Asthma: Identifying Your Triggers

Overview

When you have asthma, certain things can make your symptoms worse. These things are called triggers.

Things that you're allergic to can trigger your asthma. They may include:

Dust.
Dust mites. These are tiny, nearly invisible creatures. They live in bedding, carpet, and furniture.
Cockroach droppings.
Pet dander. Dander is loose skin cells (like dandruff) from dogs and cats.
Indoor mold.
Pollen.

Your asthma can be triggered by other things too, such as:

Colds, the flu, and sinus infections.
Cigarette smoke, air pollution, and fumes from gas, oil, or kerosene heaters.
Exercise. Many people have symptoms when they exercise.
Dry, cold air.
Medicines, such as aspirin or beta-blockers.
Hormones, including those involved in pregnancy and menstrual periods. A woman's symptoms may change just before or during her period.

How to identify asthma triggers

If you avoid triggers, you can prevent some asthma attacks. Here are some ways to learn what your asthma triggers are.

Identify possible asthma triggers.
When you're around something that triggers your symptoms, keep track of it. This can help you find a pattern in what triggers your symptoms. Record triggers in your asthma diary or on your asthma action plan.
Monitor your lung function.
Watch for things like being short of breath, having chest tightness, coughing, and wheezing. Also notice if symptoms wake you up at night or if you get tired quickly when you exercise.

If your doctor recommends it, measure your peak expiratory flowpeak expiratory flow (PEF), or "peak flow." A trigger may not always cause symptoms. But it can still narrow your bronchial tubes, which makes your lungs work harder. To identify triggers that don't always cause symptoms right away, you can measure your peak flow throughout the day. Your peak flow will drop when your bronchial tubes narrow, so it will drop when you're near things that cause your airways to narrow.
Be tested for allergies.
Skin or blood testing may be used to diagnose allergies to certain substances. Skin testing involves pricking the skin on your back or arms with one or more small doses of specific allergens. The amount of swelling and redness at the sites where your skin was pricked is measured to find allergens you react to.
Share your trigger record with your doctor.
After you have found some things that may trigger your asthma, you and your doctor can make a plan for how to deal with them.

Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC StaffIgnite Healthwise, LLC Staff

Clinical Review BoardClinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Ignite Healthwise, LLC, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of UseTerms of Use. Learn how we develop our contenthow we develop our content.

To learn more about Ignite Healthwise, LLC, visit webmdignite.comwebmdignite.com.

Page Footer

I want to...

Audiences

Secure Member Sites

The Cigna Group Information

Disclaimer

Individual and family medical and dental insurance plans are insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (CHLIC), Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Illinois, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of South Carolina, Inc., and Cigna HealthCare of Texas, Inc. Group health insurance and health benefit plans are insured or administered by CHLIC, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CGLIC), or their affiliates (see a listing of the legal entities a listing of the legal entities that insure or administer group HMO, dental HMO, and other products or services in your state). Accidental Injury, Critical Illness, and Hospital Care plans or insurance policies are distributed exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, are administered by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, and are insured by either (i) Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (Bloomfield, CT); (ii) Life Insurance Company of North America (“LINA”) (Philadelphia, PA); or (iii) New York Life Group Insurance Company of NY (“NYLGICNY”) (New York, NY), formerly known as Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. The Cigna name, logo, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. LINA and NYLGICNY are not affiliates of Cigna.

All insurance policies and group benefit plans contain exclusions and limitations. For availability, costs and complete details of coverage, contact a licensed agent or Cigna sales representative. This website is not intended for residents of New Mexico.

Selecting these links will take you away from Cigna.com to another website, which may be a non-Cigna website. Cigna may not control the content or links of non-Cigna websites. Details Details