Factor (medicine) facts for kids

Smoking is a risk factor for getting asthma. If a person already has asthma smoking can be a trigger factor for an asthma attack.

When we talk about health and medicine, sometimes we hear about things that can make us sick or make an illness worse. These are often called risk factors or trigger factors. Understanding the difference between them can help us stay healthy and understand how our bodies react to different things.

Understanding Risk and Trigger Factors

What is a Risk Factor?

A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a medical condition or illness. It's like a warning sign that tells you something might make you more likely to develop a health problem.

• For example, if someone smokes tobacco, they have a higher chance of getting serious lung diseases. This means smoking is a risk factor for conditions like emphysema or lung cancer.
• Breathing in smoke from other people's cigarettes, called second-hand smoke, is also a risk factor. It can increase the chance of developing health problems, even if you don't smoke yourself.

What is a Trigger Factor?

A trigger factor is different. It's something that causes the symptoms of a medical condition to start or get worse in someone who already has that condition. It doesn't cause the illness itself, but it makes the symptoms appear.

• Think of it like this: if a person already has asthma, certain things can make their asthma symptoms flare up.
• For example, breathing in smoke can be a trigger factor for someone with asthma. The person already has asthma, but the smoke causes an asthma attack, making it hard to breathe. The smoke didn't cause the asthma, but it triggered the symptoms.