Several factors put a person at the risk of getting asthma and other respiratory problems. Although asthma can affect anyone there are fewer chances of it happening if the risk factors are eliminated from your day to day life. This article mentions all the risk factors of asthma you should be aware of.

Smoking
Smoking cigarettes can irritate the airways. This puts smokers at greater risk of developing asthma. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are also at higher risk of the disease. Getting exposed to passive smoking is also one of the risk factors of asthma that you should be aware of.

Gender
Asthma that develops during childhood is more common in boys than in girls. Although a concrete reason behind this is yet to be established, it is believed that the size of the airways is the major culprit. Young boys have airways smaller in size as compared to the airways of the females. This can make them more prone to wheezing after contracting a viral infection or common cold. When they are in their early 20’s, the ratio of asthma patients is found to be the same between both the genders. By the age of 40 years, females are found to have asthma more than males.

Family history
If anyone in your family has asthma, it increases your chances of developing the diseases significantly. So much so that 3/5th of all asthma cases are believed to have a genetic predisposition. As per reports by the CDC, a person having even one parent with asthma is at a way greater risk of developing the condition than a person who does not have a family history of the condition.

Atopy
This refers to a genetic tendency in which a person is prone to develop allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, eczema, and asthma. This condition makes a person more sensitive toward allergens, especially the ones that can be found in the air or food. In children, having atopic dermatitis or eczema increases their chances of getting asthma. Studies have shown that children who have atopic dermatitis can have as severe and persistent asthma as it is found in adults.

Allergies
Allergies are one of the most common risk factors of asthma. In a study conducted across the country, it was seen that having endotoxins, which are bacterial toxins, inside the house can have a direct impact on the development of asthma symptoms. Indoor allergens can be born from animal protein, cockroaches, mold, fungi, and dust mites.