Why do people get asthma?
Research has yet to show a definitive cause of asthma. However, researchers have determined several risk factors that can lead to asthma development.
- Family History and Genetics
Children of mothers with asthma are three times more likely to suffer from asthma, and 2.5 times more likely if the father has asthma. More than 30 genes have been linked to asthma so far, and gene-gene interactions, gene-environment interactions and epigenetic modifications also play a part. Genetic differences also play a role in differences in response to treatment.
People are more likely to have asthma if they have certain types of allergies, such ones which can affect the eyes and nose. However, not everyone who has allergies will get asthma and not everyone who has asthma is affected by allergies. Respiratory allergies and some types of asthma are related to an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE), which the immune system produces in response to allergens. To protect the body, the IgE causes allergic reactions that can affect the eyes, nose, throat, lungs and skin.
Children born before 37 weeks are at increased risk of developing asthma later in life.
Babies or small children may be at risk of developing asthma later in life if they had certain lung infections at a very early age.
There are more than 200 substances including gases, dust participles and chemical fumes and vapours that can cause asthma in the workplace. This type of asthma is known as occupational asthma, and is a common cause of adult onset asthma.
Women can develop adult-onset asthma during or after menopause.
Smoking, exhaust fumes and airborne particulate matter can be linked to causing asthma.
Extra weight around the chest might squeeze the lungs and make it more difficult to inhale. Fat tissue produces inflammatory substances that might influence the lungs and affect asthma.
