Discover What Triggers Your Asthma - Interrogation Time

• Do you live in the city, country, or suburbs? Cockroaches are notorious asthma triggers and city folk shouldn't underestimate the tenacity of a cockroach or overestimate the cleanliness of their building. Adding to their troubles, urban asthmatics often have outdoor air pollution to contend with. For those in the country, agriculture and pollen are frequent troublemakers. Suburban dwellers have to contend with all three: air pollution, agriculture, and pollen. Everyone, no matter where they live, should investigate sources of indoor and outdoor air pollution.

• Do you live in a single-family home? Well, at least you don't have to worry about your neighbor being a cockroach breeder. You or your neighbor may, however, have a garden acting as a pollen factory. Read Chapter 6 to learn how to asthma-proof your home.

• Do you live in an apartment or condominium? Time to think about the cleanliness of your neighbor. Perhaps it's his dog that spreads dander throughout the building. Keeping your apartment or condo meticulously clean and free of dust goes a long way in helping your asthma.

• Do you have a garden? Two words: fungus and pollen. If your asthma is worse in your garden, you don't have to dig deeply to know what's causing the problem. All that moist soil and those pretty flowers spew forth all sorts of fungi and pollen just waiting to land in a cozy warm place like your airways. Rather than paving your yard with asphalt, consider a Japanese rock garden or growing non-pollinating, asthma-friendly plants. If you can't live without flowers, keep your windows facing the garden closed, especially during allergy season.

• What type of work do you do? Occupational asthma is common and the list of triggers is almost endless. Typically with work-related asthma, the asthma is worse at work but gets a little better at home and a lot better on vacation, only to worsen upon returning to work. As it raises the possibility of litigation, work-related asthma is a touchy subject for employees and employers. Nevertheless, if you suspect your workplace is causing your symptoms, talk to your doctor and start listing the materials you work with. The best-case scenario is you'll find what's triggering your asthma and have it removed without a hassle. The worst-case scenario could involve attorneys and/or changing jobs, even careers.

• What are your hobbies? Some people use airplane glue to build models while others smoke their own meats. Ask yourself if your asthma feels better or worse while enjoying your hobby.

• Is your asthma worse during a certain time of the year? If your symptoms are worse during the spring or fall, chances are you have seasonal allergies triggering your asthma. Besides cleaning the air you breathe, consider a nonsedating antihistamine or a natural remedy like vitamin C. If your symptoms are worse during the winter, you're probably sensitive to cold air and may need to breathe through a face mask that warms and humidifies the air before it reaches your lungs.

• Is your asthma worse during the morning or at night? Bedtime symptoms may indicate a dust-mite allergy or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). If you notice that your asthma acts up during a certain time of day, note where you are and what you're doing.

• Does your asthma improve over the weekend? If your asthma gets better over the weekend, when away from work, you may have occupational asthma. This can be caused by something like a coworker's cologne or the materials you work with. For example, some asthmatics are sensitive to wood dust, a big problem if you're in construction.

• Does your asthma get better or disappear while you're on vacation? An asthma-free vacation means that something in your home, workplace, or local environment is triggering your asthma. In fact, an asthma-free vacation is strong evidence that something identifiable is responsible for your symptoms. Your mission is to identify this trigger and remove it from your environment.

• Is your asthma worse at home? Some people have asthma only at home. If this applies to you, start snooping around your house, room by room, to see where your asthma is worse. Performing a complete home search for asthma triggers is very important.

• Is your asthma worse in the bedroom? Dust mites are known to cause asthma in sensitized individuals and are found in the best bedrooms of America.

• Is your asthma worse in the kitchen? Cooking creates products of combustion that, when inhaled, deliver a major oxidative stress to the lungs. The kitchen is also home to cooking and food smells that can drive some asthmatics nuts!

• Is your asthma worse in the bathroom? The bathroom is another hot spot for asthma triggers, with its steady supply of scented soaps, perfumes, cleaning agents, and even mold, all of which can trigger an asthma attack.

• Is your asthma worse in the garage? Besides auto fumes, you'd be surprised by what people keep in their garage. Pesticides, chemicals, and cleaning agents can all cause asthma trouble.

• Is your asthma worse in the living room ? Just when you thought there was an asthma-safe room in the house, I have to tell you that the living room is another potential trouble spot. Living rooms are often brimming with fluffy furniture, carpeting, and drapery that can act as pollen and allergen traps, waiting to release their asthma-triggering nectar into the air.

• Is your asthma worse in the dining room? Given its proximity to the kitchen, the dining room is often a victim of circumstance, with many of the same asthma triggers that are found in the kitchen.

• Is your asthma worse in your child's room? Kids bring all sorts of stuff home, including their aversion to tidiness. Besides being a favorite location for authorized and unauthorized pets, your child's room probably has dust balls, as well as dirt, tracked in from outside, all potential asthma triggers. Keep the kid's room just as clean as the rest of your home.

• Is your asthma worse in the laundry room? The laundry room—a bane of my own asthma—contains fabric softeners and scented laundry detergents that can aggravate asthma.

• Do you have any indoor plants? Plants release pollen and sit in damp soil that is a breeding ground for mold, a known asthma irritant.

• Is your asthma worse or better when you're at someone else's house? If your asthma is worse at a friend's house, think about what they have that you don't. Do they have a pet? Do they smoke? Is it your friend's perfume or cologne? If your asthma is better at a friend's house, think of what you have that your friend doesn't. This may offer clues to what is triggering your asthma.

• Is your asthma worse in the car? Car exhaust is a potent cause of oxidative stress known to trigger asthma. Do you leave the car's vents open when in traffic, thereby allowing exhaust fumes into your car? Is the problem an exhaust system that is leaking fumes into your car? Have your car's exhaust system checked and, when in traffic, keep the vents closed. In hot weather, close your windows and use the air-conditioning.

• Is your asthma worse when around a certain person like a boss, coworker, friend, or family member? Sorry, asthma is no excuse to avoid your boss; however, it could be her perfume or his aftershave that's setting off your symptoms. Be suspicious of common items like grooming products, which are often overlooked as sources of asthma trouble.

• Is your asthma worse around your wife, husband, or significant other? You probably would not have married that person if their presence triggered an asthma attack, so whatever is giving you trouble is probably something new. Ask them about new perfumes or colognes, soaps, laundry detergents, or makeup.

• Is your asthma worse around your children? Before you know it, children grow up and start using adult grooming products. If suddenly your asthma acts up when your kid is around, it's time to ask some questions.

• Is your asthma worse around a pet? Pets and asthma usually don't mix.

• Are your symptoms worse after you eat? Food allergies frequently contribute to asthma. Do you feel discomfort after breakfast, lunch, or dinner? If so, keep a food diary with your asthma diary to see if there is an association between what you eat and your symptoms. Share this information with your doctor, who can test for specific food allergies.

• What medications are you taking? Carefully review your prescription and over-the-counter medications with your doctor. Many medicines contain preservatives or food dyes that are notorious asthma aggravators. Also, carefully examine the ingredients of natural remedies (vitamins, minerals, herbs), which can occasionally surprise you with asthma-triggering preservatives or fillers.

• Is your asthma worse in the shower? Scented soaps and shampoos can cause asthma trouble. The shower is also a favorite spot for mold, so keep your shower and bathroom free of mildew.

• Is your asthma worse after exercise? Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is exceptionally common and easy to treat.

• Is your asthma worse at night when in bed? This could be due to those pesky dust mites. Or you may not even have asthma but gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which can mimic asthma's symptoms.

• Does vacuuming make your asthma worse? Carpets trap all sorts of nasty stuff like cat dander, pollen, and dust. This is why carpets, especially wall-to-wall carpeting, are taboo for asthmatics.

• Does making the bed trigger your asthma? If making the bed aggravates your asthma, this almost certainly means you're sensitive to dust mites.

• Does cleaning furniture make your asthma worse? Glass and furniture cleaners are packed with chemicals that can provoke an attack. If your asthma acts up while polishing glass or furniture, try switching cleaners or, if you can stand it, have someone clean for you.

• Do you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or heartburn? The association between GERD and asthma is well established. We know that GERD can not only make asthma symptoms worse, but can also masquerade as asthma and lead to a misdiagnosis. GERD-related asthma is usually worse at night when the individual lies down to sleep. Remember, you don't need heartburn to have GERD, so speak to your doctor about the possibility of GERD contributing to your symptoms.

• Do you have allergies or postnasal drip? Seasonal allergies frequently trigger asthma attacks, and there are many asthmatics who gain considerable relief by avoiding allergens, taking an antihistamine, or using a natural remedy. Postnasal drip can cause a chronic cough that may be mistaken for cough-variant asthma. Ask your healthcare professional how to treat your allergies or postnasal drip.

• Do you have heart problems, high cholesterol, or a history of heart attack? When the heart doesn't pump well, the lungs can fill with fluid, causing shortness of breath and wheezing, a condition known as "cardiac asthma" or congestive heart failure (CHF). Since most people don't develop heart trouble until they're fifty or sixty, if you receive a diagnosis of asthma before the age of fifty and don't have a history of heart disease, you probably can't blame your heart. Conversely, any individual who receives a new diagnosis of asthma after age fifty should have their heart checked.

• Do you smoke or have a history of smoking? Smoking is one of the most destructive things you can do to your body, setting you up for heart disease, asthma, and emphysema. Emphysema and asthma have similar symptoms and, like heart disease, emphysema usually doesn't appear until after the fifth decade of life. If you're over age fifty and have a history of tobacco abuse, talk to your doctor about the possibility that emphysema is causing your symptoms.

How Your Doctor Can Help Find Your Asthma Triggers