Cigarette & Allergic Rhinitis - Partners In Crime?

I'm not sure whether you ever felt that cigarette smoke actually worsens your Allergic Rhinitis? For me, it kind of does. My dad has been smoking since I was a kid, and I can say I'm pretty tolerant to cigarette smoke in general.

I realize that cigarette smoke can sometimes trigger an allergic-like reaction. When I'm not having a running nose or blocked nose, I guess cigarette smoke is pretty much 'harmless'. It is the combination of these that makes the Allergic Rhinitis exponentially worst. For me, this is true for change in temperature as well. Allergic Rhinitis plus cold air means I'll have a running nose that is impossible to stop.

Interestingly, a study has revealed that environmental tobacco smoke, and not the suspected visible mold, that drastically increases an infant’s risk for developing allergic rhinitis by age one.

Well well, I'm not Sherlock Holmes, but does my dad's smoking has anything to do with my Allergic Rhinitis? In this article, there are a couple of findings that may shed some light on this.

".. found that infants who were exposed to 20 or more cigarettes a day were three times more likely to develop allergic rhinitis by their first birthday than those who were not exposed.."

".. environmental tobacco smoke puts harmful particulates in the air that, when inhaled regularly at such an early age, could lead to serious allergic conditions like asthma.."

Of course, this is just one study in 2006 but then, if you do smoke, please consider the possible impact it might have on your children in the future. In the first place, (passive) smoking is never good for children so please control yourself!