Types of asthma: everything you need to know

Types of asthma – overview

There are many different classifications for the disease, depending on severity, underlying cause, or how well it is controlled. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Understanding the type you have can help you find the most effective treatment.

Types of asthma:

1. Allergic asthma (or bronchial asthma) is one of the most common types of asthma and can be triggered by allergic rhinitis (or hay fever), different allergens (such as pollen, dust, mold) and also smoke or strong odours.
2. Cough variant asthma is asthma in which dry cough is the main symptom and other symptoms can be excluded. Cough exasperates with common triggers.
3. Exercise-induced asthma is triggered by vigorous exercise or strenuous physical activity. Symptoms may be apparent only during exercise and for a few minutes afterwards.
4. Occupational asthma (or work-related asthma) is caused or triggered by exposure to various substances in the workplace. These substances can cause an allergic or irritant reaction or a reaction in the body that results in an asthma attack. Occupational types that can induce asthma include: health care workers, hairdressers, chemical industry workers, animal breeders, farmers, painters, and carpenters.
5. Patients with nocturnal asthma (or nocturnal asthma) experience more severe symptoms at night and before bedtime, which can result in inability to fall asleep and other sleep disturbances. This type can be very dangerous and needs to be treated properly.
6. Seasonal asthma, in which symptoms appear seasonally, usually in the spring (due to pollen allergies) or summer (due to heat and air pollution)
7. Drug-induced asthma is another of the most common types of asthma. Certain medications, such as anti-inflammatories (Motrin, Advil, or Aleve), some heart disease medications, glaucoma medications, or ACE inhibitors, can cause attacks and make asthma worse.

Asthma types – less common types:

There are also other types of asthma, including silent asthma (where attacks are sudden and occur without warning) and childhood asthma (wheezing in young babies).
There are many other conditions that mimic asthma symptoms, but are not actually asthma. That is why your doctor needs to do a complete exam to make the correct diagnosis. These conditions can be: sinusitis, pulmonary embolism, angina, bronchitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, congestive heart failure and others.

Asthma types can also be classified according to how well they are controlled, and can be well controlled (mild symptoms that do not affect quality of life), poorly controlled (frequent symptoms), and very poorly controlled (symptoms occur daily). ).

Recently, a new treatment protocol has shaken the waters of asthma treatment: it’s called the Norton protocol. Examines the autoimmune aspect of asthma. You can visit the official protocol homepage and learn more about asthma types and alternative treatment options.