The American Lung Association offers this list of common "triggers" that can set off a reaction in the lungs and elsewhere in the body:

• Breathing cold air.
• Exposure to smoke, from tobacco products and wood-burning fires.
• Exposure to chemicals with strong odors or fumes, such as hairspray, perfume or paint.
• Allergens, such as dust mites, pollen, animal dander, molds and pollution.
• Respiratory illnesses, such as a cold or the flu.

Other factors may spur your symptoms, and your doctor may suggest keeping an asthma diary to help pinpoint which triggers affect you.

-- Diana Kohnle