Asthma is very common in Australia, affecting as many as one in five children and one in ten adults, and can be triggered by a number of things such as colds and flu, changes in weather, pollen, cigarette smoke, medicines and food. These things are called allergens and they can also cause other types of allergies.
Different allergens affect different people.
Many people with asthma are allergic to substances such as minute flakes of skin shed by pets, or by something called a dust mite - a microscopic creature that lurks everywhere in houses. Even though we can't see them, both dust mites and flakes of animal skin can float in the air and cling to carpets, furniture and curtains. If some people with asthma inhale these things, their bodies react by causing the breathing tubes in the chest to swell, making it hard to breathe. To find out if asthma or other allergies are triggered by these things, ask your doctor about having an allergy test. For people who are allergic to these things, one way to reduce asthma attacks is to make some changes around the home.