Asthma Triggers

An asthma trigger is something that can cause an asthma attack or make asthma worse. Asthma can be triggered by an allergen, an irritant and/or exercise. Each person with asthma may have a different asthma trigger.

Listed below are known asthma triggers. Select from the list to learn more information on where to find that trigger. Common tips are also given on how to control the trigger when found indoors. For more specific information on how to control triggers found in your home, at school, or other locations, take a virtual tour of Breatheasyville.

You can print the asthma trigger sheet(s) for easy reference. .

Allergen
Allergic asthma can occur when people become sensitive to a certain allergen - a harmless substance the immune system mistakes as harmful, causing the immune system to overreact. Allergy skin testing is important to identify each person’s specific allergen triggers. Each person can be allergic to a different allergen or group of allergens. Common allergens that are asthma triggers include:

Irritant
An irritant is a gas, vapor, fume, smoke or chemical that can trigger an asthma attack when inhaled. There is no medical test to identify personal irritant triggers, which differ for every person. Common irritants that are asthma triggers include:

Exercise
Physical activity that involves continuous movement is more likely to cause asthma attacks than activities that include brief bursts of movement followed by rest. Exercises that make asthma harder to control are soccer, distant running, cycling, and basketball. Exercises least likely to trigger an asthma attack are walking, baseball, softball, volleyball, tennis, or sprint track and field events.