Asthma is a chronic disease that causes the airways to become inflamed and constricted, causing symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. Asthma is a common disease that affects more than 4 million children and 20 million adults in the United States.
Researchers don't know exactly why some people develop asthma, but studies have identified several factors that may increase the risk of developing symptoms. For example, if you suffer from allergies or have a parent with asthma, you are more likely to experience asthma yourself.
Many other factors can also cause symptoms to worsen and trigger an asthma attack. Knowing your triggers can help you prevent exposure, which can improve your symptoms and overall quality of life.
Smoking tobacco through cigarettes or vapes can irritate the airways and make asthma symptoms worse. People who smoke or have a parent who smoked during pregnancy may also be at higher risk of developing asthma.
Smoking is not the only cause of asthma attacks. Exposure to secondhand smoke (or inhaling the smoke of someone smoking nearby) can also trigger asthma symptoms.
How to manage
Quitting smoking is not an easy process. Many people may need to try several times before they completely kick the habit. Fortunately, there are ways to quit smoking if that's your goal.
Your health care provider is a good resource for advice on how to improve these habits. They may help you manage withdrawal symptoms and recommend treatments such as nicotine replacement therapy. You can also get information from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which provides helpful resources for people who want to quit smoking.
Trying to limit secondhand smoke can also be difficult. This is especially true if you live with someone who smokes or if you live in an environment where people smoke in public places nearby. To eliminate secondhand smoke from your home, consider talking to your loved ones about ways to avoid or limit smoking around the home. When you are outside, do your best to avoid areas where people smoke.
Dust mites are tiny insect-like pests that live in house dust and feed on dead human skin cells. These bugs are present in many homes and can trigger asthma attacks in allergy sufferers with asthma.
A mild dust mite allergy can cause watery eyes, intermittent sneezing, and a runny nose. However, more severe cases can cause more severe and persistent coughing, nasal congestion, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing.
How to manage
The best way to treat a dust mite allergy is to avoid exposure to dust mites. To significantly reduce dust mites in your home, you can:
- If possible, use a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to clean floors, rugs, and carpets.
- Consider replacing rugs and carpets with hard-surface flooring, especially if you don't use a vacuum with a HEPA filter or are unable to vacuum regularly.
- Use a dehumidifier and air conditioner to keep indoor humidity below 50%.
- Reduce the number of places dust mites can hide by removing unnecessary clutter.
- Wash your mattress, pillowcases, and curtains in hot water at least once a week.
Although it may not be possible to eliminate dust mites from your environment, you can take steps to relieve symptoms. Consider talking to your health care provider about purchasing over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications, such as antihistamines and allergy shots, to help control your asthma symptoms and prevent dust mites.
Mold is a microscopic fungus that is part of the natural environment and can grow indoors and outdoors. Excess moisture in dark spaces is the most common cause of mold growth. It usually forms and spreads in damp or decaying organic matter, so keep the environment clean and dry.
If you inhale mold, this allergen can trigger an asthma attack even if you are not allergic. Sometimes mold may not be found. That said, if you're feeling sicker at work or at home, it's a good idea to get a mold test done by a professional.
How to manage
Mold may seem harmless, but inhaling it over a long period of time can significantly reduce your overall health. To minimize your risk of developing asthma, reduce your exposure to mold in your environment by doing the following:
- Throw away moldy items or food.
- Dry damp items such as clothes within 48 hours.
- Repair water leaks immediately
- Use a dehumidifier at home
- Use a brush, detergent, soap, and hot water to scrub the mold from the surface.
- Open windows regularly to ventilate the air in your home
Pollen can cause allergic reactions in some people and trigger asthma attacks in people with asthma. If you have pollen allergies, your symptoms are often seasonal because you are more likely to be exposed to pollen from grasses, trees, and weeds only in the spring.
How to manage
Consider the following strategies to help manage and reduce the impact of pollen on your asthma.
- Keep your windows closed during pollen season
- To reduce allergens in indoor air, use an air purifier with a HEPA filter indoors.
- Limit outdoor activities during pollen season.
- Please change your clothes when you come back after going out.
- Start using allergy medication with your doctor's approval.
Worldwide, approximately 10 to 20 percent of people are allergic to dogs and cats. Like pollen, animal dander is an allergen that can trigger an asthma attack. If you are allergic to animal dander, physical contact with your pet's dead skin cells (dandruff) may trigger asthma symptoms.
How to manage
Try these tips to limit your exposure to animal dander and prevent asthma attacks:
- Keep pets away from beds, sofas, and other fabric furniture.
- Ask a loved one who does not have asthma or pet allergies to groom your pet regularly.
- After spending time with your pet, change his clothes, wash his clothes, and give him a bath.
Exposure to other outdoor pollutants (such as smoke and certain germs) and certain elements (such as ash, chemical fumes and vapors) can also trigger asthma attacks. Ozone, a major component of smog, is another allergen that can increase the risk of asthma symptoms.
How to manage
Although changing air quality is often out of your control, you can minimize your risk of exposure by wearing personal protective equipment (such as masks) when not working in or near environments where hazardous chemicals are produced.
It's also a good idea to pay attention to the Air Quality Index (AQI) in your area. You can often find this information in your phone's weather app, but local radio stations, news channels, and online sources like AirNow can also be helpful.
Staying physically active is an important part of your overall health. However, if you have asthma, you should monitor how your body feels before and during exercise. Exercise and physically demanding tasks can trigger asthma symptoms if your body is not used to strenuous exercise. This phenomenon is called exercise-induced asthma or exercise-induced asthma. bronchoconstriction (EIB).
EIB occurs in 40-90% of people with asthma and up to 20% of people without asthma. This condition causes temporary narrowing of the airways, causing symptoms such as coughing, chest tightness, and wheezing within 15 minutes of high-intensity exercise.
How to manage
The thought of exercise-induced asthma may put you off exercising, but physical activity can improve lung health. Avoiding physical activity can also have a negative impact on your mental health. For example, exercising less can increase your risk of certain health conditions and lower your quality of life. If you have asthma and are hesitant to exercise, you can do other physical activities you enjoy.
Your health care provider can work with you to determine what type of exercise is best for you and recommend modifications and other treatments to make it easier for you. You may also ask how long you should exercise and what physical activities you should limit or avoid.
Colds, influenza, viral infections related to the respiratory tract synchronization The virus (RSV) can cause asthma attacks in some people. It is worth noting that experiencing viral respiratory infections in childhood may increase the risk of developing chronic asthma later in life.
How to manage
Although you can't completely avoid getting a viral infection, here are some things you can do to minimize your risk of getting sick or developing asthma symptoms:
- Wash and disinfect your hands frequently
- Stay away from crowded places
- Wear a mask in public places
- Avoid contact with people infected with the virus
- Get your flu and COVID-19 vaccinations every year
It's also important to follow an actionable asthma plan that includes steps to help you manage your asthma and respond appropriately when triggers arise. Typically, this includes information such as a list of triggers, emergency contact information, medications you use, and other information that may be useful in an emergency.
Stress, which may be in the form of strong emotions (e.g. anger, fear) or extreme emotional instability, can cause rapid breathing and trigger asthma symptoms in some individuals.
How to manage
Some stressors are out of your control, but what you can manage is how to reduce your stress levels. To help manage stress, experts recommend trying activities like yoga, breathing exercises, and meditation. All of these activities help you relax, focus your attention, and focus your thoughts on other things.
If you're having trouble finding ways to manage emotional stress, consider reaching out to a health care provider or mental health professional. It can help you find a stress management technique that works better for you.
Obese people have a higher risk of developing asthma. Some studies suggest that excess fatty tissue (fat around the abdomen) may cause inflammation and worsen asthma symptoms.
How to manage
Eating a low-calorie diet, cutting out refined foods and foods high in sugar, and being physically active can help you maintain a healthy weight for your body. Using these strategies can help you improve any obesity-related symptoms you are experiencing, as well as lower your risk of asthma attacks.
If you are concerned about your weight, talk to your doctor. It can help explore possible contributing factors, including underlying medical conditions and medications.
Everyone experiences asthma a little differently. Therefore, the above triggers are not an exhaustive list of factors that can cause asthma. That's why it's important to identify and track factors that may be causing your symptoms. If none of the above trigger your asthma, other less common triggers include:
- sinus infection
- cold and windy weather
- Breathing in cold or dry air
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- pregnancy
- Strong odors such as disinfectants or cleaning products
- Certain medications, such as beta blockers and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs
Factors that trigger asthma flare-ups vary from person to person. One of the important steps in managing asthma is finding the cause of your symptoms.
Here are some tips to help you identify your asthma triggers:
- Get an allergy test
- Observe when symptoms appear and look for patterns.
- Keep a journal of your symptoms, including when and how often they occur.
- When you exercise, watch for symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain, and monitor your lung function.
- Get a medical evaluation to rule out or determine underlying conditions that may cause asthma, such as GERD or sinusitis.
In asthma, the lungs tend to be more sensitive to various environmental triggers, such as cold air, strong odors, and outdoor pollutants. These irritants may increase the risk of asthma flare-ups or periods of worsening symptoms. Fortunately, knowing your triggers can help you avoid them.
If you have asthma, it's also a good idea to develop an asthma action plan with your health care provider to help keep your symptoms under control wherever you are.