Common Causes of Asthma and How to Prevent It

Respiration is one of the main processes that our body undergoes for normal living. However, there are certain conditions like asthma that can affect our normal respiration and breathing. So, what is asthma? Asthma is a respiratory disease, wherein the airways become congested or narrow, making it difficult for the lungs to inhale and exhale. It is a disease that can affect anyone from a child to an adult due to several asthma triggers that are known or left unknown. 

Asthma can be of different types like bronchial asthma, nocturnal asthma, adult-onset asthma, childhood asthma, and allergic asthma. No matter, whichever type of asthma affects a person, the risk factors of this respiratory disease are quite similar and so are the prevention methods. The treatment of asthma will be effective only if one first detects the severe asthma symptoms and their underlying causes. 

Let us together understand what are the main causes of asthma and are there any ways to prevent asthma triggers?

What are the Causes of Asthma?

It isn’t possible to state one particular reason that causes asthma because Asthma is caused by several reasons. Anything that blocks the airways in the lungs may lead to this inflammatory disease and show severe asthma symptoms in a person. 

Some of the most common causes of asthma are listed below for your information:

 1. Allergies: The topmost cause of asthma is an allergy to something. A majority of people suffer from asthma because they are allergic to things like pollen, grass, mould, cockroach droppings, animal fur, dust, and smells. 

2. Exercising or Workout: A heavy workout regime can also be counted amongst the major asthma triggers. People with breathing troubles may feel short of breath due to heavy workouts like aerobics. It has been observed that several people experience severe asthma symptoms after about 5 to 6 hours of a heavy exercise regime. 

3. Pollution or Smoking: Smoke that a person inhales in the form of air pollution or as a smoker can also pose a serious threat to an asthmatic person. The common asthma symptoms of people who smoke are wheezing and coughing. Recent research also revealed that many pregnant ladies who smoke during pregnancy give birth to babies with asthma. 

4. Food Allergies: Asthma is caused by food allergies too. Many people are sensitive to certain food items and that in turn results in allergy-causing asthma. Histamine and Sulphites are the two main ingredients in the food that trigger asthma attacks. Histamine is a naturally found ingredient in some foods like cheese, yoghurt, etc, while sulfite is used as a preservative in foods like pickles, and processed meat. 

5. Heartburn or Acidity: Inflammation caused due to heartburn is also a possible cause of asthma. Acid reflux due to heartburn may narrow your airways leading you to feel severe asthma symptoms. The situation may worsen if you already have a history of bronchitis or allergies.

 Besides these above-mentioned top 5 causes of asthma, this respiratory disease can also be triggered by unfavourable weather conditions, sinusitis, and certain medications. 

What are the Severe Asthma Symptoms?

Besides knowing the main causes of asthma, it is also important that you are aware of severe asthma symptoms so that you can detect it without fail and seek emergency help. 

Following are some symptoms of a severe asthma attack:

• Shortness of breath that gradually worsens
• Persistent wheezing
• Congestion or tightness of chest
• Rapid breathing
• Flaring out of the nostrils
• Pale face, lips, and fingernails
• Difficulty to do daily activities
• Continuous Cough

Are there any foods that trigger Asthma?

Whether you know it or not, food allergies also play a crucial role in affecting a person with severe asthma symptoms. If an asthmatic person consumes food that he/she is allergic to, it may lead to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction in the body.

Here is a list of foods that trigger Asthma, so try to exclude them as much as you can from your daily diet and you will succeed in preventing this lung disease:

• Soy
• Peanuts
• Wheat
• Fish
• Shrimp
• Eggs
• Cow’s Milk
• Salads
• Fresh and Seasonal Fruits

How to Prevent Asthma?

The formula to prevent asthma is to identify the asthma triggers and stay away from them.  Let us now have a look at some of the most effective ways of curing asthma:

1. Cut off the Foods that trigger Asthma: Just identify foods that trigger asthma in your body and try to eliminate them from your diet. Make a habit of eating food that neither results in heartburn, nor food allergies, because both of these are two main causes of asthma. 

2. Healthy Lifestyle Changes: Second easy way of controlling asthma is by adopting healthy lifestyle changes. Try to avoid smoking and exposure to environmental chemicals that may trigger your asthma. Besides, try to eat healthy and fresh food free of preservatives and try to lose your excess weight, if any. 

3. Avoid Pollution and Smoky Areas: Smoke is a leading trigger for an asthma attack. So, make sure to stay away from polluted areas. If possible, try to install air purifiers in your home to inhale pure and clear air free of any allergens that may otherwise trigger an asthma attack. 

 4. Medications: If none of the above-mentioned ways helps to prevent asthma, try to control it through medications. There are different types of medications available to treat asthma. Some come for quick relief, while some offer long-term relief, and some are for controlling allergy-induced asthma. Make sure to consult your doctor to help you prescribe the right kind of medication depending on your asthma triggers. 

 5. Bronchial Thermoplasty: In case, even the medications fail to offer you relief from severe asthma symptoms, you are left with an option called bronchial thermoplasty. This is a treatment where the inside of your lungs will be heated using electrodes for muscle smoothening, to offer you relief from chest congestion and tightening. 

 Conclusion

After identifying the things that act as asthma triggers in your body, try to prevent them, as prevention is always better than cure! Deal with it with a positive attitude and always be ready with an emergency inhaler to avoid severe asthma attacks. Your calmness and healthy lifestyle will also help avert it from becoming a life-threatening disease.