Common asthma types
There are several different ways of categorizing asthma. There is no rigid
rule about it; these asthma types are often ad-hoc classifications that
developed over the course of years. Some classifications are based on the age at
first onset; others depend on the factor that triggers symptoms and still others
on where the patient is when the symptoms appear.
Let's look at a few key asthma types. The first two are based on the age at which asthma symptoms appear initially.
Child-onset asthma
In a majority of cases, asthma begins during childhood or adolescence so this is
the most common asthma type. Asthma makes an appearance in a child when the
child is hypersensitive to specific allergens in the environment. This excess
sensitivity is generally due to genetic factors. Substances that trigger
allergic responses include pet dander, cockroach parts, dust mites, pollen, etc.
Other factors like breathing in cold air can also cause allergic reactions.
The allergic response involves production of antibodies to trap the foreign
substance, which in turn makes the cells in the airway extra-sensitive to
allergens. When the child continues to be exposed to the substance/s, asthma
symptoms develop and he may have a mild or severe asthma attack.
As with most other asthma types, having a family history of asthma or allergies
or both can predispose a child to becoming asthmatic.
Adult onset asthma
Asthma may start during adulthood as well, although this is less common than
child-onset asthma. In fact, asthma can start off at any age, even well into
adulthood. Asthma starting during adulthood seems to affect women more than men.
This is unlike child-onset asthma which affects more boys than girls.
Some adults do not have allergic responses, but still have asthma symptoms. This
can happen when they have conditions like nasal polyps or sinusitis. There are
also cases of asthma triggered off by drugs like aspirin.
Adults may also develop asthma as a result of exposure to plastics, metals, wood
dust and other environmental / work related substances.
Exercise induced asthma
This is a common asthma type. In this variant of the disease, asthma symptoms
occur either during or after physical exertion. Some people never develop asthma
symptoms at any other time - they are not allergic to any substance. Their
symptoms develop only after exercise.
This type of asthma is often not recognized as asthma. Instead, poor physical
health or heart related issues are blamed for the symptoms. If the person is in
general good health, asthma should be considered as a possible cause of
breathlessness and other symptoms that occur after exercise.
Any activity or sport that calls for continuous movement - particularly in cold
air conditions - is more likely to act as a trigger for exercise induced asthma.
Cough-variant asthma
Sometimes, the only asthma symptom present may be coughing. This makes it difficult to identify asthma as the underlying cause, because coughs can be brought about by many other health conditions. Coughing can occur at any time of the day or night. However, in some patients, coughing occurs mostly at night. This can lead to disturbed sleep and other health issues that flow from lack of sleep.
Occupational asthma
Asthma can be triggered by a wide variety of substances. Many of these
substances occur in the workplace rather than in the home. Asthma that is set
off at the workplace due to one or more factors is called occupational asthma.
Possible triggers for such asthma include dust from a factory, chemicals of
various kinds, industrial gases / vapors, industrial smoke, etc. Other triggers
may include things like pollen, moulds, animal dander, etc which are common in
homes as well. Occupational asthma attacks may start sometime after the person
arrives at the workplace and often subsides when he leaves the workplace.
While there can be many variations of the disease, the above are some of the
most common asthma types.