Breathing in other people's smoke may cause asthma in children.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Chapter 6. Respiratory Effects in Children from Exposure to Secondhand Smoke. In: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General.
Available at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/report (accessed on 9 May 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

¹ And smoke can also trigger an asthma attack (when symptoms suddenly get worse).

Tobacco smoke contains many different chemicals. Some of these chemicals can make the tubes in your child's lungs swollen or narrower. Some children get asthma symptoms when they go into a smoky room.

Air pollution probably doesn't cause asthma. But it can make symptoms worse. These are some of the chemicals that can cause asthma symptoms:

If there are warnings that air pollution is bad in your area, you might want your child to stay inside.

Some children get an asthma attack when they breathe in cold air.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
McFadden ER Jr.
Asthma: Diseases of the respiratory system.
In: Braunwald E, Hauser SL, Fauci AS, et al (editors). Harrison's principles of internal medicine, volume 2. 15th edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, U.S.A,; 2001.

 

 

 

 

 

² This might happen when your child goes outside.

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