Before we get into the details, you need to understand the difference between something that causes the disease called asthma and something that triggers an asthma attack. Most research has been conducted on what triggers attacks or makes symptoms worse in someone who already has asthma. The scientific investigation into the underlying cause of the disease itself is just catching up, so here we’ll describe mainly the irritants that trigger an asthma attack or worsen symptoms. Keep in mind, though, that even when you’re not having symptoms, the disease is still silently menacing your lungs.
The Air We Breathe
You don’t need a book to tell you that most people breathe some pretty dirty air. But did you know that breathing polluted city air is almost as damaging to your health as living with someone who smokes cigarettes?
Admittedly, air quality has improved since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970, but some cities, now find they’re losing ground in the battle against air pollution for the first time in more than a decade. The State Lung Association reported that because the government doesn’t fully enforce clean air laws, more than half of all people breathe polluted air that damages their health. According to the association, more than 7.4 million adults with asthma and nearly 2 million children suffernig from asthma attacks live in countries that received an F grade in ozone air pollution. This represents 70 percent of the 10.6 million Adults with asthma and 69 percent of the 2.8 million children who have had an asthma attack and live in countries with an ozone monitor. Fully enforcing the standards of the Clean Air Act, the Lung Association notes, would prevent 15,000 premature deaths, 350,000 cases of asthma, and 1 million cases of decreased lung function in children.
Specific outdoor air-related asthma triggers include:
Ozone : Ozone is a respiratory irritant that forms when sunlight acts on automobile exhaust fumes and industrial pollution. High levels of ozone, which typically occur on hot summer days, are to people with asthma what burning cigarette is to a drought striken forest. That’s why many cities issue ozone alerts when levels are high, warning people with respiratory conditions such as asthma to stay inside in air conditioning. In fact, scientists suspect that high ozone levels may be one reason for our current asthma epidemic: A 2002 study found that children who played a lot of outdoor team sports in areas of high ozone concentration were up to three times more likely to develop asthma than those who didn’t participate in such sports. The study offered the first evidence suggesting that ground-level ozone is a ‘causative factor” in the development of childhood asthma rather than one that just aggravates it.
Particulate matter
First, there are the fine solids in the air, such as dirt, soil dust, pollens, molds, ashes, and soot. Then there are the aerosols that form in the atmosphere from the by-products of combustion: volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides and nitrogen oxides. Particluate pollution comes from diverse sources such as factory and utility smokestacks, vehicles exhaust, wood burning, mining, construction and agriculture.
When it comes to asthma and other respiratory illnesses, the main concern centers on fine particles, those less than 2.5 microns in diameter. (For comparison, a human hair is about 75 microns in diameter). You can easily inhale them into your lungs, where they can be absorbed into the bloodstream or remain embedded in your body’s cells for long periods of time. One study found a 17 percent increase in the risk of death from asthma and other respiratory conditions in areas with higher concentrations of small particles.
Indoor air pollution
Hard as it may be to believe, the air we breathe inside our homes, offices, and other buildings has more pollutants than the air we breathe outside. Sources of these air pollutants include combustion sources such as gas stoves, fireplaces, and cigarettes, plus treated woods, paints, furnishings, carpets and fabrics. And don’t forget consumer products, such as sprays, pesticides, window cleaners, and even laundry soap. That’s in addition to known indoor allergens such as animal dander, cockroaches, dust mites, molds, and fungi.
In fact, a 2002 study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that more than a half million children under age 6 with asthma would not have the disease if such common indoor risk factors as per dander, molds, cigarette smoke, and gas stoves were removed from their homes.
The Air We Breathe
You don’t need a book to tell you that most people breathe some pretty dirty air. But did you know that breathing polluted city air is almost as damaging to your health as living with someone who smokes cigarettes?
Admittedly, air quality has improved since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970, but some cities, now find they’re losing ground in the battle against air pollution for the first time in more than a decade. The State Lung Association reported that because the government doesn’t fully enforce clean air laws, more than half of all people breathe polluted air that damages their health. According to the association, more than 7.4 million adults with asthma and nearly 2 million children suffernig from asthma attacks live in countries that received an F grade in ozone air pollution. This represents 70 percent of the 10.6 million Adults with asthma and 69 percent of the 2.8 million children who have had an asthma attack and live in countries with an ozone monitor. Fully enforcing the standards of the Clean Air Act, the Lung Association notes, would prevent 15,000 premature deaths, 350,000 cases of asthma, and 1 million cases of decreased lung function in children.
Specific outdoor air-related asthma triggers include:
Ozone : Ozone is a respiratory irritant that forms when sunlight acts on automobile exhaust fumes and industrial pollution. High levels of ozone, which typically occur on hot summer days, are to people with asthma what burning cigarette is to a drought striken forest. That’s why many cities issue ozone alerts when levels are high, warning people with respiratory conditions such as asthma to stay inside in air conditioning. In fact, scientists suspect that high ozone levels may be one reason for our current asthma epidemic: A 2002 study found that children who played a lot of outdoor team sports in areas of high ozone concentration were up to three times more likely to develop asthma than those who didn’t participate in such sports. The study offered the first evidence suggesting that ground-level ozone is a ‘causative factor” in the development of childhood asthma rather than one that just aggravates it.
Particulate matter
First, there are the fine solids in the air, such as dirt, soil dust, pollens, molds, ashes, and soot. Then there are the aerosols that form in the atmosphere from the by-products of combustion: volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides and nitrogen oxides. Particluate pollution comes from diverse sources such as factory and utility smokestacks, vehicles exhaust, wood burning, mining, construction and agriculture.
When it comes to asthma and other respiratory illnesses, the main concern centers on fine particles, those less than 2.5 microns in diameter. (For comparison, a human hair is about 75 microns in diameter). You can easily inhale them into your lungs, where they can be absorbed into the bloodstream or remain embedded in your body’s cells for long periods of time. One study found a 17 percent increase in the risk of death from asthma and other respiratory conditions in areas with higher concentrations of small particles.
Indoor air pollution
Hard as it may be to believe, the air we breathe inside our homes, offices, and other buildings has more pollutants than the air we breathe outside. Sources of these air pollutants include combustion sources such as gas stoves, fireplaces, and cigarettes, plus treated woods, paints, furnishings, carpets and fabrics. And don’t forget consumer products, such as sprays, pesticides, window cleaners, and even laundry soap. That’s in addition to known indoor allergens such as animal dander, cockroaches, dust mites, molds, and fungi.
In fact, a 2002 study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that more than a half million children under age 6 with asthma would not have the disease if such common indoor risk factors as per dander, molds, cigarette smoke, and gas stoves were removed from their homes.