Living Well With Asthma | Page 6

LIVING WELL WITH ASTHMA Common Triggers and Solutions What causes your airways to become inflamed, swollen, and easily irritated? A trigger is anything that causes the airway to tighten or twitch. It can be an infection, irritants such as smoke or air pollution, allergens in the air, strenuous exercise, or strong emotions. Each person’s asthma is unique and reacts to different triggers. In most cases, triggers are found in the air we breathe – especially allergens, which can cause an allergic reaction that increases inflammation and sets off asthma symptoms. By knowing the allergens that you react to, you can take actions to avoid them and prevent your airways from becoming inflamed and swollen. Reducing exposure to your asthma triggers is the first important step in keeping your airways open and managing your asthma. Following are the most common things that trigger asthma. Don’t be intimidated by the full list – most asthma patients react to a few, not all of them. 4