What Causes Acute Asthma?

One of my friends has asthma. During a spring outing, he suddenly experienced severe shortness of breath after a short while. What causes acute asthma?

What Causes Acute Asthma Exacerbations?

The term “acute asthma” is, in fact, imprecise; what is clinically relevant is an acute exacerbation of asthma. Below are the common triggers of acute asthma exacerbations: 1. Inhalation of allergens—such as pollen, dust mites, and cold air. 2. Certain foods—some individuals with asthma have food allergies; ingestion of specific foods may trigger asthma attacks, even life-threatening ones. 3. Medications—including aspirin, oral aspirin, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—which can provoke acute asthma exacerbations in susceptible patients. 4. Physical exercise—exercise-induced bronchoconstriction may itself precipitate an acute asthma exacerbation. 5. Respiratory infections—these are among the most common causes of acute asthma exacerbations.

Preventive measures against acute asthma exacerbations include the following: 1. Adherence to standardized treatment—asthma is inherently prone to recurrence. If patients discontinue or reduce their prescribed medications prematurely—once symptoms appear controlled—this significantly increases the risk of relapse. 2. Avoidance of allergen exposure—individuals with asthma must diligently avoid all potential allergens, such as pollen, animal dander, dust, and mold. Since pollen levels peak in spring, outdoor activities should be minimized. When going outside is unavoidable, wearing a mask is strongly recommended.

In daily life, individuals should actively engage in appropriate physical exercise tailored to their condition, thereby enhancing their body’s resilience and stress tolerance. We hope this information proves helpful to you.