Asthma attacks can be painful and fatal for older adults. The more we age, the more difficult to manage our asthma attacks will be. In fact, COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is said to be the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Of course, if you are suffering from asthma, you are technically suffering from COPD too. Unfortunately, our age group has the highest mortality rate when it comes to asthma-related deaths.

We know that asthma attacks don’t come randomly. It has to have a trigger which most usually is environmental. Of course, there are also non-environmental ones but since environmental triggers are the most common cause of an asthma attack, we will focus on that today:

• Air pollution or poor air quality. Poor air quality means that the air is thick with smog – that is, tiny particles that are bad for the lungs, especially to those with lung problems. When going out, check the Air Quality Index first, usually found online or on your local newspaper. Know and be familiar with the color codes then avoid going out if the alert is bad.
• Smoking. This is yet another reason why you should stop smoking. 1) smokers are most likely to develop COPD 2) the smoke that you made is most likely to cause an asthma attack 3) smoking is the leading cause of asthma and other known lung problems. The only way to avoid this is to stop smoking and/or ask those around you to stop doing so.
• Pollen. There are seasons when the air is so thick with pollen even butterflies and bees get asthma attacks from them. When your area is under attack by pollen, better to stay inside and shut doors and windows so they won’t get their way into the house.
• Mold. This is actually my worst enemy so I make it a point that I don’t go to places wherein mold can be present as well, that is, areas where it is normal for things to be dry now and wet later. When there are molds, you can be sure that there are spores too in the air which if inhaled, triggers an asthma attack.
• Dust mites. Try to remove dust more often since dust mites can trigger an attack or worsen your condition. Unlike mold, dust mites strive on high humidity and of course, dust so it is best to avoid these things when possible.
• Pets. Particularly dogs and cats as they tend to carry with them pollen and other allergens found outside of home. If you are prone to asthma, best to choose a pet that doesn’t have fur or limit them only to the yard and never inside the house.