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Intrinsic Asthma - What is intrinsic asthma?Traditionally, doctors have separated asthma into two general categories, extrinsic asthma and intrinsic asthma, depending upon the types of stimuli that trigger episodes of the disease. While doctors believe that extrinsic asthma is caused by an overactive immune system, they do not yet understand the origins of intrinsic asthma. Intrinsic asthma generally develops later in life and virtually nothing is known of its causes. Intrinsic asthma is a less common form of the disease it’s not allergy-related, in fact it is caused by anything except an allergy. It’s not caused by outside irritants, such as dust, pollen, pet dander, or weather. Treatment of intrinsic asthma is not easy as it may not be known what triggers the asthma in the first place and therefore avoiding triggers can be impossible. It’s also a non-seasonal type of asthma and can happen at any time. It also tends to be less responsive to treatment than allergic asthma. Who’s affected by intrinsic asthma?Intrinsic asthma occurs in less than 50% of adults and in about 15% of children with asthma. This type of asthma is also not likely to develop in children; its typical onset occurs after age 40. What may cause intrinsic asthma?Intrinsic asthma is frequently preceded by an infection of the patient's respiratory tract. Intrinsic asthma usually develops in adulthood and may begin with risk factors such as cold air, exercise, or emotional trauma. Possible causes of intrinsic asthma include respiratory irritants such as perfumes, cleaning agents, fumes, smoke and cold air, upper respiratory infections, and gastro-esophageal reflux (GERD). It may also be caused due to within-the-body (endogenous) factors such as adrenalin release due to stress or to exertion. More possible causes also include emotional stress, fatigue, endocrine, temperature, and humidity changes may aggravate intrinsic asthma attacks. What treatments are available for intrinsic asthma?While treatment of allergic asthma should include avoiding the primarily indoor and sometimes outdoor allergens to which the patient has become sensitized, treatment of intrinsic asthma is aimed at avoiding respiratory infections (viral infections, colds, influenza and all contact with smoke and fumes). The drug Cyclosporin is sometimes used to treat steroid-resistant intrinsic asthma, but is often considered a last resort drug due to its severe toxicological profile. Conclusion. If you’ve been living with symptoms of asthma even for a short period of time, it’s still important to seek asthma help. Getting help with your asthma helps in that it will make living with asthma much easier to do and you are able to have an active life, doing the things you enjoy, including exercising with asthma. While it can be difficult to identify the triggers of an asthma outbreak in patients with intrinsic asthma, your physician can help you spot the causes of your asthma attacks and can suggest strategies for avoiding them. |
