Asthma: what triggers it?

Any number of environmental stimuli can trigger asthma attacks including air temperature, respiratory viruses, pollution, odors, certain foods such as sulfites, allergens, stress, chemicals, dust, and cigarette smoke (active or passive). Some asthmatics are allergic to aspirin and ibuprofen, especially those with the "allergic triad" of asthma, nasal polyps, and sinusitis.

Asthma may be genetically inherited or acquired, usually through a viral infection. Adults who are susceptible usually get asthma as a result of viral or respiratory infections. One of the leading causes of asthma in children is second-hand cigarette smoke. Although they may grow out of it, there is still a chance that asthma may reappear when they are adults.

Allergens

An allergen is a foreign substance, one your body does not produce, that causes you to have an allergic reaction. These allergens can be absorbed by your body through your airways, namely your nose and throat - you breathe them in. If you are asthmatic, you have particularly sensitive or extra-irritable airways that react to these allergens by becoming inflamed.

Infection

Viral infections, such as the common cold or flu, may bring on asthma attacks. If a bad flu develops into a severe bronchial infection and is left untreated, asthma may develop as a permanent condition.

Sinusitis is an inflammation of your nasal sinuses and often begins as an upper respiratory infection. Asthma may be aggravated by drainage of mucus into your nose, throat, and bronchial tubes. Symptoms of sinusitis in children include wheezing, postnasal drip, nighttime cough, and enlarged lymph nodes. Adolescents and adults may suffer headaches and sinus pressure and pain.

Weather

Cold and rainy days bring increased humidity, which causes a sudden temperature change. If you are asthmatic, these conditions can irritate and narrow your airways, which in turn can bring on coughing attacks and breathlessness.

Exercise

Cool, dry air, like that found in a gym or air conditioned exercise facility, can trigger an asthma attack in people who are susceptible. Rapid breathing in and out can also cause airway irritability because it dries the airways.

Long term, strenuous activities, such as long distance running, are most likely to induce an attack while swimming is least likely. This type of asthma is known as exercise induced asthma or exercise induced bronchospasm.

Work environment

Occupational asthma is a very real illness and can take months or years to manifest. Chemicals, such as isocyanates, can act as asthma triggers and are found in industries like insulation installation, spray painting, plastics, rubber and foam

manufacturing. Hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, and ammo

nia, all used in the petroleum industries, also act as irritants. A

irborne fumes and irritants from factories, pulp mills, and sulfur dumps can trigger asthma attacks in people who live nearby.

ASTHMA Wheezing

Asthma is a chronic lung condition. The airways become inflamed and swollen, causing them to narrow. Air can't move through the lungs as well as it should, making it difficult to breathe. For reasons we do not completely understand, asthma is becoming more common each year, especially in children.

Causes

The cause of asthma is poorly understood, but it may be partly inherited. Everyone's lungs are sensitive to different thing

s such as pollen, air pollution, or strong chemicals. In simple terms, people with asthma have lungs that are more sensitive than average.

There are three processes in the lungs that produce asthma symptoms. First, the inner linings of the airways become inflamed. They swell up, leaving less room for air to pass through. Second, the muscles around the airways can tighten, closing th

em further. Finally, the airways produce mucus in response to the inflammation, clogging the shrunken tubes.

Asthma is in part an allergic response. It maybe triggered by some external substance that particularly irritates your lungs. These triggers are often small protein particles called allergens. Some people are sensitive to more than one trigger. Common allergens include:

• grass, tree, and ragweed pollen
• molds
• house dust mites
• cockroach particles
• animal dander

Other people can get an asthma attack from something they swallow rather than breathe. Examples of these triggers include:

• aspirin* and other anti-inflammatory medications
• preservatives found in some drinks or foods
• nuts or shrimp

While most people develop asthma as children, adults can become asthmatic by being exposed to allergens for a long time. People who work with the following products may be at increased risk:

• foams and paints
• antibiotics
• cotton and flax
• detergents
• grains and cereals
• insulation and packaging materials

Asthma attacks can also be triggered by non-allergic irritants such as:

• viral infections such as the common cold or the flu
• laughing hard, crying, shouting
• smog and smoke
• strong smells (e.g., paint fumes, perfumes, cleaning products)
• suddenly breathing cold air
• vigorous exercise

Symptoms and Complications

Some children feel an itch on the back of the neck just prior to an asthma attack. Most people have some warning sign that they can learn to recognize. Some signs, like a sore throat, are obvious. Others, like dark circles under your eyes or a change in the color of your face, may go unnoticed.

Asthma varies in its severity. Some people experience asthma symptoms continuously while others experience symptoms only if exposed to triggers. Regardless of the severity, typical asthma symptoms include:

• chest tightness
• coughing
• shortness of breath
• wheezing

With more severe asthma, these symptoms may occur at night.

Wheezing is the best-known asthma symptom, but not everyone with asthma wheezes. Some people only have a cough that doesn't seem to go away.

A really severe asthma attack is life threatening. Even if some air is coming in, deadly carbon dioxide builds up in the blood. If you or a family member can't breathe and the normal medication isn't working, call an ambulance.