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Asthma – Types, Symptoms, and Management Options

Asthma is a chronic disease that causes the airways in the lungs to become inflamed, making breathing difficult. The air passages are the tubes that carry air to and from the lungs. When people have asthma, the airways become sensitive and swollen, causing symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and troubled breathing. Moreover, asthma can be caused by multiple factors, from allergies to infections to exercise.

Types of asthma

Asthma is usually classified based on the severity of symptoms. But sometimes, the symptoms of one type may overlap with those of another type.

Mild intermittent asthma
Symptoms come and go, but they’re not severe enough to interfere with daily activities. People with this type may need quick-relief cures to treat their symptoms when they flare-up.

Moderate persistent asthma
Symptoms are present more often than not throughout the year and may cause significant limitations in daily activities. People with this type may need oral corticosteroids or other long-term control cures.

Reactive airway disease (RAD)
RAD is the most common form in children. It can be triggered by a viral infection or exposure to certain allergens like pet dander, pollen, or dust mites. The symptoms are usually mild and include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.

Allergic rhinitis
This is another common type that causes inflammation inside one’s nose and sinuses due to an allergic reaction to allergens such as pollen or animal dander. Its symptoms include a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing.

Eosinophilic asthma
It occurs when one’s body produces too many eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) in response to an allergen in the air. Its symptoms include persistent cough, chest tightness, and more.

Symptoms of asthma
A cough that is perennial or gets worse

Wheezing, a shrill whistling sound when one breathes out

Shortness of breath (exercise intolerance)

Chest tightness, which often makes the affected person feel like their chest is being squeezed

Coughing up mucus

Treatment options

Asthma treatment varies depending on the severity of the disease. In case of mild asthma, one may be able to manage symptoms with a prescription inhaler. However, if the symptoms worsen and one needs emergency care, they may need an inhaler and a rescue cure such as albuterol that can be given by injection or nebulizer if their doctor approves it.

If one doesn’t respond to these treatments, they may need other treatment options or even surgery to open up their airways.

Inhaled corticosteroids are often used at first to reduce inflammation and swelling in the airways, but they don’t work well in everyone with asthma. They’re also not recommended for children under the age of four years because they can affect bone growth.

Other types of treatment options such as leukotriene modifiers may be prescribed to control inflammation and swelling in the airways by blocking chemicals that contribute to these conditions that cause symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

What is eosinophilic asthma?

Eosinophilic asthma occurs when there is an increased number of eosinophils in the lungs. Eosinophils are white blood cells that play a crucial role in fighting infection. In eosinophilic asthma, the immune system releases too many eosinophils into the airways and lungs, which causes inflammation and swelling (edema) in the airways, making breathing difficult.

Symptoms of eosinophilic asthma

Coughing or wheezing (a whistling sound caused by airflow through narrowed breathing tubes)

Tightness in the chest or throat
Shortness of breath
Coughing up mucus
Fatigue

Diagnosis
Diagnosing eosinophilic asthma is based on a combination of factors, including:

Eosinophil count
A high percentage of eosinophils in the blood can mean eosinophilic asthma.

Symptoms
If one has both asthma and allergies, their doctor may suspect eosinophilic asthma if the symptoms worsen with certain allergens or when one uses allergy cures such as antihistamines.

Skin prick test
This test checks for allergies to common allergens such as dust mites, pollen, and pet dander. A positive result shows that one is allergic to something, but it doesn’t tell what triggers their reactions or how severe the condition is.

Treatment for eosinophilic asthma

Eosinophilic asthma is a complex disease that requires a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. The main goal is to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.

The first step in treating eosinophilic asthma is to control the underlying allergic inflammation. This is done with cures that target the immune response. These include antihistamines, leukotriene modifiers, corticosteroids, and immunomodulators. Once these treatment options have been used for some time, an allergy specialist may recommend allergy shots (allergy immunotherapy) to desensitize one’s body to allergens that trigger symptoms.

Additional treatment options may be needed if one has severe eosinophilic asthma that remains uncontrolled despite initial therapy. These include oral treatments and mast cell stabilizers (cromolyn sodium or nedocromil sodium).

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