Asthma irritants are airborne substances that when inhaled act as an asthma trigger. However, they differ from allergens in that they do not generate an immune response. Instead, they just further irritate already inflamed airways.
Here are some of the most common types of asthma irritants:
Tobacco smoke is a powerful asthma trigger, whether you are the one doing the smoking or if you are just breathing in secondhand smoke from someone else's cigarette, cigar or pipe. Not only is tobacco smoke harmful to people known to have asthma, but some studies have suggested that children whose mothers smoke are much more likely to develop asthma themselves.
Besides tobacco smoke, there can be many other air pollutants in your atmosphere that can irritate your airways and trigger asthma symptoms.
Yet another type of irritant is the dust and powder associated with certain substances such as chalk dust, talcum powder and coal. Many of these asthma irritants are encountered mostly on the job.
Another type of asthma irritant is the fumes and strong odors that emanate from certain chemicals. These chemical irritants include some common, everyday things such as cleaning solutions and perfume, but also some unique job-specific substances as well.
