With so many suffering from asthma all over the country, let’s take a look at what causes this condition that is a source of suffering to many, especially children. There is no one cause and one is not clear about all the triggers that cause this condition but there is a possible list of culprits so let’s take a look at them.
The first of course, is a genetic disposition – if anyone in the family suffers from asthma, the tendency that you or your children will get it is likely. This tendency to develop allergies to food or outside triggers could be passed on from generation to generation.
The second cause is what lies around you. The environment is responsible for a lot of asthma cases and people could develop allergies to just about anything in the air – from pollutants to certain pollen, to tobacco smoke, to even certain odors like perfume, gas, etc.
The third factor is what is inside the home. Allergies could be developed to dust mites, to pet fur or dander, to an over-dry environment like an air-conditioned home and to chemicals used in the home like detergents, cleaning agents, etc. Latex products also cause allergies and asthma attacks in some people.
The fourth is food and many people develop asthma because they could be allergic to just one or a group of foods. Common triggers are eating foods made of gluten or wheat products, dairy products – very often it is just cow’s milk or its products, peanuts or peanut oil and eggs or egg products. Soy too is a food that some people are allergic to.
Being too obsessive about cleanliness could be a factor too as children tend to lose their natural immunity when everything is too sterile. Children should grow up building up their immunity to environmental substances by being exposed to them. By air-conditioning our homes and by cleaning out all the bacteria and germs, we tend to prevent our children build up a natural immunity in their bodies.
Respiratory infections are yet another cause for asthma. In adults, it seems to be the major cause for the development of the condition while in children it could be a contributing factor as well. The weakening of the respiratory system seems to make them more liable to develop asthma.
Hormonal changes could also have an effect on asthma and while many girls grow out of their asthma at puberty, there are women who develop asthma in their pre-menopausal phase.
While there are specific triggers that can set off this allergic reaction, there are some non-specific ones too that can start an attack. This could be something as simple as drinking something cold, a change of weather, exercising or getting a cold.
Medicines can also cause allergies and an asthma attack. Aspirin and pain medication are common causes and so is blood pressure medication.
One of the main causes which could just be a cause underlying everything – is stress. Many asthma patients tend to be tense and stressed out and maybe this too is passed down in families. In times of stress, there is a greater propensity to get an attack and what could help are some mind calming or distracting measures in order for the person to take life a little easy and not get so het up about everything.
While the causes of asthma attacks can range from one to many, the main thing to remember is to keep your asthma medication handy. Most doctors will give you medication to keep by you so that an attack does not become full blown. You have to recognize the signs of it coming on and take precautions to stop it from getting worse. Nipping an attack in the bud means that you keep your airways from suffering damage. Once an attack goes beyond a certain point, the inflamed airways tend to not heal well as all inflammations do. Instead they just get more vulnerable to the allergen and the next time, the asthma attack can come on with a smaller dose of the allergen. Prevention or controlling an attack as soon as you can means that you don’t allow the airways to get bad and this helps in keeping them healthy and not so hyper-reactive. Many bad attacks change the structure of the airways and this makes it a lot more difficult later. It tends to narrow the tubes and medication takes a lot longer to act. This is why it is important to not just try and find what allergen you respond to but also keep your asthma medication handy. Even in a child, you must make him aware of the importance of using his inhaler as soon as he feels the first signs of discomfort. Whatever the cause, managing the condition well is of the utmost importance.