Causes of an Asthma attack
What are asthma triggers?
An asthma trigger is anything that can set off an asthma attack or make asthma worse. Many different things can act as asthma triggers. It is important to know that some asthmatics have many asthma triggers and some may have only one or a few. What acts as a trigger for one person may not act as an asthma trigger for another. Every asthmatic is different.
What are the common asthma triggers?
Common asthma triggers are listed below. Remember, triggers vary from person to person. Some may react to many triggers and some to only one or a few.
-- Dust and dust mites [Dust mites are microscopic insects you cannot see. They are present in dust. Dust collects in bed pillows and mattresses, upholstered furniture such as couches and chairs, rugs, carpets and stuffed animals]
-- Smoke from cigarettes, cigars, wood stoves and fireplaces.
-- Animals with fur, such as dogs, cats, hamsters or guinea pigs, or birds and feathers.
-- Running or playing hard; Exercise.
-- Weather changes; warm to cold, cold to warm, sunny to rainy, etc.
-- Cold, dry air, such as that in wintertime.
-- Pollen; trees, flowers, fresh cut grass.
-- Air pollution; car and bus fumes, industrial exhaust.
-- Colds or other respiratory infections; bronchitis, sinus infections, ear infections.
-- Cockroaches and their droppings.
-- Aerosol sprays; hair sprays, air fresheners.
-- Strong smells or scented products; perfumes, colognes, bleach, cleaning products.
-- Mold and mildews, both indoor, such as in wet bathrooms and basements, and outdoors.
-- Laughing hard, crying or yelling; changes in breathing patterns.
-- Emotions/ Stress; emotions and stress do not cause asthma, but they can make it worse.
-- Foods/ Food allergies/ Food preservatives.
-- Allergens; Substances one is allergic to.
-- Aspirin, NSAIDS [nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs], some antibiotics.
-- Sulfites; a preservative found in some foods and beverages.
-- GERD [gastroesophageal reflux disease] backflow of stomach contents stimulates a reflex that may make asthma worse.
Identifying and controlling triggers is a very important part of gaining good asthma control and management.
What can I do once triggers have been identified?
Once triggers are known, efforts should be made to avoid or minimize exposure to them. This will aid in preventing attacks that may be caused by them. Your health care provider will be able to offer some simple suggestions specific for you/ your child on how to decrease exposure to common triggers. Focus on those changes that will make the biggest difference for you/ your child.
How do I identify my/ my childs’ asthma triggers?
Sometimes identifying your/ your childs’ asthma triggers can be quite easy and other times it may be more challenging. When you have a strong feeling about what may be a trigger, continue to observe closely how you/ your child reacts when he or she is around those things. Take note of whether or not they show more symptoms when they are exposed or if they have fewer symptoms when they stay away from the suspected trigger. This is especially true if you/ your child only has one or a few triggers.
On the other hand, triggers can become difficult to pinpoint. You/ your child might have many triggers. You/ they may be exposed to more than one trigger at a time, but only one of them may be the problem. Some triggers cause asthma symptoms at the time of exposure or shortly after, whereas others may have a “delayed reaction” and cause symptoms up to 4-12 hours later. This is particularly true with allergen exposure – symptoms may occur long after the trigger exposure took place. Old triggers may no longer cause problems, but new ones take their place. Thus you can see that identifying triggers can be a challenge!
What if I have a hard time identifying triggers?
Don’t let this challenge discourage you! Your health care team can help. The doctor will ask some specific questions about symptoms and possible trigger exposure. Sometimes identifying triggers requires some detective work. Being observant and aware of when symptoms start or become worse can help you and the doctor pinpoint the triggers. Often, keeping a log or writing down some information may help. Ask yourself questions and record things such as;
-- Time of year and time of day that symptoms tend to occur.
-- What symptoms are present?
-- Where were you/ your child when symptoms started?
-- Where were you/ your child before symptoms started?
-- If symptoms occur mostly at night, what did you/ your child do during the day?
-- Where were you?
-- Is there a respiratory illness, like a cold, bronchitis, sinus or ear infection present?
-- What is the weather like?
-- Are symptoms worse when upset, excited or stressed?
Report what you have noticed to you/your childs’ asthma doctor or nurse. Your doctor may order additional tests, such as allergy skin testing, pulmonary exercise stress test, or esophageal pH monitoring. Working with your health care team will aid in the development of a plan specifically designed to meet your/ your childs’ needs.