SIR logo

This is the text-only version | skip to the menus


Scottish Institute of Reflexology

COMMON CAUSES OF ASTHMA

Common Causes of Asthma

 Many of the agents below can trigger or worsen asthma, sinus or allergies. Some of them are harmful to our health in other ways. Modern medicine, as it stands at the moment, has either stopped looking for the causes of asthma or it has false impressions of the causes. Through dealing with "trigger factors" we can only hope to treat the symptoms of the problem. Only through understanding the cause of the disease can we hope to cure. Some reported, well-known and not so well-known triggers for asthma or bronchospasm include:
Allergens (particles that cause allergies) such as dust mites, cockroaches, pollen, molds and animal dander (which are tiny scales or particles that fall off hair, feathers or skin) from any pets
Aspirin
Peanuts
Particulates (air-born pollution)
Cold air or hot stuffy environments, or sudden changes in temperature Tobacco smoke and wood smoke
Perfume, paint, hair spray, or any strong odors or fumes
Common cold, influenza, and other respiratory illnesses
Food chemicals that may trigger asthma include: Sulphites (sulphur dioxide and sodium metabisulphite)
Food colours (tartrazine) Monosodium glutamate (MSG) Alcoholic drinks (Sulfite additives have been associated with triggering asthmatic responses. They are present in significant levels in most wines, but other ingredients in wine can also trigger an asthmatic response.)
Obesity
The dramatic increase in the number of asthmatics may be linked to an increase in levels of obesity, scientists have said. Researchers have found that the fatter the adult, the greater the likelihood of asthma.
Your Occupation
Plastics
Exercise (Exercise, especially in cold air, is a frequent asthma trigger)
Overeating, or laughing excessively
Some controversial triggers under discussion include:………………………………….
To read more, why not subscribe to Footnotes? A downloadable form is available at the end of the Journal section.