"Atopy" is when there are changes in some of the genes a person is born with ("genetic inheritance"). These genetic changes make their body produce more Immunoglobulin E (IgE), a type of "antibody". They are also more sensitive to things things like chemicals, smoke and dust ("environmental antigens"). This "hypersensitivity" means they are more sensitive or "allergic" to things in the environment than people who do not have these changes in their genes and are not hypersensitive or "allergic".
This "hypersensitivity" causes their body to react in certain ways. Usually a person who is atopic develops "allergic rhinitis" which affects the "nasal passages" which are behind the nose and they are also more likely to get "atopic dermatitis" which causes skin rashes and "atopic asthma". Up to 40% of people with allergic rhinitis also have asthma. These three medical problems, "allergic rhinitis", "atopic dermatitis" and "atopic asthma" are called the "Atopic Triad" (a "triad" is when there is three of something). People who are atopic may also have other medical problems including food and drug allergies, stinging-insect hypersensitivity, hives ("urticaria"), Quincke's edema ("angioedema"), and contact dermatitis.
If a person has one parent who is atopic they have a chance of being atopic too. If they have two parents who are atopic they have an even bigger chance of being atopic.
There have been studies that show a link between acetaminophen (Tylenol) and asthma. For instance a 2008 analysis of information collected from a very large study called the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, or the "Isaac study" for short, showed that children who had taken acetaminophen for a fever during the first year of their life had a 50% higher risk of getting asthma later on. The more acetaminophen children took the higher their risk of getting asthma. Children who took it once a month had threefold increase in their risk of getting asthma. An increase in asthma rates in multiple countries corresponded with increased sales of drugs which contained acetaminophen. Previously the American College of Physicians reported a link between non-atopic asthma and acetaminophen use based on results of The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Not all doctors are convinced of the link between acetaminophen and asthma.
"Children with asthma or at risk for asthma should avoid the use of acetaminophen." (McBride JT, 2011).
Atopic asthma
"Atopic" asthma is the most common form of asthma.
Cough-variant asthma
Cough-variant asthma is a type of asthma in which a cough is the main, and sometimes only sign. Cough-variant asthma usually does not cause wheezing or breathlessness and causes a dry, scratchy, mostly nonproductive cough (this means little or no phlegm is coughed up). About 30% of people who have cough-variant asthma will develop typical asthma.
Work-related asthma
Work related asthma are types of asthma that are caused or made worse by irritants in the environment at a person's place of work. The kind of jobs that may cause work related asthma are usually those in which there is a lot of smoke or chemicals are used. There are different types of work-related asthma (WRA):
1. Occupational asthma with latency: this asthma type is when the signs and symptoms of asthma occur after a period of time ("latency") after being exposed to the environmental irritants. e.g.: John starts working at a factory where chemicals are used the first week of January. At the end of March he starts developing the signs and symptoms of asthma. The period of time from when he started the job in January to when the signs and symptoms of asthma started in March is the "latency period".
2. Irritant-Induced Asthma (IIA) is occupational asthma without latency: this is an asthma type is when the signs and symptoms of asthma can occur immediately ("without latency") after being exposed to the environmental irritants. e.g. Frank starts a new job working as a janitor where he uses ammonia to clean. After opening the bottle of ammonia and breathing the fumes Frank starts finding it difficult to breath, his chest tightens up and he develops other signs and symptoms of asthma.
4. Work-aggravated asthma: this is when a person already has asthma and environmental triggers at their place of work makes it worse.
Exercise induced asthma
Exercise induced asthma (EIA) - also called exercise induced bronchospasm - is the term used to describe asthma cases in which exercise is the main, and many times the only trigger for an asthma attack. If a person already has a form of asthma or they are "atopic" there is more of a chance of getting EIA.
Nocturnal asthma
Nocturnal asthma: is the term used to describe asthma cases that get worse at night ("nocturnal").
Premenstrual asthma (PMA): is when asthma symptoms get worse during the premenstrual period. This condition may affect up to 40% of female asthma sufferers. For a diagnosis of PMA to be made it is necessary to have a detailed history of the timing of menstrual cycles along with asthma symptoms experienced, and the peak expiratory flow rate (PMA may cause the PEF to be lowered in the premenstrual period). It is helpful in making a diagnosis to keep a diary of symptoms and peak expiratory flow (PEF) rates.
Status asthmaticus
Status asthmaticus is a severe form of asthma in which an asthma attack gets worse as it goes along and the medicines that are usually used to treat asthma do not work. Status asthmaticus can be fatal.
Signs and symptoms in medicine are the way a medical condition affects a person's body. Sometimes the signs and symptoms of asthma may be "mild" which does not bother the person too much. At other times they may be "severe" which may make the person feel very sick.
Not every person with asthma has all the signs and symptoms of asthma all the time. A person may have some signs and symptoms during one asthma attack and have different symptoms during another asthma attack. Some people with asthma may have long periods of time between asthma attacks where they show no signs and experience no symptoms of asthma, while others may have some or all of the signs and symptoms everyday which become more severe during an attack. It also depends on what type of asthma a person has and whether they have a mild, moderate or severe case.
There are also some people with asthma who might only have signs and symptoms during certain times, such as those with exercise induced asthma, where the exercise triggers the symptoms. For some the signs and symptoms of asthma may be triggered or made worse ("exacerbated") when they have viral respiratory tract infections, often the type casued by human "rhinoviruses".
Early warning signs of an asthma attack are physical changes in health that a person with asthma has before they have the attack. By knowing the early warning signs a person may be able to take steps to keep from having an asthma attack or if they do have one, to keep it from getting worse.
Early warning signs
The early warning signs of asthma may include:
A "trigger factor" or "trigger" for short, is something that causes the signs and symptoms of a medical condition to begin in a person who already has that medical condition. Common triggers for asthma are: