Asthma is a disease that causes the airways – the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs – to become inflamed. The inflammation then causes the airways to become sensitive to allergens or irritants. When they react to these substances, the tissue lining the airways swells, narrowing air passages. The narrowing reduces airflow to your lung tissue, resulting in symptoms like wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and trouble breathing.
Education and proper medical care will allow most people to control their asthma and lead relatively unrestricted, productive lives. With proper treatment and self-management, asthma can be controlled. You can play an active role in managing your asthma through taking the proper medications and avoiding attack triggers.
What causes an asthma attack?
Different factors can trigger an asthma attack in each person. The most common triggers are:
Infections like colds, viruses, flu, and sinus infections
Allergens like pollen, mold spores, pet dander, and dust mites
Irritants including air pollution or strong odors from perfumes or cleaning solutions
Tobacco smoke
Exercise or exertion
Cold air or changes in temperature or humidity
Strong emotions such as anxiety, laughter, crying, and stress
In people with asthma, exposure to even the slightest amount of an irritant or allergen like smoke, pollen, dust, or fumes can bring on an attack.
