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Doctors have identified many of the things that may trigger, or start, an asthma attack. Triggers are things that cause an asthma sufferer's airways to swell, or increase in size.

Different asthma patients have different triggers. Allergens are one of the most common triggers. These impurities in the air cause allergic reactions. Some of the more common allergens include animal hair, dust, mold and pollen.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Pollen is a fine dust that comes from grass, trees and flowers. Mold is a kind of fungus. It can grow on the walls or floors of homes. It is often in wet or damp areas like bathrooms, kitchens and basements.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that twenty-one percent of asthma cases in the United States have links to mold and dampness in homes.

Air pollution can also trigger asthma. Cigarette smoke is a major problem for asthma sufferers. So is air pollution from motor vehicles. Chemical sprays like air fresheners, hair spray, cleaning products and even strong beauty aids can trigger an asthma attack.

Some people cough, wheeze or feel out of breath during or after exercise. They are said to suffer from exercise-induced asthma. During the winter, breathing in cold air can trigger an asthma attack. So can colds and other infections of the respiratory system.

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BOB DOUGHTY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than twenty-five million people in the United States have asthma. It says the disorder affects more than seven million American children. Among adults, more women have the disease than men. However, it is more common among boys than girls.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says the disease affects African-Americans more than whites. African-American children die from asthma at five times the rate of white children.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: VOA Special English broadcaster June Simms has a fifteen-year old son with asthma. Arick Simms first showed signs of the disease when he was about two years old.

Arick's doctor gave him a medicine called albuterol. Albuterol helps to increase air flow and reduce tension in the airways. The doctor also gave him a machine called a nebulizer. It connects to a mask that fits over the nose and mouth.

The nebulizer turns the liquid albuterol into a fog-like mist. Arick inhaled the mist through the mask. The treatments made it easier for him to breathe. During times when Arick's asthma was really severe, he was also given steroid medicines to help reduce swelling in his airways.

BOB DOUGHTY: As Arick grew older, the doctor replaced his nebulizer with an inhaler. The small medical devices helped him to breathe easier. He also began seeing a doctor who specializes in treating patients with asthma.

The doctor discovered that Arick also suffers from allergies. He now takes medicines every day to help keep his asthma and allergies under control.

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SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: The Global Initiative for Asthma was formed in nineteen ninety-three. GINA works with health care experts and public health officials around the world to improve asthma care and to reduce the number of asthm本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。