There are many factors that cause asthma. Airway hyper responsiveness and small lightweight particles transported through air and inhaled into the lungs are the causes of asthma.
These are environmental triggers which cause inflammatory reaction in the airway walls which results in asthma attack.
You should know what causes asthma to prevent asthma attack.
Causes of asthma:
Chemical irritants: A chemical irritant is the cause of asthma which triggers an inflammatory response.
People are sensitive to irritants like hairspray, perfume, make up products and household cleaners.
There are other chemicals, from which the person can be triggered like plastics, exposure to high levels of ozone, car exhaust, wood smoke and sulphur dioxide.
Allergens: Allergen is the cause of asthma and some people environmental triggers are allergens. Environmental triggers are natural substances like plant pollen, mould spores, animal dander and faecal matter from dust mites and cockroaches.
The allergens which are involved in asthma are similar to those of rhinitis. If the particle size is greater than 20 microns, it can cause conjunctivitis, rhinitis and pharyngitis as well as asthma. [Allergens that causes Asthma]
The most extrinsic causes of asthma world wide are allergens from fecal particles of the house dust mites.
Physiological triggers: Physiological triggers are nothing but aggravation from within your body. Those include exercise and infections such as common cold. Some foods also cause asthma attack.
Chemicals such as aspirin and ibuprofen that are found in food and drugs are especially problematic for asthma patients. Asthma can also be triggered by emotions such as grief, sorrow, shouting, and laughing.
Immunoglobin E: People who develop readily antibodies of IgE class against common materials present in the environment can also develop asthma.
In western population, such anti bodies are present in 30 to 40 percent and there is a link between serum IgE levels and both the occurrence of asthma and airway responsiveness to histamine or methacholine.
Occupational triggers: Work place is giving rise to occupational asthma which is the cause of asthma. The risk of occupational asthma developing increases in smokers [How smoking causes asthma]. The occupational asthma developing depends on the workers exposure to different conditions.
Therefore, enclosure of industrial processes and appropriate ventilation can greatly reduce the risk of contracting asthma.
Cold air and exercise: Cold air and exercise is the cause of asthma. Continuous exercise in cold environment can cause attack in asthma patients.
The attack does not occur in the middle of the exercise but it occurs at the end. Inhaling cold and dry air is also the cause of asthma attack.
Drugs and medications used with asthma: Medications used with asthma is the cause of asthma attack. Non-steroid drugs such as aspirin play a major role in the development of attack in five percent of people with asthma.
Immediate asthma: Immediate asthma begins within minutes of contact with allergen, reaches its maximum in 15 to 20 minutes and falls down after one hour.
The instantaneous reaction is followed by prolonged and sustained attacks that respond inadequately to the inhalation of bronchodilator drugs.
