Community Pediatric Asthma Service

Asthma Triggers

Asthma Triggers

Some things irritate your lungs and make your asthma worse--these are called your asthma triggers.  Some triggers may be in your life each day.  When you spend a lot of time near your triggers, it is very difficult to keep your asthma controlled.

That is why it is important that each person with asthma learn to recognize their own individual triggers.


Asthma Triggers

There are 3 types of asthma triggers:

  • triggers that cause swelling (inflammation) and mucous on the inside of airways
  • triggers that cause tightening (constriction) of the muscles around the outside of the airways
  • other triggers which people have less often

 

These three images reproduced with permission from the author, Dr. Louis-Philippe Boulet


common triggers

There are some common triggers that make asthma worse for many people. 

  • All of your triggers may not be on this list. 
  • It's important to know your own triggers so that you can limit contact with them as much as possible. 
  • If you are unsure about your inflammatory triggers like animal dander, pollen, or grass, discuss having an allergy test with your doctor.

languages

Asthma Trigger Information in 14 Languages

Arabic,    English,    Farsi,    French,    Korean,
Mandarin Simplified,    Mandarin Traditional,
Punjabi,    Somali,   Spanish,   Tagalog,
Tigrinya,    Urdu   and   Vietnamese.

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Material on this website has been designed for information purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction and/or treatment.
If you have specific questions, please consult your doctor or appropriate health care professional.