests, the results of which will tell you which substances are dangerous for you and what you should try to avoid. Also a reliable fact is the improvement of well-being when changing the situation and eliminating the influence of second-hand smoke. In a person suffering from this bad habit, signs of an allergy to tobacco smoke gradually disappear after he refuses it.
Treatment methods
The most effective, and indeed the only treatment, is the absence of tobacco smoke surrounded by a passive smoker. That is, it is necessary to negate contacts with people who have a bad habit, as well as the time spent with them in the same room. It is worth staying as far away as possible from public places where smoking is allowed.
In addition, with the appearance of allergy symptoms, you need to take a tablet of an antihistamine. With mild ailment, it will be enough to use a single dose. If the manifestations do not go away and are aggravated, then you need to see a doctor. The occurrence of allergies affects the formation of toxins, which reduces the protective response of the immune system. To prevent this, doctors advise taking preventive treatment courses.
We found out whether there is an allergy to tobacco smoke. The answer here is clear - of course. This phenomenon is quite common. Therefore, you need to know what treatment to apply.
Standard therapy
Typically, a standard treatment regimen is as follows:
- First, enterosorbent to neutralize toxic substances and remove them from the body.
- The next step is immune stimulation. Immunomodulators, vitamins, general health measures, and diet are prescribed. It can also help to increase the body's defenses by taking beekeeping products (bee bread, pollen, honeycombs, propolis).
- At the last stage, symptomatic therapy is used. That is, a runny nose is treated with vasoconstrictive drops, conjunctive manifestations - with the help of ointment and eye wash, the rash is stopped by appropriate means, etc.
Therapy Features
Smokers are shown course administration of decoctions of herbs that have expectorant properties: coltsfoot, thyme, linden. They excrete sputum with carcinogens and do not allow it to be absorbed into organs.
You should pay attention to the fact that vitamin C with such treatment should be ingested in sufficient quantities in the form of food additives and fruits. People should exclude the influence of the components of nicotine, as already manifested, such a disease will haunt you all your life. Signs of an allergy to tobacco smoke need to be recognized in a timely manner. The sooner this happens, the faster you will be able to get rid of this unpleasant ailment.
Once again about the dangers of smoking
It’s even indecent to talk about the dangers of smoking: so much has been said, shown and so on. But, nevertheless, we recall once again that cigarette smoke does harm not only to the person who suffers addiction, but also affects the health and well-being of people around him, including children. Currently, a ban on smoking in public places has been introduced on the territory of our country, which greatly facilitates life and allows you to freely visit various institutions without fear of getting an attack. We looked at the symptoms of tobacco smoke allergies in children and adults.