Surprising Factors Affecting Your Asthma Control

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that affects millions of people worldwide, causing symptoms like wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. When you have asthma, it’s crucial to be aware of your triggers—environmental and behavioral factors that worsen your symptoms and can lead to an attack. Some triggers, like exercise and tree pollen allergies, are well-known asthma risk factors. Beyond triggers, issues with your diagnosis or treatment could be leaving you ineffective in managing your symptoms, leading to asthma complications. To take control and breathe better, it’s important to understand what might be causing your symptoms. 1. Poor Medication Adherence One of the most common reasons for uncontrolled asthma is poor medication adherence. Asthma requires long-term management, and it’s essential to take prescribed medications consistently, even when symptoms are not present. Skipping doses or not using inhalers correctly can lead to exacerbations and poor asthma control. 2. Underlying Triggers Identifying and managing triggers is key to controlling asthma. Common triggers include allergens (e.g., pollen, dust mites, pet dander), respiratory infections, air pollution, tobacco smoke, and weather changes. Failing to address these triggers can lead to persistent symptoms despite medication use. Some people believe hypoallergenic pets won’t trigger asthma,...