Asthma Prevention Risk Factors for an Asthma Attack Some Are Surprising, Others Are Not By Pat Bass, MD twitter linkedin Dr. Bass is a board-certified internist, pediatrician, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians. Learn about our editorial process Pat Bass, MD Medically reviewed by a board-certified physician Updated on October 25, 2020 Print A number of different asthma risk factors may increase your chances of developing an asthma attack. If you have a diagnosis of asthma, you are at risk for an asthma attack. You are at an increased risk of a significant asthma attack if you: Have had a serious asthma attack in the pastRequired admission to a hospital or intensive care unit to care for your asthma in the last yearDevelop symptoms suddenly or asthma attacks seem to creep up on you without you noticing a change in your symptomsRequire frequent use of your rescue inhalerHave a history of substance abuseHave a history of significant mental illness Some of the asthma risk factors are avoidable—such as exposure to smoking and eating certain foods—while others are not avoidable or modifiable, like family history. Finally, there are also a handful of protective asthma risk factors that decrease your risk of asthma. BURGER / PHANIE / Getty Images Asthma attacks—or any acute change in asthma symptoms that interrupt a person's normal routine and require either extra medication or some other intervention to breathe normally again—are more common among: Children 5 years of age and youngerAdults in their 30sAdults over the age of 65 Asthma Risk Factors Additional asthma risk factors in both adults and children include: Family history: If you have a parent with asthma you are two to six times more likely to develop asthma compared to someone whose parents do not have asthma.If you are predisposed to allergic conditions, your risk of asthma increases. Nearly half of children with eczema or atopic dermatitis develop asthma.A personal history of allergiesExposure to second-hand smokeUrban living, especially if there is significant air pollution—pollutants such as sulfur dioxide irritate the airways, leading to constriction and asthma symptoms.Low levels of vitamin DObesity: Multiple research studies have demonstrated an increase of asthma in the overweight and obese. There is some evidence that obesity increases the risk for non-allergic asthma types.Low birth weightBeing born in the winter monthsWorkplace exposures to chemicals or other substances that may lead to occupational asthmaGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)SinusitisAntibiotic use in the first year of lifeEating a lot of fast foodRegular acetaminophen useOzone exposure: Ozone is a major component of smog that increases traditional asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. While there is nothing you can do about your age or family history, it is important to keep these above things in mind, along with maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding cigarette smoke. On the other hand, the following things can actually reduce your risk of developing an asthma attack: Increased intake of fruits and vegetablesCommunity resources such as economic development opportunitiesEating omega-3 fatty acids found in fishHave an asthma action plan and understand how to implement it If you're hoping to reduce the risk of your child developing asthma, there are other controllable factors: Breastfeeding your child (lowers your baby's risk of developing asthma)Attendance at daycareLarge family size Have an Asthma Action Plan If you are your child have a known history of asthma, you need to make sure that you have an updated asthma action plan. Asthma action plans will help you do the day-to-day things needed to prevent an asthma attack and identify early warning signs of an asthma attack so that you can take action. In terms of prevention, the action plan will identify all of your known triggers and the things that you need to do to avoid them. Additionally, the plan will list your controller medications and how you should be taking them. You will need to develop a plan so that you remember to take your medication and make sure that you are getting the medicine you need to prevent asthma symptoms. An action plan is also a tool that will monitor your symptoms using the familiar stoplight as a guide. When you are in the green zone, everything is good. In the yellow zone, you need to be cautious, and the red zone is impending trouble. You will know what zone you are in by tracking either peak flows or symptoms. Each zone will have specific actions for you to take to improve your asthma control. Think of the asthma action plan as your road map to better breathing and improved asthma symptoms. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. NHLBI. Who Is At Risk For Asthma? Toskala E, Kennedy DW, Asthma risk factors. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2015 Sep;5 Suppl 1:S11-6. doi: 10.1002/alr.21557. Up To Date. Risk Factors For Asthma