Asthma can occur to anyone, at any age. Approximately fourteen million adults and six million children in the U.S. alone are suffering from asthma. Sometime there is a history of asthma or allergies in other family members.

Human lungs are quite similar to the branches of a tree. Air tubes get narrow and narrower until they reach the air sacs (alveoli) that make up the spongy look of the lungs.

Asthma is caused when the airways are inflamed or contracted.

When asthma is under control, the airways are open and air freely flows in and out of lungs. When asthma attacks the airways get constricted and swollen.

The production of mucus also increase that cause further obstruction in the airways. In this way, a person can hardly inhale and exhale, causing coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

Asthma Risk Factors

Following are top asthma risk factors, may help you to decide if you or your child may get asthma in the future. If you are at high risk, take precautionary steps to avoid the risk factors.

• Family history of asthma
• Residence in urban areas
• Exposure to secondhand smoke
• Low birth weight
• Other health problems like GERD and chronic sinusitis
• Direct exposure to irritants on the workplace

Allergy induced asthma

One of the most common types of asthma is allergy induced asthma. When someone inhales or have a allergen exposure, a substance to which his or her body is sensitive, he or she produce a chemical compound known as ‘histamines’, which cause inflammation as they try to expel out the allergen from the body. In case of allergy induced asthma, the histamines act on the bronchial passages and lungs, and person suffers shortness of breath.

The patients of allergy induced asthma have significantly increased in recent years, and scientists are still trying to find out the reason. The suspected reason according to the researchers is the increased exposure of children to some common allergens.

Treating Allergy Induced Asthma

Reduction in the allergens exposure is as effective as treatment for allergy induced asthma with corticosteroid inhalers. If your child has developed allergy induced asthma, you should make your child’s bedroom allergen free as possible, besides using nebulizers and inhalers. Mattress covers, pillow cases, air filters and pest control measures can reduce your child’s exposure to allergens that mostly causes allergy induced asthma.

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