Causes of Asthma

There is no single cause that triggers every asthmatic’s condition.

Each individual sufferer will react to one or a number of stimuli that other sufferers won’t react to. Because of this, it is important that you as an asthma sufferer find out what allergens or irritants trigger your asthma as early as you can.

Childhood asthma is often caused by allergens in the air such as cigarette smoke, pollen and dust mites. When this type of asthma occurs it stays with a person for life. In fact, the most common cause of asthma throughout the world is an allergen contained in the faecal matter of household dust mites, and regardless of how clean you think your house is there is a good chance that dust mites still remain. Another allergen that is becoming increasingly common in cases of asthma is pet fur. However, with good hygiene this can be kept to a minimum.

In many cases of late-onset or adult asthma, the irritant is found to be occupational, meaning it is found in the workplace. Until you come into contact with it you will not know you have an allergy to it. Over 200 materials encountered in the workplace have been found to give rise to what is termed occupational asthma, including:

* Chemicals such as isocyanates and colophony fumes which are encountered in varnishes, industrial coatings, spray paint, solder and in the electronics industries.
* Allergens from animals, insects and antibiotics that are used in laboratories and on large farms.
* Allergens from flour and grain which are extensively used by farmers, millers and bakers, and in many small catering businesses.
* Latex, which is contained in the gloves worn by health workers, doctors, and nurses.

The list of potential irritants is extensive and cannot be included fully here. However, the examples mentioned above should give you an idea about how diverse allergens can be and you can see how an adult asthmatic could, at some point in their life, come into contact which the specific allergen that triggers their condition. It is also common for a viral infection such as the Rhinovirus or the Parainfluenza virus to trigger undiagnosed asthma in adult patients.

Asthma can be caused by a number of non-specific factors as well and if you know you have asthma then you should attempt to avoid these factors.

* Cold air and exercise – typically, an asthmatic episode does not occur during exercise but shortly afterwards and many asthmatics find that they develop wheezing and breathing difficulties after prolonged exercise. This is because the cold, dry air that is inhaled during exercise causes the lining of the bronchioles to dry out and this in turn causes histamine to be released from specialised cells. It is this histamine that causes the characteristic wheezing when exercise is stopped and the lungs cool down.
* Atmospheric pollutants – obviously in today’s world it is difficult to avoid pollution in the atmosphere. It is possible to avoid places where the concentrations of potential irritants are higher than normal, such as in bars and clubs for cigarette smoke, gas stations for car exhaust fumes and even perfume shops because strong aromas can also trigger a bronchiole reaction.
* Drugs – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen have a major role in the development of attacks in approximately 5% of people with asthma.

There are numerous other potential causes of asthma and as every individual is different the list is practically exhaustive. It is vitally important that you discover what allergens, irritants and situations trigger your asthma so that you can learn to avoid them at all costs.

The following diagram shows a summary of the main causes of asthma.

Click Above Picture To Enlarge

Genetics are also thought to be a factor in the development of asthma. Until current studies and research programmes confirm this, genetics are not classed as a definite cause of asthma.