Health Tips A to Z

Health Tips – Avoiding Asthma Triggers

It’s not always easy to identify the triggers that are causing your asthma. It may be a good idea to write down your symptoms, as well as the situations that trigger them, and review your asthma history with your doctor.

You can manage your asthma symptoms better if you have your indoor environment (home, work and school) and outdoor environment under control as often as possible. Here are some practical strategies for avoiding common asthma triggers:

• Pets and animals – There is no such thing as an allergy-free animal. Animal fur and feathers are usually the culprits behind asthma symptoms. However, you may also be sensitive to an animal’s dander (skin particles), saliva, urine, feces or oil secretions. It is highly recommended that you remove any pets or animals from your home and avoid situations that will bring you into contact with them. If you can’t remove a pet, then have the animal washed regularly, remove carpeting from the house, clean the house frequently and use allergen-proof covers on your mattress and pillows
• Smoking – tobacco smoke is very dangerous to people who have asthma. Even secondhand smoke can trigger asthma symptoms. If you have asthma, you shouldn’t smoke and you should never allow smoking in your home. Try to stay out of smoky places, whenever possible

• Dust mites – dust mites are small parasites that live off the dead skin we all shed. The feces and body parts of these parasites can be a powerful asthma trigger. They are often found in bedding, mattresses, pillows, sofas and carpets. To avoid exposure to dust mites, remove carpets in the bedrooms, wash bed linens weekly in very hot water, use a dehumidifier to minimize dampness and cover your mattress and pillows in allergen-proof plastic

• Indoor moulds – moulds are a type of fungus that can be found in damp places with little or no air flow, like basements and bathrooms. To avoid the airborne spores that trigger asthma, keep your house dry and clean. Use a dehumidifier to remove dampness and keep the house well ventilated. Clean bathrooms with vinegar or bleach to remove mould and use bathroom fans to improve air flow. Vacuum regularly. Mould can also collect in damp places outside the house, such as piles of leaves, stagnant water and garbage containers. Remove all grass and leaves from you lawn after mowing, keep garbage cans clean and remove any containers that capture and hold water

• Pollens – airborne pollens, produced by trees, grasses and weeds, are easily inhaled and can cause asthma symptoms. To reduce exposure to pollens and other airborne pollutants, use an air cleaner in your home, plant low-allergen gardens, keep your windows closed when pollen counts are high and avoid going outside on hot, windy days

• Cold air – cold air or sudden changes in weather can trigger asthma. If the cold affects your asthma, try breathing through your nose to warm the air before it reaches your lungs. Wear a scarf or cold-weather mask to warm the air you breathe and exercise indoors on cold days