[detour1]

Okay pretty much all day i was around my cousin and she smokes a lot every time she outside. i smelled a few times even before my meal which i could not finish but still ate. ramdoly i felt an anxety attack it lasted a few mins i had to wait to eat after i ate i had to have a peppemint and when i got home she smoked again and i almost felt like throwing up and still anxiety but i am calming down now. can second hand smoke cause this? Also i do have an appointment with my doctor on monday so i will be mention this to him

[Carmina]

Smoke makes me feel sick for sure and I have asthma so it can also make me find it hard to breath which causes panic - in your case maybe the anxiety could be more about fearing a confrontation. I have had that dilemma myself of feeling uncomfortable about it but not wanting a confrontation - some smokers I have tried to reason with nicely have got aggressive in the past. It is very anxiety provoking.

[WishfulThinker66]

Sure it does. I get quite ill when I smell it. I get a lot of anxiety around smokers - especially if they are doing so illegally. This is even worse when it is an acquaintance. For example I have a dear friend who will light up everywhere and it makes me nervous. People see this and I feel guilty by association. The other week she actually stood right by a No Smoking sign and lit up. Sheeesh. No respect.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by detour1

Okay pretty much all day i was around my cousin and she smokes a lot every time she outside. i smelled a few times even before my meal which i could not finish but still ate. ramdoly i felt an anxety attack it lasted a few mins i had to wait to eat after i ate i had to have a peppemint and when i got home she smoked again and i almost felt like throwing up and still anxiety but i am calming down now. can second hand smoke cause this? Also i do have an appointment with my doctor on monday so i will be mention this to him

yes second hand smoke can cause this and many more problems. thats why many USA states now have laws about smoking around other people, smoking around children, some even have laws that there is no smoking in homes and vehicles, and public places and have to be 20 feet away from any doors and windows which helps to prevent second hand smoke from affecting others. some states even have been upping the price and fines for smokers, and providing free help to quit smoking.

my suggestion is when your starts lighting up maybe you can either walk away telling her you will talk with her after she is done with her smoking break or you find other ways to not be around her while she is lighting up and smoking.

[eskielover]

I was around my paternal grandparents who smoked before anything was known about how bad second hand smoke was. Everytime I spent time at their home (a small mobile home) I came home & got sick with bronchitis. I hated going to visit them for more reasons than that but that was my biggest reason. My parents were were totally oblivious to seeing any correlation either. But my lungs could never tolerate smoke of any kind....even fireplaces & I ended up in the medical hospital for 10 days after forest fire smoke in 2004 covered the valley I lived in.