Having had issues with asthma my whole life, I thought I was pretty well informed.  When I was young I could refrain from running in cold weather or inhaling anything “funny”, and avoid most wheezing situations.

As I’ve grown older, my asthma has gotten increasingly worse.  A simple cold with a cough has me gasping for breath and puffing on a Nebulizer

 I decided to do a little research and find out exactly what causes asthma flare-ups.  Some of the causes are quite surprising.

• Inhalant allergies. Allergies are the leading asthma triggers. Which include: pollens, dust, molds, pets (especially cats), cockroaches, and house dust mites (microscopic bugs that are in carpets, upholstered furniture, and bedding). 

• Occupational exposures. A persistent cough and trouble breathing at work suggest job-related asthma, especially if symptoms get worse toward the end of the day and the end of the week. Triggering exposures might include: dust, molds, cleaning products, and work-related chemicals, including those in copy machines.

• Irritants. The major offender is cigarette smoke. Others include: chemicals released from fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, and gas stoves and grills.

• Air pollution. There is a clear link between air pollutants–ozone, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide–and asthma attacks.   In the U.S., sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide are much less of a problem than they were a generation ago.  But ozone continues to fill the air, and exposure to ultra-fine particle pollution has increased, which plays a role in the increase in asthma

• Strenuous Exercise.  Exercise-induced asthma is quite common and the more strenuous the workout, the greater the risk.  Many people with exercise-induced asthma experience no bronchial symptoms except when exercising.

• Weather. Cold weather is a respiratory irritant that can cause asthma attacks. Thunderstorms can also trigger asthma!  I had never heard of this before.  You might say I was “thunderstruck” by this piece of information.  The electrical activity of thunderstorms apparently breaks pollen particles into smaller pieces, increasing their respiratory irritation.

• Infections. Colds and flu are well-known for aggravating asthma. Sinus infections can do the same.

• Heartburn.  Heartburn is associated with asthma, particularly night-time symptoms.

• Drug sensitivities. Aspirin, other drugs, and food-preserving sulfites may trigger asthma symptoms in sensitive individuals. Sulfites are found in beer, dried fruit, and style="margin: auto rocessed potatoes and shrimp.

• The menstrual cycle.  Studies have shown that 75 percent of adults hospitalized with severe asthma are women, and that almost half of women’s asthma attacks occur around the time of their menstrual periods. Menstrual-related asthma attacks are often quite severe, which explains why women account for most asthma deaths—62 percent.  Wow!  Yet another thing we can blame our menstrual cycle for.