{"id":4685,"date":"2025-08-14T20:32:38","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T00:32:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/?post_type=chapter&p=4685"},"modified":"2025-12-07T23:23:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T04:23:32","slug":"asthma-overview-types-of-asthma","status":"web-only","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/chapter\/asthma-overview-types-of-asthma\/","title":{"raw":"6p10 Asthma Overview - Types of Asthma","rendered":"6p10 Asthma Overview – Types of Asthma"},"content":{"raw":"

How do the Two Types of Asthma differ in Pathogenesis, Onset, Triggers, and Treatment?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

Overview:<\/strong><\/h1>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • A chronic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 25.7 million people in the US.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • In Canada, the affected population is roughly estimated by dividing the US figure by 10, due to population differences.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Characterized by bronchiole obstruction leading to bouts of severe respiratory attacks.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Importantly, these attacks are\u00a0reversible<\/strong>\u00a0with proper management and treatment.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    Pathophysiology of Asthma:<\/strong><\/h1>\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • Involves airway obstruction caused by inflammatory processes and bronchospasm.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Two main pathways lead to these attacks:\r\n
        \r\n \t
      1. Hypersensitivity reactions<\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t
      2. Hyper-responsive reactions<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

        Types of Asthma Based on Onset and Triggers:<\/strong><\/h1>\r\n
          \r\n \t
        1. \r\n

          Extrinsic Asthma (Allergic Asthma):<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
            \r\n \t
          • Usually begins in childhood.<\/li>\r\n \t
          • Caused by a type I hypersensitivity reaction (allergic reaction).<\/li>\r\n \t
          • Triggered by inhaled antigens\/allergens (e.g., pollen, dust mites).<\/li>\r\n \t
          • The immune response involves an exaggerated allergic reaction similar to those seen in allergy or hay fever.<\/li>\r\n \t
          • Family history of allergies and atopy (inherited genetic predisposition) is common, so it is sometimes called Atopic Asthma.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
          • \r\n

            Intrinsic Asthma (Non-allergic or Adult-Onset Asthma):<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
              \r\n \t
            • Develops later in life, often in adulthood.<\/li>\r\n \t
            • The triggers and underlying mechanisms differ from extrinsic asthma.<\/li>\r\n \t
            • The bronchial tissues become hyper-responsive without a clear allergic trigger.<\/li>\r\n \t
            • Triggers include:\r\n
                \r\n \t
              • Respiratory infections (viral or bacterial)<\/li>\r\n \t
              • Stress<\/li>\r\n \t
              • Exposure to cold air or environmental irritants (smoke, pollutants)<\/li>\r\n \t
              • Exercise, especially in cold or dry conditions<\/li>\r\n \t
              • Certain drugs or medications<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

                Intrinsic Asthma - Possible Causes<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
                  \r\n \t
                • Cause: is idiopathic, though there is evidence that the following may be pre-disposing factors:\r\n
                    \r\n \t
                  • Cold weather or cold inhalation causing airway irritation.<\/li>\r\n \t
                  • Viral or bacterial respiratory infections leading to airway hyper-responsiveness.<\/li>\r\n \t
                  • Exposure to cigarette smoke or environmental pollutants.<\/li>\r\n \t
                  • Exercise-induced bronchospasm, especially with cold or dry air.<\/li>\r\n \t
                  • Drug reactions or sensitivities.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                    Emerging Research & Outgrowing Asthma:<\/strong><\/h1>\r\n
                      \r\n \t
                    • Some recent studies suggest that individuals can \"outgrow\" asthma.<\/li>\r\n \t
                    • Possible explanations include:\r\n
                        \r\n \t
                      • Desensitization to triggers:<\/strong>\u00a0Similar to allergy desensitization protocols (e.g., allergy shots), gradual exposure might reduce sensitivity.<\/li>\r\n \t
                      • Reduction in immune response:<\/strong>\u00a0The immune system might become less reactive over time.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
                      • Caution: Such desensitization should only be undertaken under medical supervision to avoid severe reactions like anaphylaxis.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                        Summary:<\/strong><\/h1>\r\n
                          \r\n \t
                        • Asthma involves episodic airway obstruction due to inflammation and bronchospasm, with triggers varying depending on the type.<\/li>\r\n \t
                        • Managing triggers and controlling inflammation are key to preventing attacks and reducing collateral damage from repeated inflammatory episodes.<\/li>\r\n \t
                        • Both types demonstrate the importance of understanding individual triggers for effective management.<\/li>\r\n \t
                        • New research indicates some individuals may outgrow asthma through natural desensitization, but this must be managed carefully under medical guidance.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","rendered":"

                          How do the Two Types of Asthma differ in Pathogenesis, Onset, Triggers, and Treatment?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                          Overview:<\/strong><\/h1>\n
                            \n
                          • A chronic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 25.7 million people in the US.<\/li>\n
                          • In Canada, the affected population is roughly estimated by dividing the US figure by 10, due to population differences.<\/li>\n
                          • Characterized by bronchiole obstruction leading to bouts of severe respiratory attacks.<\/li>\n
                          • Importantly, these attacks are\u00a0reversible<\/strong>\u00a0with proper management and treatment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                            Pathophysiology of Asthma:<\/strong><\/h1>\n
                              \n
                            • Involves airway obstruction caused by inflammatory processes and bronchospasm.<\/li>\n
                            • Two main pathways lead to these attacks:\n
                                \n
                              1. Hypersensitivity reactions<\/strong><\/li>\n
                              2. Hyper-responsive reactions<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                Types of Asthma Based on Onset and Triggers:<\/strong><\/h1>\n
                                  \n
                                1. \n

                                  Extrinsic Asthma (Allergic Asthma):<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                                    \n
                                  • Usually begins in childhood.<\/li>\n
                                  • Caused by a type I hypersensitivity reaction (allergic reaction).<\/li>\n
                                  • Triggered by inhaled antigens\/allergens (e.g., pollen, dust mites).<\/li>\n
                                  • The immune response involves an exaggerated allergic reaction similar to those seen in allergy or hay fever.<\/li>\n
                                  • Family history of allergies and atopy (inherited genetic predisposition) is common, so it is sometimes called Atopic Asthma.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                  • \n

                                    Intrinsic Asthma (Non-allergic or Adult-Onset Asthma):<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                                      \n
                                    • Develops later in life, often in adulthood.<\/li>\n
                                    • The triggers and underlying mechanisms differ from extrinsic asthma.<\/li>\n
                                    • The bronchial tissues become hyper-responsive without a clear allergic trigger.<\/li>\n
                                    • Triggers include:\n
                                        \n
                                      • Respiratory infections (viral or bacterial)<\/li>\n
                                      • Stress<\/li>\n
                                      • Exposure to cold air or environmental irritants (smoke, pollutants)<\/li>\n
                                      • Exercise, especially in cold or dry conditions<\/li>\n
                                      • Certain drugs or medications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                        Intrinsic Asthma – Possible Causes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
                                          \n
                                        • Cause: is idiopathic, though there is evidence that the following may be pre-disposing factors:\n
                                            \n
                                          • Cold weather or cold inhalation causing airway irritation.<\/li>\n
                                          • Viral or bacterial respiratory infections leading to airway hyper-responsiveness.<\/li>\n
                                          • Exposure to cigarette smoke or environmental pollutants.<\/li>\n
                                          • Exercise-induced bronchospasm, especially with cold or dry air.<\/li>\n
                                          • Drug reactions or sensitivities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                            Emerging Research & Outgrowing Asthma:<\/strong><\/h1>\n
                                              \n
                                            • Some recent studies suggest that individuals can “outgrow” asthma.<\/li>\n
                                            • Possible explanations include:\n
                                                \n
                                              • Desensitization to triggers:<\/strong>\u00a0Similar to allergy desensitization protocols (e.g., allergy shots), gradual exposure might reduce sensitivity.<\/li>\n
                                              • Reduction in immune response:<\/strong>\u00a0The immune system might become less reactive over time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                              • Caution: Such desensitization should only be undertaken under medical supervision to avoid severe reactions like anaphylaxis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                Summary:<\/strong><\/h1>\n
                                                  \n
                                                • Asthma involves episodic airway obstruction due to inflammation and bronchospasm, with triggers varying depending on the type.<\/li>\n
                                                • Managing triggers and controlling inflammation are key to preventing attacks and reducing collateral damage from repeated inflammatory episodes.<\/li>\n
                                                • Both types demonstrate the importance of understanding individual triggers for effective management.<\/li>\n
                                                • New research indicates some individuals may outgrow asthma through natural desensitization, but this must be managed carefully under medical guidance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"author":1370,"menu_order":11,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":["zoe-soon"],"pb_section_license":"cc-by-nc-sa"},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[60],"license":[57],"class_list":["post-4685","chapter","type-chapter","status-web-only","hentry","contributor-zoe-soon","license-cc-by-nc-sa"],"part":47,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1370"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5303,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4685\/revisions\/5303"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/47"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4685\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=4685"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=4685"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/pathophysiology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=4685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}