Your Asthma Trigger Checklist

Allergies

Yes

No

Pollens (trees, grasses, ragweed)

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Molds

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Animals and animal products (dander, wool, feathers, down pillows)

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Insect parts and dust mites

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Note: Dust is a problem only if it has an allergen content to which the person is allergic. Sources of dust in the home include:

Cloth upholstery, carpets, draperies

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Brooms and dusters

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Dirty air filters on furnaces

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Leaky vacuum cleaners

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Respiratory Infections

Common cold virus

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Flu virus

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Sinusitis

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Irritants

Household vapors and sprays:

Vapors (Cleaning solvents, paint, paint thinner, shellac, varnish)

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Aerosol sprays (Furniture polish, oven cleaners, starch, room deodorizers)

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Personal products (Spray deodorant, hair spray, perfumes, colognes)

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Industrial dusts, vapors, and fumes:

Wood products (western red cedar)

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Flour, cereals, grains, cotton

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Metals (Platinum, chromium)

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Mold (Hay)

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Air Pollution

Air pollution and traffic jams

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Parking garages

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Smoke-filled rooms

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Wood fires, barbecues

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Exercise

Medication may have to be used before exercise

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Wheezing sometimes begins during exercise as airways dry out

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Exercise indoors on the coldest days

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Nighttime

Increase in airway inflammation

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Stomach acid and heartburn

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Postnasal drainage leading to coughing

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Weather

Seasonal changes (May trigger allergies due to pollen and mold spores)

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Humidity, wind, dryness

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Cold air may induce asthma in some people

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Weather fronts, especially in the fall

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Emotions

Airway narrowing caused by laughing, crying, or yelling

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Fear, frustration, and anger

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Hormonal Changes

Symptoms caused by changes in hormonal balance during menstrual cycle or pregnancy

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Health Problems

Infections and allergies

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Sinusitis

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Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD)

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