Health News Share Email Print How to control asthma triggers Reviewed 11/10/2023 TAMING ASTHMA TRIGGERS LOWER YOUR LIKELIHOOD OF FLARE-UPS An asthma trigger is something that causes a flare-up of symptoms. Select a trigger for tips on how to control it. SMOKE TO CONTROL IT: Ban smoking from your home and car. Avoid burning wood indoors. Don't go outdoors when wildfires are burning nearby. AIR POLLUTION TO CONTROL IT: Check air quality daily at stateoftheair.org. Limit time outdoors when the index is high. Avoid exercising near heavily trafficked areas. PETS TO CONTROL IT: Avoid pets with fur or feathers. If possible, keep pets outdoors. Keep pets out of bedrooms. MOLD AND MILDEW TO CONTROL IT: Fix leaks right away. Clean mildew from tiles and shower. Run exhaust fans or open windows in your kitchen and bathroom. POLLEN TO CONTROL IT: Close doors and windows during pollen season. Limit time outdoors when pollen levels are high. Shower and change clothes after coming in from outdoors. RESPIRATORY INFECTION TO CONTROL IT: Wash your hands often. Avoid sick people. Get a flu shot every year. Ask your doctor about getting a pneumonia shot. STRONG ODORS TO CONTROL IT: Use unscented products. Avoid areas with strong smells. Use a fan around strong odors. STRONG EMOTIONS TO CONTROL IT: Avoid stressful situations. Learn relaxation exercises and techniques. COLD AIR/EXTREME HEAT TO CONTROL IT: Wear a scarf over your mouth and nose when outdoors. Avoid being outside when the weather is too cold or too hot. EXERCISE TO CONTROL IT: Ask your doctor about using a rescue inhaler or other quick-relief medications before exercising. Warm up before exercise. Exercise indoors when air quality outside is poor. DUST MITES OR COCKROACHES TO CONTROL IT: Encase bedding in dust or mite-proof coverings. Remove carpeting and dust and vacuum twice a week. Keep food in sealed containers. Learn more by taking our asthma triggers quiz. Take the quiz. Sources American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. "Asthma Triggers and Management." https://www.aaaai.org/Tools-for-the-Public/Conditions-Library/Asthma/Asthma-Triggers-and-Management-TTR. American Lung Association. "Avoiding and Controlling Asthma Triggers." https://www.lung.org/getmedia/d3bafd22-cb2c-48cb-9855-4d3b1d891a17/avoiding-and-controlling-triggers.pdf.pdf. American Lung Association. "Reduce Asthma Triggers." https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asthma/managing-asthma/reduce-asthma-triggers. Related stories Health information main Health tools go Select a health topic ADHD Aging Alcohol use disorder Allergies Alternative medicine Alzheimer's disease Arthritis Asthma Babies Backs Bladder Bones Brain Breast cancer Cancer Cancer prevention Caregiving Cervical cancer Children and parenting Cholesterol Colds Colorectal cancer Coronavirus Dental care Depression Diabetes Disaster preparedness Down syndrome Ears Eating disorders Emergencies End of life/Palliative care Environmental health Epilepsy Eyes Fall prevention Family and relationships Feet Fitness and exercise Flu Food safety Hair Headache Health assessments Health calculators Healthcare Heart attack Heart health Hepatitis Hernia High blood pressure Hips HIV/AIDS Holiday health Hormones Imaging Incontinence Joints Kidneys Knees Leukemia Liver Lung cancer Lungs Medications Men's health Menopause Mental health Multiple sclerosis Nails Nose Nutrition Obesity Oral cancer Ovaries Pain Parkinson's disease Pets Pneumonia Pregnancy Prostate cancer Rehabilitation Reproductive health Safety School health Sexuality Sexually transmitted infections Skin Skin cancer Sleep Smoking Sports injuries Stomach pain Stress and anxiety Stroke Substance use disorder Summer safety Surgery Teen health Throat Thyroid Travel Vaccines Vascular health Violence Vitamins and supplements Weight management Winter health Women's health Workplace health Wound care i Providers Pulmonology Internal Medicine and Pulmonology Family Medicine Internal Medicine Allergy, Asthma and Immunology i Services Lung Screening Pulmonary Services RSS If you have questions or comments, please contact Randolph Health. Problems reading or opening a page? Legal restrictions and terms of use applicable to this site.