What Can Trigger Asthma

what triggers asthma

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It’s a big and wild world out there, and while you’re out doing your thing in it you will be breathing the entire time. That’s the reality of it, and the only time you’ll be breathing with no chance of being exposed to an allergy or asthma trigger is if you’re scuba diving or doing something with a similar method of breathable air delivery. A person with asthma isn’t likely to spending more time submerged underwater than the rest of us, but their whole thing is that they need to be thinking about their ability to breathe normally on dry land too. An asthma attack makes breathing one heck of a challenge, and so the question becomes what triggers asthma?

Asthma triggers are going to vary based on A) the person’s physiology, and B) where they are located. Given what we’ve talked about so far with what can trigger asthma it makes most sense to start with airborne irritants. Many places in North America are experiencing more wildfires than ever before, and that’s something we can certainly relate to in this part of Canada. Smoke from fires can be a major asthma trigger for people, and in some cases it may be that some people who are still far from the fire itself need to make sure the air in the home isn’t impurified by it.

Sometimes it will also nothing to do with combustion at all, with air pollution from smog making a person’s asthma worse when they live in a major urban area where this type of pollution is an ongoing issue. Ask any asthmatic though and they will likely tell you that most of the time they have an asthma attack and need to use their asthma rescue inhaler it is not something they can connect to any one type of trigger. And if you get asthma attacks frequently a Ventolin inhaler is something that can be a bit of a lifesaver. Especially when you’re not at home and an asthma attack comes on.

Is there more to what triggers asthma? There certainly is, and it is what we will look at with this blog entry here.

Blame It On the Weather

Thunderstorms can be absolutely terrifying for pets, but us humans tend to know all those shaking booms coming from the sky signifying the end of the world. An asthmatic might be more concerned than the rest of us, and that may be true whether they can fit an entire an entire hamburger in their mouth or not. That’s not going to make any difference at all to whether or not thunderstorm asthma is one of their triggers. There is such a thing, and provide there’s high humidity and pollen in the air then having a storm trigger asthma becomes a possibility.

Definitely not a common thing, but neither is exercise-induced asthma. Most asthmatics are able to exercise just fine, but if the weather is cold then they may have what’s known as a bronchoconstriction which is when the bronchial tubes become a whole lot narrower very quickly. Another aspect of this part of what triggers asthma is that the person may not begin to have breathing difficulties until they’re a good ways into their workout. Dry wind can also be a weather asthma factor too, and so can OTC pain management meds like aspirin and NSAID anti-inflammatory drugs.

Easy on Emotions

We’re getting through what triggers asthma well enough here, and we haven’t mentioned the basic triggers yet:

  • Pollen
  • Pet dander
  • Mold
  • Dust mites

And pollen is often an integral part of why people with allergic asthma have the types of asthma attacks that they do. Have a look at that link there and you’ll notice one in the article that points to the worst places to live if you have asthma, and some of them are on that list because of the weather and climate in those parts of the country. So we can look at location too if we’re going over what triggers asthma. For example, your arthritis may love the though of living in the Southwest USA, but your asthma will think differently. Phoenix is number 2 on the list, right behind Tampa FL at number one.

But what does emotions have to do with all of this? We’ll wrap up this review of what triggers asthma by talking about that. It may be a surprise to some to learn that feeling and expressing strong emotions can lead to a person having an asthma attack. Example could be anger, fear, excitement, laughter, yelling, or crying. Is emotional asthma attack a term? You tell us, but this is all something to consider when it comes to what triggers asthma.


IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.


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