A variety of things in the environment can make asthma or allergy symptoms worse. These are called "triggers." Your doctor can help you figure out what your child's triggers are. Pollen is a common trigger for many kids. What Is Pollen? Pollen is a fine powder that some plants make when they reproduce. During the spring, summer, and fall seasons, pollen is released into the air and picked up by the wind, which brings it to other plants to fertilize them. Inside of these pollen grains are proteins that cause allergic reactions (such as sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes) when breathed in. The pollen that most people are allergic to comes from grasses, trees, and weeds. How Can I Help My Child Deal With It? Your weather forecast will give a daily pollen report. When pollen counts are high, kids should take their allergy medicine before going outdoors or avoid going outside. After playing outdoors, they should bathe and change clothes. Keep windows and doors shut during pollen season. Drive with the car windows shut and air conditioning on during pollen season. Avoid letting your child mow the grass or rake leaves. If your child does work or chores outdoors, wearing an air filter mask can prevent pollen inhalation. Back to Articles Related Articles Seasonal Allergies (Hay Fever) At various times of the year, pollen and mold spores trigger the cold-like symptoms associated with seasonal allergies. Most kids find relief through reduced exposure to allergens or with medicines. Read More Dealing With Triggers: Mold If mold makes your child's asthma or allergies worse, learn how to limit exposure to it. Read More Dealing With Triggers: Pets Do pets make your child's allergies or asthma worse? Here's how to handle it. Read More Dealing With Triggers: Irritants If strong scents, smoke, and smog make your child's asthma or allergies worse, learn how to limit contact with these irritants. Read More Dealing With Triggers: Dust Mites If dust mites make your child's asthma or allergies worse, here's how to limit exposure to them. Read More Dealing With Triggers: Cockroaches Find out how to limit exposure to cockroaches if they make your child's asthma or allergies worse. Read More Dealing With Asthma Triggers If you have asthma, certain things may cause you to cough and have trouble breathing. Find out more about asthma triggers in this article for kids. Read More Dealing With Asthma Triggers Find out what can make your asthma worse, and what to do about it. Read More Definition: Allergy-Triggered Asthma Many people who have asthma have some kind of allergy, too. Read More Definition: Triggers An asthma trigger is anything that brings on coughing, wheezing, trouble breathing, and other symptoms in a person with asthma. Read More Word! Allergy-Triggered Asthma Most kids who have asthma also have some kind of allergy, too. Read More Word! Triggers With asthma, a trigger is anything that brings on asthma symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, and trouble breathing. Read More Allergies Your eyes itch, your nose is running, you're sneezing, and you're covered in hives. The enemy known as allergies has struck again. Read More Can the Weather Affect My Asthma? Weather can affect a person's asthma. Find out how in this article for kids. Read More Can the Weather Affect My Child's Asthma? Sometimes, the weather can affect a child's asthma symptoms. Here are some tips for dealing with it. Read More Can the Weather Affect a Person's Asthma? The weather can affect your asthma symptoms. If you think weather may be triggering your asthma, here are some tips for dealing with it. Read More Asthma Triggers Triggers — things in the air, weather conditions, or activities — can cause asthma flare-ups. By knowing and avoiding triggers, you'll help lessen your child's asthma symptoms. Read More Asthma Asthma makes it hard to breathe. But with treatment, the condition can be managed so that kids can still do the things they love. Learn all about asthma. Read More Asthma Asthma is a lung condition that makes it hard to breathe. Learn all about asthma here. Read More Asthma Asthma makes it hard to breathe. Find out more in this article for kids. Read More Asthma-Safe Homes Here's steps to remove or minimize triggers at home that cause asthma flare-ups. Read More All About Allergies Millions of Americans, including many kids, have an allergy. Find out how allergies are diagnosed and how to keep them under control. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.