Aspirin and aspirin products are very common irritants that lead to asthma. Up to twenty-five per cent of the people with asthma have difficulty in breathing after taking aspirin or aspirin products. The sensitivity to aspirin increases with age. This sensitivity is normally noticed after the age of thirty and is life long. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen and painkillers such as acetaminophen can also trigger asthma. These medicines are commonly used for relief from headache and arthritis. Some people are also sensitive to penicillin and can get symptoms of asthma after taking penicillin. They are also at greater risk of developing skin reactions such as urticaria after taking penicillin
Beta-blockers
A group of medicines recommended for management of high blood pressure migraine heart diseases etc are also known asthma triggers. These medicines cause narrowing of the respiratory passages and therefore make breathing difficult. As mentioned earlier beta receptors in the lungs receive messages from the brain to relax the muscles of the airways and decrease mucus secretion. Beta blocker medicines act by blocking the receptors in the blood vessels and the heart. They also block messages from reaching the lungs. As a result the airways become narrow. It is important to remember that even if you do not have asthma you can still react to medicines. This is why you need to avoid self medication. You should always be careful when taking medicines for the first time.
