What Triggers Asthma Attacks? By Mike Herman

There are a variety of contributory factors to asthma and asthma attacks. The best way to protect yourself and your health from triggering these often frightening and life threatening attacks is to know what triggers them – and to avoid those triggers.

The words "triggers" or "trigger factors" of asthma are used for the things that can cause an attack in someone who already has asthma.

These triggers can be divided into two categories: those that are natural or occur in nature and those that are synthetic or manmade.

It is important that an asthmatic and their doctor identify the one or more triggers that can make their asthma worse and limit exposure to them through daily management of the disease.

Some of the natural asthma attack triggers include:

• Pollen and Allergens, from Grass, Trees and flowers

• Mold

• Dust

• Certain foods

• Animal protein (dander, urine, oil from skin)

• Respiratory infections and sinusitis

Some manmade or synthetic irritants that may trigger an asthma attack include:

• Cigarette smoke.

• Air pollution .

• Temperature or barometric pressure change, humidity, and high wind, for example, if you move from warm indoor air to cold air outdoors.

• Cooking or paint odors, coal and chalk dust, powders.

• Scented products, harsh fragrances, cleaning products, paint and varnish fumes, air fresheners, etc.

• Allergens that you are exposed to at your place of work such as chemicals, vapors, dust, gases, or fumes.

Medications are another potential factor against your health, whether they were created in a pharmacy or taken straight from nature.

Even herbal medications like St. Johns Wort can trigger an asthma attack. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen are also a few of the other common medications that may negatively affect your health.

Still other factors include:

• Sulfites used as preservatives
• Exercise - heavy breathing may product exercise induced asthma
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Tobacco or wood smoke
• Anxiety and stress

All of these factors work together or alone to create negative health effects and trigger an asthma attack. Anything that irritates your breathing apparatus, such as your nose, throat, lungs, and sinuses can potentially cause an asthma attack.

Learn More About Symptoms and How You Can Treat and Live with Asthma at Treatment for Asthma.

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