What Are Some Of The Common Triggers For Asthma Attacks, And How Do I Avoid Them?

Dr. Carlos Camargo answers the question: 'Common Triggers For Asthma Attacks?'

ByABC News
May 15, 2008, 1:56 PM

— -- Question:What are some of the common triggers for asthma attacks, and what do I do to avoid them?

Answer: The most common cause of asthma attacks is probably viral upper respiratory infections or the common cold. To avoid them, there's not a lot you can do, but an important step is to wash your hands regularly since the viruses that cause these colds are often transported in that way.

Other common triggers of asthma attacks are things like tobacco smoke, allergens -- and allergens include factors like dust, exposure to cats, things of that sort. Another trigger of asthma attacks are strong odors such as heavy perfumes.

And another entirely different realm of attack can be caused by exposure to cold air. So an environment that makes the airways more twitchy and therefore can lead to that narrowing, which causes the symptoms of asthma.

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