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.
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