Asthma is a chronic disease which is caused by inflammation and contractions of the airways. The signs of asthma are tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing. An asthma attack can be brief, or it can last for a few days.
When a person with asthma comes into contact with something that irritates their airways (an asthma trigger), the muscles around the walls of the airways tighten so that the airways become narrower and the lining of the airways becomes inflamed and starts to swell. Sometimes sticky mucus or phlegm builds up which can further narrow the airways.
There are two types of asthma: allergic asthma and non-allergic asthma. In the US, an estimated 60% of asthmatics have allergic asthma. Allergic asthma is most common among children and it is triggered by an allergic reaction to exposure of allergens such as pollen and house dust mites.
An asthma trigger is anything that irritates the airways and causes the symptoms of asthma. Everyone’s asthma is different and the patient may have several triggers. An important aspect of controlling asthma is avoiding the triggers.
It may be impossible to avoid all triggers but once the patient has identified them, there are things the patient can do to reduce unnecessary symptoms and better control the asthma. For instance, if allergic to cats, avoid close contact with cats, wash hands and change clothes after contact with cats.
It can be difficult to identify exactly what triggers the asthma. Sometimes the link is obvious, for example when the symptoms start within minutes of coming into contact with a cat or dog. But some people can have a delayed reaction to an asthma trigger, so some extra detective work may be needed.