These asthma triggers are simply things that can trigger or cause an asthma attack, and if you are fortunate, you can sometimes find something you can avoid to limit or prevent future asthma attacks.
Asthma Triggers
Among the more common asthma triggers include:- allergens, which is common if your child has 'allergic asthma,' and can include pollens, molds, cockroach droppings, and dust mites, etc.
- extreme changes in the weather, especially when it starts to get very cold
- irritants, including exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, smoke from fires, strong odors, pollution in the air, and ozone alert days, etc.
- infections, especially colds and sinus infections
- exercise, especially if your child has exercise induced asthma
- gastroesophageal reflux, although these children don't always have typical symptoms of heartburn and sometimes just have asthma that is hard to treat or a chronic cough
Managing Asthma Triggers
If you do identify some asthma triggers, you should work with your pediatrician to help your child avoid those triggers or manage them in another way. For example, if exercise triggers your child's asthma, it isn't practical to avoid all exercise, but using a short acting bronchodilator, such as albuterol, about 15 minutes before exercising and warming up properly, can help you manage this trigger.Many other asthma triggers can also be avoided, controlled, or treated, for example taking allergy medicines if springtime pollens trigger your child's asthma.
If you don't find specific asthma triggers or can't seem to control them, then an aggressive asthma treatment plan should help to minimize the effect of those asthma triggers and hopefully prevent most asthma attacks.
Finding Asthma Triggers
If you can't figure out what triggers your child's asthma, allergy testing and/or an evaluation by a pediatric allergy or asthma specialist might be helpful.
