What causes asthma symptoms to flare up?
Your asthma can flare up for different reasons. If you’re allergic to dust mites, pollens or molds, they can make your asthma symptoms get worse. Cold air, exercise, fumes from chemicals or perfume, tobacco or wood smoke, and weather changes can also make asthma symptoms worse. So can common colds and sinus infections. Gastroesophageal reflux (when stomach acid comes up into the back of the throat) can also cause flare-ups. You can help yourself by paying attention to the way these things affect your asthma. Your doctor might test you to find out if you’re allergic to something. Then your doctor can help you avoid the things that bother your asthma. What are the symptoms of an asthma flare-up? Common symptoms are coughing, shortness of breath (feeling breathless), a feeling of tightness in the chest and wheezing. (Wheezing is breathing that makes a hoarse, whistling sound.) It’s important to watch yourself every day for symptoms of asthma. You may have only one or two of these symptoms
