A trigger is anything that irritates the airways and sets off the symptoms of asthma. Common triggers include colds or flu, cigarette smoke, exercise and allergies to things like pollen, furry or feathery animals or house-dust mite.
Everyone's asthma is different and you will probably have several triggers. Asthma, like its related allergic conditions eczema and hay fever, often runs in the family and may be inherited.
There are probably a number of other, environmental, factors that contribute to someone developing asthma , many aspects of modern lifestyles, such as housing and diet, might be responsible. We also know that smoking during pregnancy increases the chance of a child developing asthma. There is currently no evidence that traffic pollution causes asthma, although poor air quality can make your asthma worse.

Take your reliever inhaler (blue one) immediately.
If the reliever has no effect after five to ten minutes, call your doctor or an ambulance or Asthma Helpline if available.
Continue to take reliever medication every few minutes until help arrives.

Medication can come in the form of inhalers and tablets, although currently inhalers are more common. An inhaler ensures that very small amounts of medication are delivered directly into the lungs. There are a variety of inhalers available. It is important that you use a device that you are comfortable with and can use properly. Your doctor or nurse will advise you on the most appropriate device and should demonstrate how to use it correctly.
There are two main types of asthma medication:

1.Reliever medication

Reliever inhalers are usually blue colored.
They act by opening up the airways causing the muscles to relax and therefore allowing you to breathe more easily.
The reliever should only be used when the symptoms of asthma appear or, if recommended, before exercise. They do not reduce the inflammation in the airways. If you need to use your reliever more than once a day or 3-4 times per week this suggests that there is a degree of inflammation in your airways that requires preventer treatment.

2.Preventer medication

Preventers usually come in brown, red or orange colors inhalers.
They work over a period of time to calm inflammation in the airways and make them less likely to react badly when you come across an asthma trigger. They need to be taken regularly. Most preventers are inhaled corticosteroids. It is important to understand that corticosteroids are not the same as anabolic steroids used by athletes to improve their performance.
There are other types of medication that can be added to your reliever and preventer treatment if needed, such as preventer tablets and long-acting relievers.

Steroid inhalers are the mainstay of asthma treatment today. Inhalers give very low doses of steroids per puff. There are very few side effects from inhaled steroids when used in proper doses and especially if used with a spacer. One may experience local side effects such as a hoarse voice or sore throat. It is possible that at higher doses of inhaled steroid (more than 1000mcg of budesonide or beclomethasone) some steroid may be absorbed. This is still a much smaller dose than from a steroid tablet. Occasionally if asthma symptoms are severe your doctor may prescribe a short course of steroid tablets. These should not cause any long-term side effects.
However, if you have very severe asthma and need to take steroid tablets for a long period of time there may be some side effects such as thinning of the bones or weight gain. It is important to discuss your concerns with your doctor.

There is no evidence that moving to some other house will improve your asthma symptoms. Many people associate asthma with bad air quality and presume that somewhere with better air quality will improve their asthma.
Pollution is only one of many things that can affect asthma but there are many other trigger factors. Even in the least polluted parts , the percentage of people with asthma is about the same as that elsewhere (including cities).
Asthma triggers varies from one person to another. A place that's good for one person may not be so good for another. Your own personal experience will give you clues as to what triggers your asthma. Some triggers will be found indoors, where we spend most of our time. House-dust mite, for example, is a common trigger which will be found wherever you live. Most people with asthma have more than one trigger, it is possible that by moving house you may be exchanging one trigger for another. Sometimes people feel better in a new area for a short while and then become sensitive to triggers they find there. Except in a few circumstances, such as living in damp housing, there seems little to be gained from moving house.

As long as your asthma is well controlled you should be able to take part in most exercise. Some forms of exercise that people with asthma can find particularly beneficial are yoga as it teaches proper breathing techniques swimming (where the damp atmosphere can be of benefit, though chlorine can set some people's asthma symptoms off) and aerobic exercises. Team sports that allow you to have a rest can also be good.
If exercise makes your asthma worse (Exercise induced Asthma), warming up properly for a minimum of five minutes and taking a couple of puffs of reliever inhaler before you begin. It usually help. If your symptoms continue, talk to your doctor or practice nurse as this could be a sign that your medication needs to be reviewed.
There are a few sports such as diving, parachuting and mountaineering where restrictions may be imposed if you have asthma. If your asthma is well controlled you should be able to take part in these sports.

Although most people with asthma have aeroallergen-induced symptoms, some individuals manifest symptoms with non allergic triggers. As many as 10 % to 20 % of people with asthma are sensitive to non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. So it is better to avoid these drugs. Its best to consult your doctor before taking any medicine.
But 100 mg aspirin taken every other day may reduce asthma risk in women by 10 percent according to the results of a large trial. (Reuters Health reported on March 13)
Still, the researchers emphasize that more studies are needed before aspirin can be recommended solely for this purpose. The findings, which are reported in the medical journal Thorax, indicate a 10 percent reduction in asthma risk with aspirin use, although this beneficial effect was not seen in obese women.

No single product is likely to improve your symptoms on its own. However, there are several simple measures that you can take to reduce dust or improve the air quality in your home and these might help to reduce your symptoms. In fact, recent research is suggesting that by removing the common things that set off asthma in the home, you may lessen the chances of a child developing asthma.
You might like to try damp dusting, having fewer or no carpets and soft furnishings (where house-dust mites like to live), avoiding smoking in the house and keeping the house well ventilated to reduce humidity. Special bedding covers, which usually cover the whole mattress and protect against house dust mites, have been shown to have some benefit for people with asthma. Close the windows during windy season or when there excessive smog or pollution outside.
Regular vacuuming with an efficient vacuum cleaner that has strong suction power and does not blow dust out of the exhaust will help to reduce dust in your house. But try to avoid cleaning by yourself. There are some products, such as specialized vacuum cleaners, that are advertised as being especially good for people with asthma. These products may be efficient in removing levels of dust mite allergen from the home. Good ventilation is also essential for reducing humidity, and therefore allergen levels in the home. Although air purifiers will help to filter out fine dust particles and revitalize stale air, there is no clear evidence to suggest they reduce asthma symptoms.

As long as your asthma is well controlled, you will be able to apply for most jobs, in fact. However, a few jobs; in the armed services, the fire brigade, the police, and the prison service, do have restrictions for people with asthma. The army, police force, navy and prison service all require applicants to be physically fit and will assess your application on an individual basis. The fire and ambulance services will not accept applications from people with asthma as workers commonly come in to contact with smoke and toxic fumes, which can commonly set off asthma symptoms. You will not be able to join the air force as a pilot if you have ever had asthma, although you can work as part of the ground crew.
You can find out more from your local careers service, or from the organization concerned.
Some other jobs involve working closely with things that set your asthma off, for example chemicals in engineering, photocopier toner in the office, dust from flour in a bakery. If you feel that your job is aggravating your asthma it is important to discuss it with your doctor or nurse.

Smoking is a real enemy and can make your asthma worse. If you smoke, you will be increasing your chances of developing many health problems and your asthma symptoms will become worse and difficult to control. Your lungs may also suffer from irreversible damage. Many people are also affected by breathing other people's cigarette smoke (passive smoking). Smoking while pregnant also increases the risk that your baby will have asthma, and may cause other health problems.

Animals are one of the things that can set off, or trigger asthma symptoms. In particular many people with asthma will have their symptoms set off by cats and dogs. There are minute particles called allergens found in the animal's fur, saliva and urine, which get into the air and are breathed in. This does not affect most people, but people with asthma have sensitive airways and breathing in allergens can cause an increase in symptoms. You can become sensitive to a pet even if you have had the pet for a long period of time. There are measures that can help:

1. If you have a furry or feathery pet, then keep the pet outdoors wherever possible.
2. Always keep your pets out of your bedroom.
3. Always wash your hands after handling the pet.
4. Also find out whether your vet can advise about products you could use to wash the animal once a week, in order to reduce the amount of allergens you are exposed to.

You can help prevent asthma attacks by staying away from things that make your asthma worse.
You need to find out what makes your asthma worse. Some things that make asthma worse for some people are not a problem for others. You do not need to do all of the things listed below.
Ask your doctor to help you find out what makes your asthma worse. Then, decide with your doctor what steps you will take. Start looking at your bed room for triggers and start controlling them.
 Click: How to control asthma triggers?

Try to keep your windows closed.
Stay indoors with windows closed during the midday and afternoon, if you can.
Pollen and some mold spore counts are highest at that time.
Ask your doctor whether you need to take or increase anti-inflammatory medicine before your allergy season starts.

Flu: Get a flu shot.
Sulfites in foods: Do not drink beer or wine or eat shrimp, dried fruit, or processed potatoes if they cause asthma symptoms.
Cold air: Cover your nose and mouth with a scarf on cold or windy days.
Other medicines: Tell your doctor about all the medicines you are take. Include cold medicines, aspirin, and even eye drops.

Male sex is a risk factor for asthma in prepubertal children and female sex is a risk factor for persistence of asthma in the transition from childhood to adulthood. Male children with asthma are more likely to "grow out" of their asthma in the transition to adulthood.

In Arizona, a study was conducted where researchers examined 344 families to see if asthma runs in families. It was found that:

Wheezing is more common in young children who were born prematurely. In adulthood there are no consistent relationships between asthma and birth weight.

There are many types of alternative therapies for asthma treatment. But none is as effective as the modern allopathic treatment. Below are the different types of treatment and their recommendation according to the "British Guideline on the Management of Asthma revised edition July 2007"

Acupuncture in asthma

People who are overweight have a 50% higher risk of developing asthma, scientists have said.
US researchers reviewed seven studies involving over 330,000 adult patients, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine reported.
The study, by a joint team from the US National Jewish Medical and Research Center and University of Colorado, classed showed that for every normal weight person with asthma, there were 1.5 people with asthma who were overweight or obese.
The risk of having asthma for those who were obese was twice that of someone with normal weight.

Patients who have asthma are at risk for specific complications during and after surgery. These
complications include: