What Causes Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic medical condition that afflicts millions of children and adults. At this point in time, there is no cure for asthma. However, it is important for people who suffer from asthma to understand what causes asthma.

In general, the underlying cause of asthma is likely a combination of one's genetics, the environment, and biological factors such as diet, allergies, or hormones. No single cause of asthma has yet been determined by the medical community.

If a close relative has asthma, you are more likely to have or develop asthma also. Asthma symptoms can be caused by many things. This can vary with each individual. What causes or triggers asthma in one person may be different for another individual.

Children who are exposed to a lot of secondhand smoke and who also are prone to infections tend to be at higher risk for developing asthma at some point in their lifetime. Close to 50% of adults who have asthma also have allergies, which usually started in childhood. However, not all asthma is caused by sensitivity to certain allergens.

Essentially, asthma symptoms flare up when your immune system over-reacts to what are typically harmless things, such as pollen, pet dander, dust or perfumes. It becomes overprotective by narrowing the air passages to the lungs. So, one of the potential causes of asthma is a flaw in the immune system.

There are a variety of things that can cause an asthma sufferer to have an asthma attack. These usually fit into two basic categories: allergens or non-allergens / irritants. Allergens include such things as dust, pollen, pet dander, latex, molds, and certain foods and additives in foods. Exposure to these may trigger both allergy symptoms as well as an asthma attack, and different people react to different things.

Irritants can include a variety of things. Some common irritants or non-allergen factors that can trigger as asthma attack include tobacco smoke, perfumes, chemicals, cleaning agents such as detergents, acid reflux, viral infections such as a cold, cold air, and certain types of medications. Also, exercise, stress, laughing, crying, and hormones can trigger asthma symptoms.

While we don't fully understand what causes asthma, we do know that the triggers are different for each individual. Learning to recognize the things that may trigger your asthma will help you to know what to avoid. Your doctor can work with you to determine the treatment that is best for you in terms of medication and other types of treatment.