What is the Cause of Asthma?

The cause of asthma is also known as a trigger and one trigger is rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is excessive discharge of mucus glands in the nose, congestion of the veins in the nasal cavity that can cause blockage of nasal airflow and cause irritation of the sensory nerves in the nose and throat.

These symptoms usually occur when airborne allergens are inhaled and are usually harmless until the immune system reacts by making antibodies. These antibodies stick to the surface of special cells called mast cells and release pro-inflammatory substances including histamines which are a cause of asthma.

These changes in the body cause an obstruction to airflow in and out of the lungs and during breathing these obstructions will increase and cause a wheezing and trapping of the air in the chest.

Heredity

Heredity is a big cause of asthma in children. The tendency to become allergic is inherited and is controlled by genes that only influence the production of an antibody called IgE. However, you will only develop an allergic inherited allergy if exposed to those certain inherited genes, if you are never exposed you will never develop a cause of asthma.

Bronchial irritability is the basic cause of asthma problems. The inflammation of the bronchial walls causes loss of protective cells from mucosa therefore exposing sensitive nerve endings to the affected area. This is probably a direct result of genetics.

Other Causes

We all know that all sorts of things seem to be able to bring on an asthma attack. Dogs and cats cause asthma attacks in some people. Tobacco smoke, cold air, exercises and even laughing can cause attacks.

Exposure to certain things in your work environment is another cause of asthma in adults who never suffered a day in their life from asthma suddenly develops asthma.  There are many medical things that can be a cause of asthma but there are things that an asthmatic must avoid. For example, dogs and cats can cause an attack in some people.

Tobacco smoke, and not just cigarettes, but cigars and pipes as well will cause attacks. The cold air can be a cause of asthma. When someone gets anxious it can cause them to start breathing irregularly which will bring on an attack. It is hard to say for certain, however, what the cause is and hard to diagnose a cure.