January 1, 2008

Causes Of Asthma Are Not A Few, But Many

Two people live in the same environment. One has asthma while the other doesn’t. Why is this so? The causes of asthma are difficult to understand. For most Americans, it is a common disease. Perhaps it’s our “westernized” lifestyle that’s responsible.

In asthma, the small passages of air, known as bronchioles, present in the lungs inflame and become narrow, making it difficult for the air to pass in and out of them. Thus, it triggers the typical symptoms of difficult breathing, wheezing, coughing, and tightness of chest. Medical experts are still not sure why the bronchioles inflame.

Triggers Of Asthma

Although the exact cause of asthma is not known, there are certain factors that trigger this condition. You can mitigate the symptoms by avoiding these triggers.

Exercise is found to trigger asthma. That doesn’t mean you should stop all exercise. Use an inhaler before you start your workout or sports. Take breaks while exercising or indulging in any physical sport.
Pollen and molds are well-known asthma triggers. This is common during the season of hay fever. So, watch out!
Dust mites present in the house are your enemies.
Viral infections of the respiratory tract such as common cold or flu can worsen your asthma.
Smoking aggravates the condition.
Air pollution is also a trigger. Asthmatic people should stay away from dusty environment as far as possible.
Certain medications are found to narrow the air passages of lungs triggering an asthma attack. A few examples are beta-blockers, aspirin, and certain eye drops used for glaucoma.
Certain foods, although not known why, trigger asthma. They include fish, eggs and nuts.
Emotions can trigger asthma. Well, this may sound weird, but it’s true. Excess laughing, or crying, stressful situations, and anxiety have all been found to activate the symptoms of asthma.

Possible Causes Of Asthma

Scientists are still working to establish the real cause of asthma. However, the following are believed to be responsible for asthma attacks:

Asthma is hereditary. If your parents had it, you are at risk too.
If either you or your partner smokes, there are higher chances for your child to develop asthma.
If you smoked during pregnancy, then your child is likely to be born with narrow air passages, which can increase the chances of asthma later in life.
Your lifestyle plays a role too. A house that‘s not well-ventilated accumulates dust and mites, building a favorable environment for asthma.
It is also believed that pets like dogs and cats can trigger an asthma attack.

Mostly, affluent people are known to have asthma due to the interiors of their home. The richly carpeted house is a favorable place for allergens to mushroom. A dirty environment is a direct invitation to asthma. Age is no bar for this disease. When allergies and your genes work together, you should be ready for an asthma attack anytime.

Well, you can’t do much about your genes, but you can certainly strive toward avoiding allergy-generating things in your environment, until scientists are successful in finding the real cause of asthma and its cure.

Asthma cannot be cured, but can be controlled. Stay away from the causes of asthma and its effects, but naturally, will stay away from you!