Common Asthma Triggers

 

 

 Well, about triggers. 

 

I already mentioned mine being cold temperatures (along with dust, grass, trees and ragweed)

 

Exercise induced asthma

My Son #1 has exercise induced asthma.

 

I can always tell when he's been playing ultimate Frisbee with his friends, because I can hear him coughing all night. 

 

You would think by now he would remember to premedicate (use his inhaler 20 minutes before he does sports). But he never remembers. 

 

Respiratory infections 

 

He also has problems with respiratory infections making his asthma worse (as do most people with asthma). A simple cold for people without asthma usually morphs into pneumonia or bronchitis.

 

Strong emotions 

Son #2 has problems with emotions. Every time he starts a hearty laugh, he instantly starts coughing.  

Grass, trees and ragweed

 

He is also allergic to all animals, and anything green that grows (grass, trees and ragweed.)

 

 Respiratory infections also go straight to his lungs. There's no such thing as "just a cold" for him. He has had pneumonia countless times, and sadly has ended up in the hospital many times thanks to asthma. He has also been hospitalized due to RSV. 

 

Wildfire smoke 

Wildfire smoke is a bad combination of ozone and PM 2.5. PM 2.5 is tiny - about 1/30 th the size of a human hair. Because it's so tiny, it gets down deep into the small airways and rubs the tissue and "sandpapers" the tissue."

Kitty (our youngest) also has multiple triggers. When they did her scratch test to prepare her serum for allergy shots, the only thing she wasn't allergic to was rats. 

 

The nurse jokingly suggested we could have a pet rat! (Shockingly, that didn't happen.) 

 

She is also affected by respiratory infections and has also been in the hospital with pneumonia and asthma. 

 

Can you protect your kids from asthma triggers? 

Even knowing about all their asthma triggers, it's hard to protect my kids. We can't live in a bubble, but we try to avoid their asthma triggers. 

 

That's easier said than done.

I'm going to start "Flashback Fridays" to share some "fun" asthma episode. 

 

Ah, good times! 

 

NOT!