Asthma is a chronic but treatable disease. It happens when your airways get affected and become inflamed due to a number of various causes. Sometimes these swollen air passages produce extra mucus that can cause wheezing, which makes breathing even harder. Asthma has various symptoms like wheezing, coughing, breathing problems, etc. When these symptoms become more severe than normal, then it is called an asthma attack. During an asthma attack your air passages tighten up and become more swollen restricting the air flow and resulting in a person having difficulty in breathing. There may be different reasons for different individuals having an asthma attack and these reasons are known as triggers.

Asthma Triggers-

• The most common trigger for an asthma attack is allergens, which can be in any form such as dust mites, pollens or even furry animals. Pets like dogs and cats have dander in their fur that can cause allergic reactions in the airways.
• Some times an infection like flu or cold can also trigger asthma symptoms. Not only can the infection trigger asthma symptoms, but in some cases exertion may also result in asthma attacks.
• Some specific medicines or foods which have beta-blockers or sulfites may activate asthma. In some cases even emotional stress has been noticed as a cause for asthma attacks.

Things to do-

After having discussed all possible triggers for the problem, now the question arises, how can this problem be tackled? The simplest answer would be to avoid the triggers but there are, of course, some triggers like pets or dust, which can’t always be avoided. Taking the appropriate medicine is always recommended.

Asthma medicine is generally treated by way of an inhaler which helps in relaxing the airways muscles and makes breathing easier. There are different medications for different types of asthma, therefore, one should always seek proper medical guidance and follow their doctor’s advice as not everybody’s asthma is the same. You should never take any medicine without asking your doctor. There are two types of asthma patients, namely, patients that need to take medicines daily and patients that need to take medicine only when the problem flares up. It should be decided by your doctor which medicine you take and when.

The most important step in keeping your asthma under control is knowing it’s trigger and symptoms that present as it starts. It is, of course, also important to know the medicine and the tips which have been advised by your doctor. Not only should you be aware of the first aid steps to be taken in the event of an asthma attack, but you should also make your colleagues and friends aware too.