Anyone with asthma can suffer from an asthma attack as soon as they get exposed to a trigger. These asthma triggers can vary from person to person. By learning the common triggers, it can be easy to avoid them. So, what triggers an asthma attack? Here’s a look at the most common triggers.

Certain foods and additives
Reaction to certain foods can range between mild and severe symptoms. It happens rarely that an asthma attack caused by a food allergy is not accompanied by any other symptom. But in case you have a food allergy and are an asthma patient, the attack can be severe and lead to a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis. To know what triggers an asthma attack for you, talk to your doctor. Also, some common foods that are known to have allergic reactions include:

• Peanuts
• Wheat
• Fruits
• Salads
• Tree nuts
• Soy
• Cow’s milk

Smoke
Tobacco smoke has the potential to cause damage to anyone. Therefore, if you have asthma, staying away from tobacco smoke becomes all the more necessary. If you are a smoker, cigarettes can trigger an asthma attack. Therefore, you must quit smoking. Passive or secondhand smoking can also be a trigger for an asthma attack. Hence, if you or any of your family member is asthmatic, you must make your home completely smoke-free. If anyone in the house smokes, ask them to quit or to never smoke around the asthma patient.

Dust mites
These are bugs that are only visible under a microscope and are commonly found in homes. For asthma patients, the presence of dust mites around them can be a trigger for an attack. Therefore, you must take some preventive measures, like:

• Using of mattresses and pillow covers that are allergen-proof; these can create a preventive barrier between you and the dust mites
• Cleaning of the bedding weekly and drying it properly
• Keeping the carpets, rugs, and the floor neat and clean by vacuuming regularly; you must ensure that your vacuum cleaner has a HEPA filter
• Ensuring that the humidity levels inside the home are low, somewhere between 30 to 50 percent

Air pollution
Air pollution can be a trigger for many asthma patients. The source of this pollution can be factories, wildfire smoke, or cars. The smoke from wildfire is caused by the burning of trees and plants. This smoke can contain dangerous particles and other harmful gases. Therefore, this smoke can become a trigger of an asthma attack. To prevent an asthma attack, check the forecasts for air quality in your area or the area you are visiting. You can check the radio, television, or the newspaper to know the pollution levels before going out.