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Asthma - Triggers
Asthma is a chronic lung condition that is characterized by difficulty in
breathing. People with asthma have extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways.
During an asthma attack, the airways become irritated and react by narrowing and
constructing, causing increased resistance to airflow, and obstructing the flow
of the air passages to and from the lungs.
What triggers an asthma attack ?
The words "trigger factors", or "triggers" of asthma are used for the things
which can cause an attack in someone who already has asthma.
Many things seem to be able to bring on, or trigger, an asthma attack, and the
causes and triggers vary greatly from person to person. Dogs and cats cause
asthma attacks in some people. While for others, tobacco smoke, cold air,
exercise and even laughing can trigger attacks too. Some people with asthma
report that the asthma attacks are worse when they are upset, anxious or under
stress. Some people get asthma if they take aspirin or other painkillers, and
some get asthma from dusts or fumes at work.
Really bad asthma attacks, which force people to go into hospital, often happen
after a virus infection of your nose or chest.
The most common triggers for asthma include:
Allergens
- Animal dander from the skin, hair, or feathers of animals, such as cats, dogs,
etc.
- Dust mites (contained in house dust)
- Cockroaches
- Pollen from trees and grass
- Mould (indoor and outdoor)
Irritants
- Sigarette smoke
- Air pollution
- Changes in weather
- Cold air, for example, if you move from warm indoor air to cold air outdoors.
- Strong odours from painting or cooking
- Scented products
- Irritants or allergens that you may be exposed to at your work such as special
chemicals or dusts.
Others
- Breathing tests. Just as the faster breathing in exercise can bring on
attacks, the faster and deeper breathing you have to do for most breathing tests
can bring on quite a noticeable narrowing of air passages, and can bring on an
asthma attack.
- Histamine or methacholine aerosols. In specialised tests doctors use an
inhaled mist of these substances to measure how irritable your air passages are.
In asthma they are more irritable than normal. During allergic or asthmatic
reactions cells in the lungs release histamine. Methacholine mimics the effect
of a substance (acetylcholine) released by nerves in the lung during asthma.
Both substances cause an asthma attack in anyone who breathes enough of them,
but people who have asthma will get an attack from a much smaller amount. In the
test, the amount of asthma produced is small and very bearable, and it wears off
quickly. The result gives a measurement of the irritation in a persons airways
that can be very useful.
- Irritants in asthma inhalers. For example, some powder inhalers can cause a
small amount of chest tightness. Pressurised aerosol inhalers need to have a
lubricant and this can cause irritation of air passages, and can bring on an
asthma attack.
- Some drugs, especially medicines called beta blockers used for high blood
pressure or heart disease.
- Medications such as aspirin or other painkillers.
- Sulphur dioxide was previously used as a preservative in soft drinks and wine.
This can cause chest tightening within seconds of drinking, or even breathing
the air above such a drink.
- Sulphites in food (dried fruit) or beverages (wine). For example, sodium
metabisulphite (E220–227) may trigger asthma, but not via an allergic reaction.
It can be found in wine, home-brewed beer, fizzy drinks, prepared meats and
prepared salads.
- Indigestion, with stomach acid rising up into your gullet. This is called
gastro-oesophageal reflux, or more commonly, acid reflux. This causes heartburn
and can worsen asthma symptoms, especially at night.
- Infections of the lining of the breathing passages, such as colds and flu.
- Laughing or crying.
- Exercise.
- Strong emotional stress. People with asthma often say that their asthma gets
worse if they are upset, crying, or under stress.
This is not a complete list of all the things that can trigger asthma.
In addition, people differ in which of these things cause the most asthma, and
some people may have trouble with one or more of these triggers. It is important
for you to identify what triggers your asthma, so that you can avoid or minimise
your exposure to it. Your doctor can help you with this.
Nevertheless, they all cause irritation or narrowing of the air passages in
asthma sufferers.
At a Glance … Asthma
- Triggers-
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that makes airways (bronchial
tubes) particularly sensitive to irritants, and this is characterized by
difficulty in breathing.
-
When talking about diseases, it is important to distinguish between
causes and triggers.
-
A trigger for asthma is something which sets off an attack, but which does
not make you asthmatic in the first place.
-
Common triggers of asthma include dust mites, the hair of cats or
dogs, pollen, cigarette smoke, cold air, and exercise.
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Asthma Books
Here we are launching two asthma eBooks with basic information and tips about
Astma and Allergies.
- The Asthma Secrets
- The Asthma Basics
Come back and Check them out in a few weeks!
Asthma Resources
The asthma resources on this site are based on various reports and the experience of respected authorities.
Different Causes of Asthma
But what causes asthma ? Why do some people develop asthma ? Why is asthma more
common in the western world ?
Triggers vs Causes
The words "trigger factors", or "triggers" of asthma are used for the things
which can cause an attack in someone who already has asthma.
Asthma and Pregnancy
The first question most women on medication ask when they are expecting a baby,
is "Will this medicine harm my baby?"
Safe Drugs and Pregnancy
Which Drugs and Medicines are Safe for use during Pregnancy?
Asthma Medicines and
Pregnancy
Far from being dangerous in pregnancies, certain asthma medicines can help to
protect your baby and help it to develop normally.
Exercise and Asthma
A few people seem to get asthma attacks only when they run or take other
exercise.
Type of Exercise
Some types of exercise are worse than others. For example, if you do different
types of exercise that you use the same amount of oxygen, then some will cause
more wheeziness or chest tightness than others.
More Articles about Asthma...
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