Type of Asthma: Everything You Need to Know
A respiratory condition called asthma affects the lungs' airways. This disorder causes the airways to become inflamed, making them narrow and limiting the air supply. A sudden intensification of asthma symptoms is known as an asthma attack. Depending on the type of asthma you have, your symptoms may differ from those of another individual. Some people only feel their symptoms when they are exposed to a trigger, like an allergy or physical activity. Others might constantly have symptoms.
Asthma can cause a variety of symptoms, including:
- breathing difficulty
- chest stiffness or discomfort
- Children frequently exhibit signs of wheezing when exhaling.
- difficulty sleeping because of coughing or shortness of breath
- episodes of coughing or wheezing made exacerbated by respiratory viruses like the cold or flu
A person's airways may widen significantly during an asthma episode, preventing oxygen from reaching their lungs. Therefore, if it appears that you or someone nearby is suffering an asthma attack, it is advisable to seek quick medical attention.
Different people may experience different signs or stages of asthma. However, depending on their triggers and symptoms, the majority of patients can be classified into a particular form of asthma. Here are a few varieties of asthma that are common:
- Allergic asthma – Allergens like pollen, air pollution, pet hair, and dust mites can cause allergic asthma. Typically, hay fever, eczema and psoriasis are concomitant diseases with allergic asthma. It's critical to recognise and keep a minimum distance from your triggers if you suffer from allergic asthma. To stop flare-ups, doctors advise taking a preventive inhaler frequently. To use if your symptoms worsen, you must also keep a quick-relief inhaler close by.
- Seasonal Asthma – Some people only get asthma symptoms once a year during a specific season. You experience no symptoms throughout the remainder of the year, whether it happens in the winter or during the pollen season. Doctors prescribe preventive therapy for seasonal asthma throughout the season when your symptoms flare up. For the remainder of the year, you might not require any medication.
- Occupational Asthma – You might have occupational asthma if your asthma symptoms started once you reached adulthood or if they get better on the weekends or on holidays. When toxins found at work cause your symptoms to flare up, you have occupational asthma. For instance, if you work in a textile plant where you are exposed to dust mites in clothing or a bakery where you are exposed to flour dust. These elements may set off your asthma symptoms or exacerbate them.
- Non-allergic asthma – Non-allergic asthma is an uncommon form of the disease in which there are no known triggers for the symptoms. Asthma caused by allergies is more typical. Non-allergic asthma, also known as non-atopic asthma, typically manifests later in life and might be more severe. Non-allergic asthma has unclear causes, but your doctor can prescribe medicine to help you keep the illness under control.
- Exercise-Induced Asthma – Some people only get asthma-like symptoms when they exercise. Even though they might not have an asthma diagnosis, they might experience bronchoconstriction while exercising. Elite athletes or persons engaging in demanding activity in extremely cold climates are most prone to suffer from this illness.
- Severe Asthma – Only 4% or fewer of those who have been diagnosed with asthma have it that is severe. If you have any of the following symptoms, you probably have severe asthma:
- Asthma attacks twice or more in the previous 12 months
- Despite taking substantial doses of inhaled steroids and long-acting bronchodilators, your symptoms have not improved.
- You inhale painkillers three or more times per week.
- Your physician has not found any more causes for your symptoms.
A debilitating condition, severe asthma requires skilled medical care. Different asthma medications, such as long-term steroid pills or biologics, are recommended by doctors to assist reduce airway inflammation.
- Adult-Onset Asthma – Asthma typically starts in childhood. Nevertheless, some people are given their initial asthma diagnosis. The term "adult-onset asthma" or "late-onset asthma" refers to this disorder. Work, smoking, passive smoking, obesity, female hormones, and stressful life events are a few causes of adult-onset asthma.
- Childhood Asthma - Young children frequently receive an asthma diagnosis. Still, as they age, it lessens or completely disappears. Depending on how severe the conditions were when they were children, childhood asthma may recur later in life.
Treatment
There are numerous asthma therapy options available. Your doctor will advise the best course of treatment for you based on your condition. Every treatment aims to improve your breathing, lessen the amount and frequency of attacks, and let you engage in as many activities as you can.
You shouldn't be concerned even if you and your doctor are unable to identify the type of asthma you have. Most of the approved therapies for asthma use the following:
- Daily use of a preventative inhaler
- Using a relief inhaler for asthma when symptoms worsen
- A documented action plan detailing the severity of your asthma, its most noticeable symptoms, and how to manage drugs for immediate relief
- long-term contraceptive drugs
- A mix of drugs for long-term control and ones for immediate relief
- Injections or infusions of biologics are used to treat severe asthma attacks.
Finding the triggers, keeping an eye on the symptoms, and finding a safe drug to stop flare-ups are the first steps in all asthma therapies.
If you suspect that you have asthma or another respiratory condition, keep an eye on your symptoms, learn how often they occur, and try to pinpoint your triggers. It takes time to make an accurate diagnosis of asthma. The best course of treatment for you is determined by the diagnostic process. Define the variables that may have influenced the onset with the help of your doctor.
