Question: what causes asthma attacks

Liza Selley answered on 19 Jun 2018:

During an asthma attack, your airways become swollen and inflamed. The muscles around the airways contract and the airways also produce extra mucus, causing your airways to narrow even further.

This all happens because people with asthma have extra sensitive airways that will recognise and quickly react to certain triggers like pollen or dust. Usually this is because the triggers have stimulated nerves in the airways which release chemicals that make the airway muscles contract.

Sometimes however, asthma attacks are an allergic response – the triggers are recognised by cells from the immune system which inflame and constrict the airways.