Unintentional smoking, or passive smoking, can also have serious consequences for the body.

Passive smoking is smoke that you do not want to inhale. When tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes are burned, sidestream smoke is released. A person actively smoking nearby inhales the mainstream smoke. Both sources release harmful chemicals into the air, which also affect non-smokers. The entire smoke from burned nicotine products contains toxins. Even non-smokers who inhale the smoke of others breathe in these toxins. The sidestream smoke at the end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe is unfiltered. It contains more harmful toxins than the regular smoke someone inhales.

Who is especially exposed to passive smoking?

Exposure to passive smoking arises from sidestream or mainstream smoke. Passive smoking affects anyone near burning or exhaled tobacco, but some groups are more exposed to the smoke: employees in the service industry who have increased customer contact; those working near groups of smokers may not be able to avoid passive smoking. Pregnant women are particularly at risk from passive smoking. Passive smoking harms unborn children and their mothers. Reduced oxygen supply to the baby can increase the fetus’s heart rate or reduce birth weight. Women may experience miscarriages, stillbirths, or premature births. Infants, children, and pets are also exposed to smoke, especially due to their size. Small children and animals cannot always choose to leave a smoke-filled room. Constant exposure intensifies the harmful effects of passive smoking.

What are the consequences of passive smoking?

There is no safe level of exposure to passive smoking. It can even be more toxic than the smoke directly inhaled from a cigarette because more toxins can form at lower temperatures. There is evidence that sidestream smoke becomes more harmful as it changes from fresh to stale. Proven by laboratory studies, passive smoking has immediate negative effects on the cardiovascular system that manifest both short- and long-term. The mouth and throat area are also directly affected by the consequences of passive smoking.

Passive smoking is a common cause of chronic sore throat due to passive smoke. Children especially should not be exposed to passive smoking because their lungs are still developing. Sore throats caused by passive smoking are just one symptom of chronic smoke exposure and should be seen as a warning sign that one should no longer expose oneself to cigarette smoke. The back of the throat is coated with mucus that helps swallowing and digestion. Unfortunately, this mucus also traps smoke particles and can irritate the throat lining. Chronic exposure to passive smoke can lead to an infection called viral pharyngitis . Even worse, infections of the throat lining can enter the lungs when inhaled. Since the separation between the esophagus and trachea is not airtight, the anatomy prevents food and liquids from entering the lungs but not microscopic bacteria and viruses.

Eye pain and risks from passive smoke

The effects of passive smoking on children’s eyes are particularly severe: passive smoking is a risk to children’s eye health even before they are born. If a pregnant woman smokes, the baby is five times more likely to develop bacterial meningitis as a child. Meningitis causes swelling of the tissue around the brain and can lead to eye infections and vision problems. Smoking is also a risk factor for premature birth—a condition that is a risk factor for retinopathy of prematurity. A baby with retinopathy of prematurity can suffer permanent vision loss or blindness.

Recent studies and laboratory research on passive smoking have shown that children aged 6 who were regularly exposed to passive smoke already showed signs of eye damage, including thinning of the dense network of blood vessels in the back of the eye, called the choroid. Thinning of the choroid is a concerning risk factor for the future development of vision-threatening diseases such as AMD. These risks to children’s vision increased the more smoke they were exposed to.

Sinusitis and shortness of breath as consequences of passive smoking

When the sinuses are constantly blocked and swollen, passive smoking—even in small amounts—can be the cause. According to a new study, passive smoking may be responsible for up to 40 percent of chronic sinusitis cases. Sinusitis describes a range of unpleasant and sometimes debilitating symptoms, including nasal and sinus inflammation, congestion, cough, runny nose, breathing difficulties, and reduced sense of smell. Besides chronic sinusitis, passive smoking can increase the risk of respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and heart disease in non-smokers, as well as the risk of sudden infant death syndrome and middle ear infections in children.

Non-smokers exposed to passive smoke often experience irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. This group also has an increased nasal defense response, which transports secretions, particles, and other substances from the nasal passages, comparable to that of smokers. One hour of exposure to high levels of passive smoke, such as found in bars or restaurants with unrestricted smoking, can cause acute deterioration of lung function and airflow limitation. Passive smoke exposure in non-smokers has been linked to a range of chronic and acute respiratory symptoms, such as cough, mucus and sputum production, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

Although there is no reliable protection against passive smoke, it can never hurt to support your body with appropriate, personalized nutrient blends to well equip yourself against the effects of passive smoking.