Asthma triggers

If you live with asthma, you are more likely to react to pollen, mould, dust mites and fungal spores. They may make your asthma symptoms worse, as well as giving you itchy eyes, making you sneeze and making your nose run or block. We recommend that you begin your hay fever treatment a few weeks before the hay fever season starts. We can advise you on the best treatment for your symptoms and which ones are safe to use in conjunction with your asthma medicines. It’s also best to keep a check on the pollen count, and ensure that doors and windows are closed early morning and evening when pollen is at its highest.

It’s really difficult to avoid pollen as the spores are so tiny and can be blown for miles, but there are some things you can do to help.

You can find mould indoors all year round in damp and warm places, like kitchens, bathrooms and any other rooms where you have damp problems.

These are tiny creatures found in everybody’s homes, mainly in mattresses where they live off human skin cells. Some people find the mites’ droppings can trigger their asthma.

Our allergy reliever uses red light therapy to help reduce symptoms of hay fever, and did you know that it can be used alongside medication?

During exercise, you breathe harder and the air reaching your lungs is colder and drier than usual. This can irritate the airways making them tighten and inflamed. If this happens, use your reliever inhaler before exercise.

Our top tips

Read more top tips on how to exercise with asthma here. 

You can keep on top of your condition with our Online Doctor. We can provide you with the preventer and reliever inhalers you need for either same day collection or next day delivery.

Most people with asthma do not need to follow a special diet, but a small number are allergic to certain foods which can lead to an allergic reaction. This may bring on asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and difficulty breathing. The most common food allergens for asthmatics are:

Milk and milk products, eggs, nuts, including peanuts, fish and shellfish, wheat, seeds, soya and food additives.

The chemicals in cigarettes irritate and inflame the airways and lungs. If you smoke you’ll get more symptoms and need higher doses of your asthma preventer medicine to keep on top of them. Being around other people smoking will also make your asthma symptoms worse. If you need assistance trying to kick the habit, the LloydsPharmacy stop smoking service can help. Visit your nearest store to ask a member of the LloydsPharmacy team for advice about quitting smoking and information on our nicotine replacement therapy products. You can also get support from our Online Doctor. We also have a selection of products online that could help you to give up smoking, shop our range here.

E-cigarettes and asthma:

While e-cigarettes are not risk-free, recent evidence suggests that they’re significantly less harmful than tobacco cigarettes, both for those who smoke them, and those who are around them. However, Asthma UK advises people with asthma to avoid inhaling anything into their lungs which may be harmful.

Extremes of temperature and humidity may adversely affect your asthma so make sure you always carry your reliever inhaler and keep an eye on the ever changeable weather. Damp conditions, thunderstorms, heatwaves and a sudden change in temperature are all common asthma triggers. Cold or damp air can enter your airways and trigger them to go into spasm, causing asthma symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest.

Avoid a change in weather triggering your asthma symptoms:

These can make your asthma worse. Make sure you get an annual flu jab, find more information about flu vaccinations here. And always follow good hygiene routines to avoid infections.

These can sometimes make your asthma worse. Stress can make your airways more sensitive, which can increase your risk of asthma symptoms. Also, if you’re stressed you may feel too busy to do the things that help you stay well with your asthma, such as taking your medicines and going to regular asthma reviews.

Another reason that stress can trigger asthma is because of people’s reaction to it. You may lose your temper more easily, and anger itself is a trigger. Stress can also cause people to drink or smoke more, both of which are asthma triggers in their own right.

Why not make some lifestyle changes? Alcohol is known to increase stress and anxiety, so aim to limit your intake and get out and about or do some gentle relaxation exercises.

Top tip: If you know a stressful situation is coming up,talk to your GP or asthma nurse about how to deal with any asthma symptoms, or how to stop them developing in the first place.

Asthma can be triggered by animal saliva, skin, urine or old scales shed from the skin, also known as dander. These allergens can still be found in your home months after the animal has left. Cats seem to be the most common trigger but other animals like dogs, horses and rabbits can also cause asthma symptoms.

We all breathe in harmful substances when pollution levels are high, but if you have asthma, you’re more likely to feel the effects. This is because pollutants in dust, soot, diesel and traffic fumes can quickly irritate your airways and trigger asthma symptoms. Unsurprisingly, air pollution is worse in cities and around busy roads, particularly when traffic is moving slowly. So, to help, try to avoid pollution hotspots like junctions, bus stations and car parks on high pollution days. And if you’re visiting a busy city, it’s a good idea to check the pollution levels before you go.