Guidance

Employee Advice - Causes of Asthma

It is difficult to say for sure what causes asthma. What we do know is that:

you are more likely to develop asthma if you have a family history of asthma, eczema or allergies;
it is likely that this family history combined with certain environmental factors influences whether or not someone develops asthma;
many aspects of modern lifestyles – such as changes in housing and diet and a more hygienic environment – may have contributed to the rise in asthma over the last few decades;
research has shown that smoking during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of a child developing asthma;
children whose parents smoke are more likely to develop asthma;
environmental pollution can make asthma symptoms worse and may play a part in causing some asthma;
adult onset asthma may develop after a viral infection;
irritants found in the workplace may lead to a person developing asthma (occupational asthma).