ASTHMA TRIGGERS AND HOW TO MANAGE THEM

A trigger is anything that irritates the airways of the lungs and causes the symptoms of asthma. Everyone's asthma is different and it is likely that there will be more than one trigger that causes your asthma. Your trigger could be anything from dust mites and pets to pollution and pollen. It is important that you know your triggers and then do your best to avoid them. Because asthma can be controlled and you can live a normal life.

It may be difficult to identify your particular trigger but sometimes the clues are obvious. For eg: when your symptoms start within minutes of coming in contact with a cat or dog or bird. Or when your symptoms start when the air is polluted with the smoke of fireworks. You could possibly be allergic to something in the air which irritates your airways and brings about the attack.

The most common risk factors for developing asthma is environmental exposure to inhaled substances and particles that may cause allergic reactions or irritate the airways like house dust mites, tobacco smoke, chemical irritants in the workplace (in industries like coal, cement, paint, asbestos, mining, sugar, pesticides to name a few), air pollution and outdoor allergens like pollens. The risk is also high for those who live in congested areas, are exposed to damp walls, and the fumes of wood fire cooking.

Here are some common triggers and helpful tips to avoid an asthma attack.

House dust mites Pets Smoking and air pollutants Your occupation/ workplace Colds and viruses Emotions Exercise Food Hormones Medicines Molds, fungus and pollen Weather Mosquito coils, room fresheners, cleaning products

	House dust mites: Dust mites are the most common trigger. They are tiny creatures that live and thrive in dust in carpets, mattresses, sofas, curtains, and yes, even in soft toys.  Helpful tips: Avoid carpets if you can and get someone to vacuum regularly. If you have asthma, get someone else to do the cleaning or get it done when you are not home. If your child has asthma, get the house cleaned when they are at school.  Remove all soft toys from beds.  Wash soft toys and dry them in the sun every 2 weeks.
	Pets:  Pets are a common trigger of asthma symptoms. Their fur, feathers, saliva, flakes of skin, or urine can cause asthma symptoms. Helpful tips: Avoid keeping furry and feathered pets. Keep them away from your main living and sleeping areas. If you must keep a pet, keep fish instead.
	Smoking and air pollutants:  Most of the time, we breathe in polluted air that can trigger asthma symptoms. Cigarette smoke, fumes from car exhausts, smoke from fireworks, smoke from wood fire cooking...contain lots of different particles that could irritate the airways. Helpful tips: If you have asthma, stop smoking. It is injurious to your health. Politely request smokers to stop smoking since even passive smoking is not good for you. If your family members smoke, request them to smoke outdoors, since cigarette smoke gets trapped and lingers in the curtains, carpets and upholstery for a long time. Avoid travelling during peak hours when pollution is at its highest.
	Your occupation/workplace:  Your job or your place of work could sometimes be a trigger. People working in the jewellery business, the printing, pesticide , quarries, painting and plastic industries, chefs and bakers, solderers and metal platers, foam workers and spray painters, hair dressers and carpenters, are known to be more prone to asthma. Perhaps, it is the smell of certain chemicals or the particulate matter that could be the cause of irritation in the lungs. Helpful tips: Take appropriate precautions, take your Controller correctly and regularly, and of course see your Doctor who is in the best position to advise you.
	Colds and viruses:  Colds and viral infections are very common triggers of asthma. Since everybody at some time or the other suffers from a cold, these are impossible to completely avoid. Helpful tips: Eat healthy, stay fit. Wash your hands as often as possible. Avoid touching your face with your fingers.
	Emotions:  Strong emotions, stress or even laughing too much can trigger asthma symptoms. Helpful tips: Take care of your stress and have a balanced attitude to life.
	Exercise:  Exercise is good for everyone including those with asthma. But some people get more breathless than others during or after exercising. If your asthma is under control, you should have no problem exercising. However if the symptoms get worse, please consult your doctor. Helpful tips: The best exercises for asthma are yoga, and sports like swimming, hockey, cricket, football, since they do not involve continuous running and allow you to have breaks in between. Consult your family doctor before you exercise or join a gym. Tell your gym instructor, or the sports coach in school about your asthma and tell them aboutyour Reliever or Rescuer medicines.
	Food: Most people with asthma do not have to follow a strict diet but some people could be allergic to nuts, eggs, fish, cow's milk, shell fish, yeast products, some food colourings and preservatives, wines, fizzy drinks, processed foods. Click here to see how parents have no fear that asthma might harm their children Helpful tips: Avoid foods with preservatives and packaged artificial foods. Also check if your allergens are nuts, eggs, cow's milk, shell fish and yeast products. Do read the fine print on packaged foods carefully. Check with your doctor about doing an Allergy Test.
	Hormones:  Yes, hormones can be an asthma trigger, particularly in women. Some may experience asthma symptoms during puberty, before their periods, during pregnancy, and during menopause. Helpful tips: Consult your doctor, if you feel that hormones could trigger your symptoms.
	Medicines:  Some medicines may trigger symptoms. These include medicines for flu, heart problems, glaucoma to name a few. Helpful tips: Consult your doctor and always tell him the medication you are on.
	Molds, fungus and pollen:  Flowering plants which release pollen can trigger symptoms. You should also watch out for fungus on damp walls, damp clothes, wet bathrooms and piles of rotting leaves in the garden. Helpful tips: Keep your home well ventilated. Make sure your walls at home are not damp.
	Weather:  A sudden change in temperature, windy days, hot humid days are also known to act as triggers for some. Helpful tips: Try to avoid going for early morning walks when foggy. Wear a scarf over your face when it's windy. Avoid going in and out of areas that have extreme temperatures ...from an air conditioned room to hot humid conditions outside.
	Mosquito coils, room fresheners, cleaning products: The chemicals in these products could be triggers for some people. In fact, in an independent research conducted by the Chest Research Foundation, Pune, India, burning one mosquito repellent exposes you to particulate matter air pollutants equal to 75 to 137 cigarettes! Helpful tips: Install wire mesh mosquito nets in your windows to keep mosquitoes away. Avoid strong smelling cleaning products and keep your rooms well ventilated rather than using artificial room fresheners.

Please note: There is wisdom in the old saying, 'Prevention is better.'. If you have asthma, it is best to keep a close watch on your triggers and avoid them.Always consult your doctor about any doubts you may have about your triggers, your symptoms and treatment.