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Asthma symptoms may flare up from time to time. There is often no apparent reason why symptoms flare up. However, some people find that symptoms are triggered, or made worse, in certain situations. It may be possible to avoid certain triggers which may help to reduce symptoms. Things that may trigger asthma symptoms include the following.

• Infections. Particularly colds, coughs, and chest infections.
• Pollens and moulds. The hay fever season is a common time for asthma to get worse.
• Exercise. However, sport and exercise are good for you if you have asthma. If necessary, you can use an inhaler before exercise to prevent symptoms from developing.
• Certain drugs. For example, about 1 in 50 people with asthma are allergic to aspirin which can trigger symptoms. Other drugs that may cause asthma symptoms include: anti-inflammatory painkillers, and beta-blockers such as propranolol, atenolol, or timolol. This includes beta-blocker eye-drops used to treat glaucoma.
• Smoking and cigarette fumes. 'Passive' smoking can make asthma worse too. All children deserve to live in a smoke-free home, in particular children with asthma.
• Other fumes and chemicals. For example, fumes from paints, solvents and pollution. The increase in air pollution may be a reason why asthma is becoming more common.
• Emotion. Asthma is not due to 'nerves', but such things as stress, emotional upset, or laughing may trigger symptoms.
• Allergies to animals. Such as pet cats, dogs, and horses. Animals do not trigger symptoms in most cases, but some people notice that their symptoms become worse when close to certain animals.
• House dust mite. This is a tiny creature that lives in mattresses and other fabrics around the home. If you are allergic to it, it may make symptoms worse. It is impossible to get rid of house dust mite completely. To greatly reduce their number takes a lot of time and effort and involves: using special mattress covers, removing carpets, removing or treating soft toys, etc. However, if symptoms are difficult to control with treatment, and you are confirmed to be allergic to house dust mite, then it may be worth considering trying to reduce their number.

• Certain foods. This is uncommon, and food is not thought to be a trigger in most cases.

Some people only develop symptoms when exposed to a certain 'trigger'. Two examples are:

• Occupational asthma. Some people only develop symptoms when exposed to specific substances at work. They have no symptoms at other times.
• Exercise-induced asthma. As mentioned above, exercise can make symptoms worse for many people with asthma. But, some people only develop symptoms when they exercise, and are fine the rest of the time.

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