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July 2014 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
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Things That Can Exacerbate Asthma Symptoms
By Angela S.
Hoover, Staff
Writer
Asthma sufferers
know their obvious
triggers for an attack.
For most people with asthma, these
include strenuous exercise, cold air,
dust mites, pollen, tobacco smoke,
mold and pet dander. Yet there are
several other conditions that can
exacerbate or bring about asthmatic
symptoms or an outright attack. Here
are a few odder triggers that you may
not have known.
Thunderstorms
Emergency room treatments for
asthma symptoms increase dramatically following thunderstorms, per
research. It is suspected that the high
levels of pollen released into the air
during a thunderstorm are the cause
for this connection.
Laughing and Crying
Extreme emotional states, such
as heavy laughter and intense crying, can prompt an asthma attack
by changing breathing patterns and
restricting airflow. The change in
breathing patterns can become a
form of hyperventilation, which like
exercise, can trigger an asthmatic
response in people with underlying
inflammation. It may not even feel
like an asthma attack, rather just a
feeling of being short of breath.
Stress
When you feel so overwhelmed
by stress that your chest feels like it is
tightening, it is actually a shortness of
breath. For an asthmatic, this shortness of breath from stress can be the
beginning of a full-fledged asthma
attack, unless they are able to relax
and get their breathing back to normal. Stress can also cause people who
don’t have asthma to develop asthma
symptoms. Research on the health
effects of inner-city conditions found
that violent crime is a significant predictor of asthma sensitivity.
Food Additives
Chemicals added as preservatives,
food colorings or flavoring agents
have been found to cause asthma
attacks in some people. The additives
that are most commonly known to
cause trouble are sodium bisulfite,
potassium metabisulfite and sodium
sulfite. Other asthma sufferers have
problems with deli meats that are
high in nitrates.
Aspirin
About 10 percent of asthmatics are
sensitive to and have symptoms when
they take aspirin. Their asthma symptoms worsen and they are more likely
to have an attack after taking aspirin
or another non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug like ibuprofen
or naproxen, or even acetaminophen
(Tylenol).
difficulty breathing. It is believed
these reactions are caused by the
sulfites in wine and beer. Conversely,
the ethanol in hard liquor has been
found to improve asthma by relaxing
the airways.
Traffic
Pollutants and fumes from cars can
cause an asthmatic attack.
Acid Reflux and GERD Air Fresheners &
Acid reflux and GERD can cause
Scented Candles
terrible pain and burning in your
throat, especially when you lie down.
They can also launch an asthma
attack, even if heartburn is not experienced. When the acid backs up it
causes a hyper-reaction in the airways. For some people, such as those
who are not asthmatics but only have
an asthma attack from acid reflux or
GERD, the treatment should focus
on relieving the reflux, rather than the
asthma symptoms.
Alcohol
Drinking certain alcoholic beverages can worsen asthma symptoms
and increase the risk of an attack. It
usually occurs only with beer and
wine, but not hard liquor. It can be
accompanied with red, itchy eyes,
nasal congestion, upset stomach and
About 20 percent of the population
plus 34 percent of people with asthma report health problems from air
fresheners, per the American College
of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. It
is known that fragrances can trigger
allergy symptoms, aggravate existing allergies and worsen asthma.
Even products that are labeled as allnatural can contain volatile organic
compounds (VOCs). VOCs include
formaldehyde, limonene, esters and
alcohols that at high concentrations
can cause e 唁