Home

School Project on Asthma?

Model of a home full of asthma triggers

‹ Back to the project list

Avoiding asthma triggers is a very important part of properly managing asthma. By avoiding triggers, you can keep your asthma under better control and help reduce the need for medicines. To make this model you will need a doll house or something similar. Then you will need to find ways to represent the various asthma triggers. (Asthma triggers vary from person to person, so they don't have to be your triggers, just the most common ones.) You can have people try to guess what the triggers are. For each trigger, list the possible solutions. Here is a list of suggested triggers you can illustrate. You can also find other ideas here.


  1. A pet (cat, dog, mouse, etc) anywhere in the house, but especially in the bedroom.
  2. Place carpets around the house - they collect dust.
  3. Use a black marker or paper to depict mould in the basement or bathroom. Damp basements often have moulds.
  4. Stuffed animals can hold onto a lot of dust and other allergens.
  5. Books and magazines in the bedroom collect dust and moulds too.
  6. Cigarettes in the home can be very bad for asthma.
  7. Strong household cleaners can cause asthma symptoms.
  8. Upholstered furniture can hold lots of allergens, such as dust mites and pet dander.
  9. An open window can allow pollen into the house (add a miniature tree outside the window).
  10. An open window can also allow air pollution into the home, especially on smoggy summer days.
  11. Fireplaces can produce smoke in the house (although they are not as much of a problem as cigarettes since they aren't used regularly).
  12. Fresh paint can give off fumes.
  13. Personal care products, such as hairspray or nail polish remover, can irritate the lungs.
  14. Perfumes can irritate some people's lungs.
  15. Hobbies using strong-smelling glues or paints can give off fumes.
  16. Gases that come from cooking on the stove or in the oven can irritate the lungs.
  17. Overuse of a humidifier will increase humidity levels, which can increase dust mites and moulds.
  18. Drapes can collect dust.
  19. An old vacuum cleaner can give off particles. A central vacuum system, or a new vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter is much better.
  20. Car exhaust can irritate the lungs, especially if the car is kept running in the garage.