Asthma is a health problem that implies the well functioning of the airways that become narrow and may get blocked. The shortness of breath, cough or other related symptoms may appear due to some hereditary issues (the children are more likely to develop asthma if the other members of the family have this affection), the tendency of developing allergies.

Some allergens may cause the appearance of allergy or asthma and the most known allergens are the following: dust, pollen, smoke, several chemicals, pollutants and pet dander. In some cases stress and emotion may also contribute to the appearance of asthma and some types of allergies. The allergies and asthma may cause unpleasant coughing and respiratory problems no matter what are the causes. Being allergic to the fur of cats and dogs may be another serious problem that may cause other troubles.

There are some types of asthma affections that may be developed by children due to the fact that their mothers have smoked during the pregnancy and are still smoking. This type of asthma is called allergic asthma and it may be specific in the childhood, but may also develop later. The exposure to the cigarette smoking is very damaging to the respiratory system of the babies and the very first bad sign is the insistent cough. If the exposure to the cigarette smoking is continuous the occurrence of the allergic asthma is obvious.

There are no allergic causes of asthma in the cases of intrinsic asthma, which usually appear at the adult age. The triggers of this type of asthma are: cold air, perfume or some cleaning agents that are considered respiratory irritants. The causes of intrinsic asthma differ from person to person and in some cases they are difficult to detect. Nevertheless, the exposure to some respiratory irritants that lasts for some period of time may be the first trigger of asthma that should be taken into account. If the exposure implies long periods of time, then the asthma is called occupational. More and more cases of asthma are occupational due to the professions and activities that imply exposure to some chemicals or substances that are not healthy for the body and especially for the respiratory system.

The allergens that may be easily find in the bedroom and these may be the triggers for the so-called nocturnal asthma. In many cases the allergens that cause the nocturnal asthma are the dust or a special smell. Even the cold temperature may trigger this type of asthma. Exercise may the apparent cause for the exercise-induced asthma. The first signs of this affection are simple coughing during the exercise time. There are other factors that may cause the development or the severity of the asthma and among them may be the innocent rain, wind and even some sudden weather changes. Even some medications may be the cause of the asthma attacks and there are cases of intolerance of aspirin.

It is important to notice that only if exposed to some environmental factors or some respiratory irritants the asthmatic may experience the asthma attack after some time, not immediately after or during exposure. Moreover, if there are more triggers for an asthmatic the attack may be more severe and may last more or it may have a bigger intensity. It is important to point out the factors and triggers that contribute to the asthma attack and have influence upon the respiratory process. Even if a special list of events and possible causes may seem bizarre, it may be necessary, especially when the asthmatic person is not aware of the triggers and exact causes of the asthma attacks.