FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2002 (HealthDayNews) -- Travel may expand your mind, but it can be hazardous for your lungs.
A study in the September issue of Chest says travel is the main source of secondhand smoke for many adults with asthma. That exposure can lead to asthma symptoms and breathing problems.
The study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, included 374 nonsmoking adults with asthma who lived in California. That state prohibits smoking in the workplace and most other public places. That means travel is the main source of environmental tobacco exposure (ETS) for nonsmokers who don't live with a smoker, the study authors say.
They examined the prevalence and short-term health effects of ETS on the study subjects. That included symptoms attributed to ETS, respiratory problems, and extra use of inhalers experienced by the people when they traveled outside California within the previous year.
The study found 30 percent of the people reported ETS exposure when they traveled. The most common complaint was ETS-related coughing, wheezing or chest tightness.
"The health impact of intermittent ETS exposure during travel has not been previously examined," says study author Dr. Mark D. Eisner.
"As smoking has become quite restricted in California, ETS exposure during travel has become a more important source of exposure. Our findings tell us that this vulnerable group -- people with asthma -- were frequently exposed to ETS during travel. Those who were exposed had a high prevalence of sensory irritation symptoms and respiratory problems," Eisner says.
More information
Here are more tips on traveling and asthma.
