There are several classifications of the types of asthma.
Types of asthma based on the triggers:
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| Via: nature.com |
+ Seasonal Asthma: its appearance is related to the pollen of plants; worse in spring or late summer.
+ Nonallergic asthma: crises are triggered by irritants (such as snuff smoke, wood smoke, deodorant, paint, cleaning products, perfumes, environmental pollution ... etc..), Respiratory infections (flu, sinusitis ...), air cold, sudden temperature changes, or gastroesophageal reflux.
+ Occupational asthma: crises are triggered by exposure to chemicals in the workplace, such as wood dust, metals, organic compounds, plastic resins ... etc..
+ Exercise-induced Asthma: triggered by exercise or physical activity. Symptoms occur while the patient takes exercise, or shortly after the end of exercise.
+ Nocturnal asthma: can occur in patients with any type of asthma. Symptoms worsen at midnight, especially at dawn.
Asthma types depending on the level of control
+ Asthma control: no daily or nocturnal symptoms, no need for rescue medication. Exacerbations are rare.
+Partially controlled asthma: daytime symptoms two or more times a week, with any symptoms at night. It is necessary to use rescue medication more than twice a week, and are more frequent exacerbations (one or more per year).
+ Uncontrolled Asthma: with three or more characteristics of partly controlled asthma, exacerbations are weekly.
Asthma rates depending on the severity and frequency
Depending on the degree of airway obstruction (measured by spirometry), and the severity and frequency of presenting symptoms, is classified into the following types of asthma.
+ Persistent asthma: symptoms occur throughout the year, and intermittent asthma if only occur at certain times.
+ Intermittent Asthma: Symptoms appear two or fewer times per week and nighttime symptoms appear two or fewer times a month. Asthma attacks or exacerbations are usually brief, and from one crisis to the next, the patient remains asymptomatic. In tests of lung function, PEF and / or FEV1 is greater than 80% (normal is considered 100%), and the variability is less than 20% (the values of pulmonary function tests or spirometry not change after administer medication to dilate the bronchi or bronchodilators).
+ Mild persistent asthma: symptoms occur more than twice a week, but not daily, and nighttime symptoms occur more than twice a month but not every week. In pulmonary function tests, FEV1 is greater than 80%, and the variability is between 20 and 30%.
+ Moderate persistent asthma: symptoms appear every day, affecting normal activity and sleep. Nighttime symptoms appear every week at least one night. FEV1 is between 60 and 80%, and the variability is greater than 30%.
+ Chronic Asthma: the symptoms are continuous. Crises or exacerbations are frequent and severe. Nighttime symptoms are almost daily. FEV1 is less than 60%, and greater than 30% variability (spirometry values greatly improved after administration of bronchodilator medication).
