Alternative medicine (1)
- Asthma treatment: Do complementary and alternative approaches work?
Definition (1)
- Allergies and asthma: They often occur together
Lifestyle and home remedies (4)
- Asthma in adults: Gain control with a written asthma plan
- Asthma: Use a peak flow meter to gain control
- Asthma-friendly products: Do they help reduce symptoms?
- see all in Lifestyle and home remedies
Prevention (4)
- Asthma: Limit asthma attacks caused by colds or flu
- Children and exercise-induced asthma: Playing sports safely
- Asthma control test
- see all in Prevention
Tests and diagnosis (3)
- Asthma: Steps in testing and diagnosis
- Nitric oxide test for asthma
- Spirometry
Treatments and drugs (7)
- Asthma medications: Know your options
- Asthma treatment: 3 steps to better asthma control
- Asthma in children under 5
- see all in Treatments and drugs
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Asthma: Limit asthma attacks caused by colds or flu
A cold or the flu can trigger an asthma attack. Here's why — and how to keep your sneeze from turning into a wheeze.
By Mayo Clinic staffA stuffy nose, sore throat or cough caused by a cold or the flu can be a nuisance. But if you have asthma, even a minor respiratory infection can mean major problems. It can trigger asthma symptoms such as wheezing and chest tightness that last for a number of days or even weeks. Asthma symptoms are often more severe when you have a respiratory infection than at other times — and may not respond as well to your daily asthma medication.
This doesn't mean you need to wear a face mask whenever you go out during cold and flu season. Instead, be extra diligent about following your asthma management plan and take reasonable precautions to avoid colds and flu. Most important, be aware of how you feel. If you think you're coming down with a respiratory infection, call your doctor.
Here's the lowdown on preventing respiratory infections along with more tips about managing asthma when you have a cold or the flu.
Why colds and flu trigger asthma attacks
When you have asthma, the air passages in your lungs overreact to allergens, irritants and infections — including viruses. As with any asthma trigger, infections cause your airways to secrete substances that cause inflammation and excess mucus. Compounding the problem, viruses can multiply more easily in lungs affected by asthma than in healthy lungs.
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