Identifying asthma triggers

Introduction

Asthma is a long-lasting (chronic) disease of the respiratory system. It causes inflammation in tubes that carry air to the lungs (bronchial tubes). The inflammation makes your bronchial tubes likely to overreact to certain triggers. An overreaction can lead to decreased lung function, sudden difficulty breathing, and other symptoms of an asthma attack.

If you avoid triggers, you can:

• Prevent some asthma attacks.
• Reduce the frequency and severity of some attacks.

You may not be able to avoid or even want to avoid all your asthma triggers. However, you can identify many things that trigger your symptoms by:

• Monitoring your lung function (peak expiratory flow). Your lungs will not work as well when you are around a trigger.
• Being tested for allergies. If you have allergies, the substances to which you are allergic can trigger symptoms.

 What are asthma triggers?
 Why identify asthma triggers?
 How to identify asthma triggers
 Where to go from here

Return to topic:

• Asthma in Children
• Asthma in Teens and Adults

Author:	Douglas Dana Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS	Last Updated: June 13, 2007
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology Harold S. Nelson, MD - Allergy and Immunology
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