Asthma

Types of Asthma

Allergy induced asthma

When your body responds to an allergen with an allergic reaction, it produces histamines, which cause inflammation and irritation as it works to rid the body of the allergen. In allergy induced asthma, the histamine release additionally causes the lungs and bronchial airways to become constricted and inflamed, making it difficult to breathe and thereby causing asthmatic symptoms.

Bronchial Asthma

Bronchial Asthma is simply another medical term that means asthma. Asthma and bronchial asthma are synonymous.

Exercise induced asthma (EIA)

In exercise induced asthma, you may experience breathing difficulty within 5-20 minutes after exercise or general physical activity. Symptoms may include wheezing, chest tightness, coughing and chest pain. Other symptoms may include prolonged shortness of breath, often beginning 5-10 minutes after brief exercise.

Patients with EIA generally have airways that are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature or humidity. During physical activity, people have a tendency to breathe through their mouths, oftentimes allowing cold, dry air to reach the lower airways without passing through the warming, humidifying effects of the nose. Since mouth breathing only moistens air to 60-70% relative humidity (nose-breathing warms and saturates air to about 80 to 90% relative humidity before it reaches the lungs), it may be a factor in causing EIA.

Nocturnal Asthma

Asthma that is experienced during and throughout the night or in the very early hours of the morning is sometimes referred to as nocturnal asthma. The symptoms include chest tightness, dry cough during the night or when you are trying to fall asleep, and wheezing.