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Secondhand smoke impaired cough reflex of healthy children
Children who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke are less responsive to cough-eliciting respiratory irritants than children of parents who do not smoke, according to study results published online.
Paul Wise, PhD, of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, and colleagues reported findings on a study they conducted on 38 healthy children aged 10 to 17 years who inhaled increasing concentrations of capsaicin from a nebulizer. Capsaicin is the burning ingredient in chili peppers and a potent chemical stimulus for cough. Seventeen of the youth were regularly exposed to smoke in the home, whereas 21 were never exposed to smoke at home. Parents also were tested.
The amount of capsaicin in the nebulizer was increased after each inhalation until the participant coughed twice. The capsaicin concentration that induced the two coughs was labeled as the individual’s cough threshold.
Youth regularly exposed to secondhand smoke required twice as much capsaicin to trigger cough vs. non-exposed children, meaning that the exposed children were less sensitive to the irritating environmental stimulus. A similar finding was true for the parents, confirming earlier findings, the researchers said.
An insensitive cough reflex could make exposed children less able to cope with environmental threats, which could play a role in their increased risk for developing respiratory illness, the researchers wrote.
“This study suggests that even if an exposed child is not coughing, his or her respiratory health may still be affected by secondhand smoke,” Wise said in a press release.
Disclosure: This project was funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which specifically disclaims responsibility for any analyses, interpretations or conclusions. The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
