Asthma triggers, simply put, are those things that cause people with asthma to have their asthma act up. In other words, asthma triggers trigger asthma; they set asthma off. For people who have asthma, it’s important to try and “figger your triggers,” because knowing what your triggers are can help you keep from having an asthma attack and go on breathing easy.
The tricky part is that there are many triggers and everybody has different reactions to the different triggers. Some people only have a few triggers, like people who only have “exercise-induced asthma.” For them, the only time they have asthma symptoms is when they are physically active. For others, they may have a whole laundry list of triggers and find it hard to get away from them.
Some of the most common asthma triggers include:
- – Smoke (from cigarettes, cigars, fireplaces, etc.
- – Pollution
- – Pollen
- – Dust
- – Cockroaches
- – Pet dander
- – Molds
- – Cold air
- – Thunderstorms or high humidity
- – Allergies
- – Exercise
- – Respiratory infections like a cold, sinus infection, or the flu
- – Certain foods, like wheat, milk, peanuts, shellfish
- – Certain food additives
- – Strong odors, like perfumes
- – Strong emotions
- – Acid reflux (GERD)
Being observant and working closely with your asthma healthcare providers can help you pin down your list of asthma triggers. Knowing what they are can help you avoid them and also help you know when you need to be extra ready for possible asthma flares.
As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It’s always easier to keep breathing easy than it is to get back to it once an asthma attack has begun.
Dr. Gregg
Posted – January 8, 2013
