Triggers of Asthma

The following are the most common triggers of asthma. To obtain in-depth research and important insights about one of these triggers please click on the specific trigger below:

• Viral infections
• Dust mites
• Pets/Animal dander
• Pollen
• Mold
• Cockroaches
• Food
• Allergies
• Preservatives
• Improper/Proper Diet
• Pollution
• Cigarette smoke or smoke from a fireplace
• Fumes and fragrances
• Exercise (EIA)
• Emotion/Stress
• Medication
• Hormonal Changes
• Where you work? – Occupational Asthma
• Other diseases
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Sinusitis
• Hayfever (Allergic Rhinitis)
• Vaccinations
• Where You Live? - Socioeconomic Factors

Asthma is a chronic breathing disorder that is characterized by tight airways of the lungs as a result of airway hyper-responsiveness. Our airways are designed to be responsive to harmful substances in the air. For instance, if we are exposed to a cloud of smoke, our airways will shrink, protecting our delicate lung tissues from the noxious ingredients in the smoke. Normally, the airways return to normal when we begin to breathe fresh air. People with asthma, however, have an exaggerated tightening response. Hyper-responsive airways tighten in three ways in response to triggers. First and most immediately, a smooth muscle surrounding the airways constricts, narrowing the caliber of the airways. Some triggers (also called ‘inciters’) only cause tightening of the airways (bronchoconstriction) that lasts for just a short time. These triggers include: play and exercise, cigarette smoke, changes in air temperature, laughing and strong smells.

Second, the airways are narrowed by inflammation and swelling of the airway lining. Other Triggers that increase the underlying inflammation of the airways are called ‘inducers’, and may have longer-term effects. Such triggers include: allergens (e.g. pets, house dust mites and pollen), infections (e.g. colds, flu) and certain chemicals. This leads to the third component of airway narrowing, which is the accumulation of mucus and other fluids, which can plug the airways. An asthma attack can begin immediately after exposure to a trigger or several days or even weeks later.

Sometimes when discussing triggers of asthma the writer will be divide them into three categories: allergens, irritants and miscellaneous. Allergens is the medical term for inhaled substances that cause an allergic reaction, such as pollen, dust, mold, animal dander, and cockroach allergens. Sometimes you need repeated exposure over a long period before you start to have asthma symptoms in response to an allergen. Irritants are substances that do not cause an allergic reaction, but that do irritate the airways, causing asthma symptoms. Examples of irritants are smoke, chemical fumes, perfume, strong odors from paint or cooking, and air pollution. The miscellaneous category of triggers, include a number of different substances or situations that may set off asthma symptoms. Other triggers include emotional stress, cold air, medicines such as aspirin or beta-blockers, sulfites in food or wine, and respiratory infections. In some people, even hard laughing or crying can trigger asthma symptoms.

As you can see there are various triggers in the environment that more commonly cause this tightening response. Reactions to the causes of asthma are different for each person and vary from time to time. Certain causes of asthma may be harmless to some people but contribute to inflammation in others. Some people have many causes of their asthma while others have no identifiable ones. Many of the same factors that trigger allergies also trigger asthma. A key step in controlling asthma is to identify which of these triggers make the patient’s asthma worse, and then have them work to eliminate or avoid them. Sometimes it takes exposure to more than one of these factors before an asthma episode is triggered. If a person reduces their exposure to them, it will mean less inflammation, fewer symptoms, and a potentially lower dose of medication.