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Causes of Asthma

It isn't clear why some people get asthma and others don't, but it's probably due to a combination of environmental and genetic (inherited) factors. Asthma triggers are different from person to person. Exposure to various allergens and irritants can trigger signs and symptoms of asthma.

Various factors can play an important role in causing asthma. These factors are:

• Genetics - A very common cause of asthma can be genetic. Asthma gets transmitted through blood relations. Thus people who have close relatives suffering from asthma may get the disease by hereditary means.
ARTICLE SECTIONS:
• Definition of Asthma
• Symptoms
• Types of Asthma
• Causes of Asthma
• Risk Factors
• Conventional Treatments
• Patients Medical Treatments
• Supplements Used
• Terms Defined
• Asthma Testing
• Environmental factors - Environmental factors can also be a substantial cause for acquiring asthma. Dust mites, pollens, and other agents may cause asthma. Sometimes if children are kept away from dust and other pollutants (natural environment) for a long period they may not develop the immune system which if exposed later results in asthma.
• Dietary changes - High quantity of processed foods, a higher salt intake, excess of antioxidants in the body and a lack of fresh oily fish and lower consumption of omega 3 fatty acids may be a cause of the development of asthma.
• Lack of exercise - people who do not pertain to any kind of physical exercises may have asthma. No physical exercise gives way to no stretching of the airways and thus when these airways get constricted the person may develop asthma.
• Occupational exposure - People working for hazardous industries like baking, spray painting of cars, chemical production, woodworking, and farming may develop asthma.

Risk Factors of Asthma

Before puberty, asthma occurs more often in males, but after adolescence, it appears to be more common in females. In adults with similar cases of actual airway obstruction, women are likely to report more severe symptoms than men are. In addition, women may be at much greater risk of death from asthma than men.

Although asthma is only slightly more prevalent among minority children than among whites, it accounts for three times the number of deaths. Low socioeconomic status, exposure to urban environmental contaminants, lack of access to medical care, and lack of self-management skills all contribute to the increase in deaths in minority communities.

The most common risk factors of asthma include:

• A family history of asthma - Having a parent or sibling with asthma means you have a high risk of developing asthma yourself.
• Exposure to secondhand smoke - People who live with someone who smokes or have frequent, prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke (such as in a work setting) are at a much higher risk for developing asthma. So, parents should never smoke around their children or even in the same house.
• Living in an urban area, especially if there's a lot of air pollution - People who live in urban areas are exposed to air pollution on a daily basis and are more likely to develop asthma. There are also more cockroaches in urban areas. Cockroach sensitivity is a common trigger for asthma.
• Exposure to occupational triggers - If you are exposed to certain chemicals or other irritating substances on a regular basis at work, you could be at risk for developing occupational asthma. Risky occupations may include farming, hairdressing, and paint, steel, plastics, and electronics manufacturing.
• Low birth weight - Children who were smaller than the norm at birth, such as those born early, are also at higher risk for asthma.
• Other Health Issues - Adults who also have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), are obese, and / or have chronic sinusitis carry a higher than usual risk for being diagnosed with asthma.

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