What are the generic triggers of the Asthma condition?
Our expert Dr Martin Bell discusses living a normal life with Asthma.
You need to upgrade your Flash Player and/or enable Javascript
Transcript
Presenter - And what are generally the triggers we've talked about this a little bit but explain what are the main ones you think.
Martin - Yes well the main ones, exercise is a very common one, so you'll often get people who have exercise induced asthma, seasonal asthma like the person who sent in the question about the winter months, you know that's a very common so a particular season will spark somebody off. Sometimes pollution or you know when somebody's in that sort of environment that has to one, and some smokers will find that when they smoke it get worse.
Presenter - Mmm. You can't imagine smoking when you've got asthma?
Martin - You can't imagine it but people do.
Presenter - You must wring your hands mustn't you? When they come through your door.
Martin - [laugh] I'm afraid people do unfortunately and it's only when it gets really bad that you sort of convince them that that is not the thing to do. And I guess things like stress you know is another factor that sometimes people when they get very stressed they get an asthma attack you sometimes see these people in a meeting or something and they have to sort of sneak off and have a couple of puffs of their reliever inhaler. So those are the sort of main things.
Presenter - And what about allergens as well.
Martin - Yeah definitely absolutely allergens which will be different for different people. You know pollen for some people, dogs or cats, for other people sometimes those can actually be the easiest people to treat because obviously if it's very specific to cats, I mean for instance I'm quite allergic to cats and when I visit somebody I don't even have to I know that they have a cat but within a few minutes I will be you know wheezing slightly.
Presenter - Yeah and is that definitely and asthma 'cos that happens to my husband as well actually he's very allergic to cats he also gets hay fever and he thinks it's sort of his hay fever but that's actually asthma is it?
Martin - Yeah it is it's allergy asthma it's allergic asthma basically. So he is right and you know it's on that huge spectrum of asthma from you know only bothers you very occasional and in certain situations to those unfortunate people who have it sort of all the time every single day and they have to manage it every single day like a very much a chronic condition. There's this huge spectrum of severity so your husband like myself will be on that sort of mild end and he will hopefully know you know what to avoid if he possibly can.
Presenter - Yeah now Annette has written in and she wants to know "Can asthma, panic or crisis attacks be triggered physiologically?" I think they're all different aren't they?
Martin - To a certain degree Annette yes. I mean certainly I think psychology plays a big part in so many different things and I'm sure that is true of asthma. But if you are a bit stressed or panicky or anxious you probably are right that your's will be made worse in those situations, hard to explain why that happens but very definitely that does happen, we know of those people where you know stress or anxiety will make it worse and very hard for people like Annette really because it's all very well to say you know well try and avoid stress, but you know stress is part of every life isn't it, everyday life.
Presenter - Even just running for a bus or something like that, well not running 'cos that exercise but you know just being late or something you can't avoid it these days can you?
Martin - Yes that's exactly right so of her it will be more about you know what I can do perhaps with my medication to prevent that or to be one step ahead of it. But actually quite good that she seems to have been able to identify those situations where she knows that it's gonna' get worse because often that will allow her to take certain measures. I mean some people for instance get to in the habit of using their inhaler before a situation where they know they're gonna' get it.
Presenter - Right. Preventative.
Martin - Yes a preventative type of measure which is really useful 'cos then they don't even have to be rushing out to use their inhaler they can use it what's called prophylactic you know before they have the problem they use it so.
Presenter - Yeah. Okay. I hope that's helpful Annette. Thomas from Suffolk has also sent in a question and he wants to know "What are the symptoms of an attack and what I would do if I saw a friend suffering from an attack?"
Other Healthy Fitness features
Looking for an exciting new fitness challenge? Try triathlon!
The multisport triathlon is an increasingly popular choice for people of all ages and ability levels seeking an adventurous, fun and challenging way to keep fit. Personal trainer Lucy Wyndham-Read explains how to get started...
Scaling new heights of fitness!
Rock climbing requires more than having a good head for heights: it's an adventurous and challenging sport that gives you a full body workout. Personal trainer Lucy Wyndham-Read explores the fitness benefits...
All for one and one for all! The benefits of exercising in groups
Personal fitness coach Lucy-Wyndham-Read looks at the motivational, fitness and social benefits of training in groups, and offers tips to help get you started...
Invest in your future well-being with a health 'MOT'
We know that prevention is better than cure, yet many of us pay more attention to the condition of our car than our body! However, an annual lifestyle review can pay big dividends in terms of our future health, says Dr Alasdair R Wright.
A vision of good eye health...
Regular eye checks and a healthy lifestyle go hand in hand with healthy eyes, yet too often we overlook the health of our eyes until we start to experience vision problems. So what should we be doing to protect our eyes? Optometrist Karen Sparrow has some tips...
Winter warm-ups for safer exercising
When the temperature drops, it is important to warm up properly before exercising to help prevent injuries and increase flexibility, says personal trainer Lucy Wyndham-Read.
Have fun keeping active this winter!
Once winter sets in, it's tempting to toss the trainers in a cupboard and hibernate til spring. But as well as keeping you healthy, exercising on colder days can be invigorating and fun, says fitness coach Lucy Wyndham-Read.
Partner training
Sometimes keeping a consistent exercise routine can be hard work, it can be easy for training schedules to slip and other life activities to get in the way or be an excuse not to work out.
ACTIVITY TIPS
Activity tips
Expanding our health and fitness horizons
When we think of exercising today we generally think of western sports and games, football and rugby, tennis and swimming or just going to the local gym.We can broaden our exercise horizons so much by looking at different ethnic ways to stay fit and in good health. Have you ever thought about learning a different type of dance for example as a way to tone up?
All dive in for the Great North Swim!
The Great North Swim has proved hugely popular since its launch last year, with 5,000 entrants anticipated in 2009. If you're not among them, there are plenty of other incentives to get active through swimming — and even train for the next Great Swim!
Health and fitness tips for September
Health and fitness tips for September
QUARTER HOUR POWER
If you’re daunted by the task of starting a new diet or exercise routine, are easily distracted or find it hard to focus then taking the Quarter Hour Power approach – a new method for tailoring healthy living activities to your attention span – could be the perfect solution.
Retro Fun
The summer holidays give us so much more family time for fun and games.
Why not break the norm this summer? Try some different activities that may take you back to your childhood and summon a few laughs as well.
The great outdoors
Bored of your workouts in the gym or at home?
Do you feel like you want more of a challenge whilst training and having fun?
Advice and tips to keep safe and stay healthy if you are going abroad this year
A number of things can help you get the most from your travel to hot countries. It is most important to stay cool and hydrated. Take lots of water with you ? don't rely on it being readily available. Only drink bottled water.
Health and fitness tips
Join that Pilate's class you've been thinking about. It's an excellent way to achieve a strong core, helps you to relax and make you more body aware..
Calling all parents!
It's coming up to the time of year many parents dread - the summer holidays!
Crank it up
The summer is finally here and the motivation to look and feel good seems more heightened. Holidays are approaching and the sense of having more time over weekends due to more light is now apparent, so how can we make the most of our time to exercise, have fun and spend quality time with our families? The thing that gets you about cycling is the amount of ground you can cover, all the sights you can see in just one workout can be so beautiful that longer times in the saddle can just fly by.
Health and fitness tips
Ditch the alcohol for one month, a pre-holiday cleanse! Notice how much more alert you feel alcohol can leave us having to burn off dead calories!
Swimming with the fitness tide
National initiatives such as Learn to Swim and Free Swimming are encouraging more people of all ages to start visiting their local pool. Personal trainer Lucy Wyndham-Read has some great workouts for you to try once you’ve taken the plunge…
Healthy lifestyle tips
Healthy lifestyle tips
Training with Weights - Celina Harding and Jason Anderson
When we think of weight-training, we automatically think of the local gym with lots of heavy equipment and burly men grunting their way through a workout.
Change 4 your Life?
Britain is heading towards an obesity epidemic, warn health officials, and only a ‘lifestyle revolution’ can reverse the trend. So will Change4Life be the campaign that finally persuades us to improve our diet and get more active?
Putting the fun into family fitness
Change4Life recommends 60 active minutes a day for every child but, as many parents know, persuading kids to exercise can be a challenge. Personal trainer Lucy Wyndham-Read has some fun games to get youngsters moving…
The wonders of the Heart (and how to look after it)
The heart is an amazing organ. It is really a specially designed muscle about the size of a fist and weighing about 250 grams that is divided into four chambers and which acts as an almost never-ending pump, pushing blood around our bodies.
Flagging running programme? Set some goals..
Lots of runners find that setting new goals fires up flagging fitness plans. It redefines what you want to get from your running, reminds you why you're dragging yourself through the park on yet another rainy Sunday, and breaks even marathons and ultra events into achievable steps of improvement.
Survival tips for marathon runners!
If you’re one of the brave souls running in this year's London Marathon, or perhaps taking part in another charity run, dietitian Azmina Govindji has some energy-boosting tips to help you stay the course!
Achieve your fitness goals!
Want to know how to achieve your fitness goals effectively? Then watch our webcast from goal setting expert Nick Jarvis, and ask him a question to get some great advice on how to achieve your goals in 2009
Goal-setting – a strategy for success!
Whether you want to weigh a few pounds less or find a job that pays a few pounds more, you can increase your chances of attaining your goals by having a proper strategy, says behaviour analyst Judi James.
Ski Fitness
The signs that winter is creeping in are everywhere and this change in weather historically prompts a mass exodus from the treadmills of your local health club to the ski slopes of Europe! In this little offering I would like to discuss the dynamics of skiing and the physiology of balance in order for us to better condition our often under-prepared bodies for the unpredictable mountain that lies ahead.
Pilates with expert Lynne Robinson
Lynne Robinson is a world renowned expert in pilates - with clients such as Hugh Grant, Pat Cash and the England Cricket Team. You too can now benefit from Lynnes' expertise with our Pilates exercise videos, for whatever your level of fitness.
Get motivated to get fit with a summer of sport!
We’ll all be admiring the skill, dedication and fitness levels of the world’s leading athletes as they compete at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. But let’s not be passive observers, says personal trainer Jonathan Owen: we can all get motivated to get – and stay! – fit this summer.
The burning question...
We've all been told for years about the dangers of too much tanning. But now experts are saying that too little sun can cause serious problems.
Have fun, get fit, feel free - it's Bike Week 2008!
On June 15, around 27,000 people will set off for the UK's largest charity bike ride from London to Brighton – a gruelling 54 miles. The rest of us, though, can join one of the many shorter rides on offer during Bike Week, and take up the challenge to ‘Have fun, get fit and feel free’!
The virtual gym: the future of fitness?
Exergaming may be a lot more fun than a session in the gym or running round the block on a cold winters morning, but is the eagerly awaited Wii Fit a substitute for our normal exercise regime – or just an entertaining add-on?
On your bikes, kids!
As well as improving their fitness, cycling boosts children’s confidence, independence and self-esteem, say the campaign’s organisers.
Running back to fitness
Has your New Year's resolution to lose weight or exercise more begun to lose momentum? If so, don't lose heart: our fitness and nutrition experts have devised a simple running programme to get you back on track to a healthier lifestyle!
Boost your bone power!
It is an alarming fact that one in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 will suffer a broken bone as a result of osteoporosis at some point in their lives, yet there is much that we can do to build strong bones.
Animal Magic
Want to get fitter, healthier and more emotionally resilient? Get a pet. A growing body of studies confirms the health-boosting power of furry, scaly or feathered friends
3 treatments that make a difference
Millions of people visit complementary therapists for a variety of pains and problems, but can they really help? We weigh up the evidence for three of the most popular 'alternative' treatments
How to get fit for summer
Fitness exercises advice adapted to you and to your specific needs
Living with high blood pressure
GP Martin Bell takes an in-depth look at high blood pressure or hypertension, a potentially life-threatening condition affecting many adults.
Fitness for life - exercise regimes for all ages
Exercise advice for all age groups, from children to older adults.
Overweight and inactive. Avoiding the negative spiral.
Lucy looks at some of the reasons for the obesity epidemic.
Your comments