Asthma is a chronic medical condition that makes your lungs hypersensitive. Triggers like allergens, illness, and even exercise can cause flares of symptoms that include wheezing, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. Asthma can be mild, moderate, or severe, and often runs in families. Asthma is usually diagnosed during childhood but can also show up in adulthood. Different types of asthma can overlap one another, or be stand alone as the primary type of asthma.
Types of asthma may include:
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Allergic asthma
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Nonallergic asthma
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Occupational asthma
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Exercise-induced asthma
Allergic asthma is caused by things in the environment that cause allergic reactions. Allergic asthma attacks are caused by "triggers." Examples of allergic asthma triggers include:
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Pollen from trees, grass, and weeds
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Mold
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Dust mites
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Cats and dogs (animal saliva, urine, and dander)
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Mice (fur, dander, and droppings)
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Tobacco smoke or secondhand smoke
Nonallergic asthma is a type of asthma not related to allergies such as pollen or dust. Nonallergic asthma is less understood, but usually occurs in adulthood and is associated with more severe asthma symptoms and illness. Infections typically exacerbate nonallergic asthma.
Examples of nonallergic asthma triggers include:
Occupational asthma, also known as work-aggravated asthma, is caused by substances in the workplace. These substances, called irritants, cause inflammation in the lungs and trigger asthma symptoms. Occupational asthma involves hands-on professions that deal with animals or harsh chemicals.
Irritants that trigger occupational asthma include:
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Chemical compounds (paint hardeners, paint thinners, various glues, and insulation)
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Gases, smoke, fumes, and aerosols
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Farm and lab animals (fur, saliva, feces, and dander)
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Fish and shellfish (crab and shrimp exposure and processing)
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Flour proteins (food processors, bakers, dock workers)
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Diisocyanate chemicals (plastic production, spray paint, adhesives, and sealants)
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Foam coating manufacturing
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Acrylates (nail salon workers, dental hygienists, auto body repair shops, and assembly workers)
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Metals for welding (chromium, cobalt, nickel, platinum, and zinc).
Exercise-induced asthma, as the name suggests, is triggered by exercise. This can lead people to feel chest tightness and wheezing during times of aerobic effort that require harder breathing efforts.
