Asthma Causes
It isn´t clear what asthma causes make the airways of people with asthma inflamed in the first place. Your inflamed airways may be due to a combination of factors.
We know that if other people in your family have asthma, you are more likely to develop it. New research suggests that being exposed to allergens like tobacco smoke, infections, and other allergens early in your life may increase your chances of developing asthma.
Asthma Causes, Symptoms and Attacks
There is matter in the environment that brings on your asthma symptoms and lead to asthma attacks. Some of the more common factors include exercise, allergens, irritants, and viral infections. Some people have asthma only when they exercise or have a viral infection.
The list below gives some examples of factors that can bring on asthma symptoms.
Allergens
- Animal dander (from the skin, hair, or feathers of animals)
- Dust mites (contained in house dust)
- Cockroaches
- Pollen from trees and grass
- Mold (indoor and outdoor)
Irritants
- Cigarette smoke
- Air pollution
- Cold air or changes in weather
- Strong odors from painting or cooking
- Scented products
- Strong emotional expression (including crying or laughing hard) and stress
Others
- Medicines such as aspirin and beta-blockers
- Sulfites in food (dried fruit) or beverages (wine)
- A condition called gastroesophageal (GAS-tro-e-sof-o-JEE-al) reflux disease that causes heartburn and can worsen asthma symptoms, especially at night
- Irritants or allergens that you may be exposed to at your work, such as special chemicals or dusts
- Infections
This is not a complete list of all the factors that can bring on asthma symptoms. People can have trouble with one or more of these. It is important for you to learn which asthma causes are problems for you. Your doctor can help you identify which situations affect your asthma and ways to avoid them.