Asthma: Identifying your triggers

1. Identify possible asthma triggers. A trigger is anything that can lead to an asthma attack. When you are around something that triggers your symptoms, keep track of it. This can help you find a pattern in what triggers your symptoms. Record triggers on a piece of paper or in your asthma diary (What is a PDF document?).
2. Monitor your lung function. A trigger may not always cause symptoms. However, it can still narrow your bronchial tubes, making your lungs work harder. To identify triggers that do not always cause immediate symptoms, measure your peak expiratory flow (PEF) throughout the day. PEF will drop when your bronchial tubes narrow, so your PEF will drop when you are near things that trigger symptoms. Measure your PEF when you are around the common irritants mentioned in the "What are asthma triggers?" section to see if they are triggers. Record your PEF in your asthma diary.
3. Be tested for allergies. Skin or blood testing may be used to diagnose allergies to certain substances. Skin testing involves pricking the skin on your back or arms with one or more small doses of specific allergens. The amount of swelling and redness at the sites where your skin was pricked are measured to identify allergens to which you react. If your PEF drops when you are near an allergen, consider being tested for this allergen.
4. Share your trigger record with your health professional. After you have found some things that may trigger your asthma, you and your health professional can devise a plan for how to deal with them.

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