Back toUpdated on October 22, 2024
Allergic asthma is a type of asthma where symptoms are triggered by contact with allergens, and it is the most common type of asthma. Watch Chandler D. Patton, MD, discuss the symptoms and management of allergic asthma in this video.
Medically reviewed in May 2018.
Transcript
Asthma is a chronic condition that affects over 25 million people in the United States alone. [MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR: Around 60% to 70% of all cases are a type of asthma called allergic asthma.
Asthma can be confusing because there are several types. Understanding your asthma type is important for you and your doctor,
because effective treatment may need to be tailored to your individual circumstances. So what is allergic asthma?
And how is it different? To discover the answer, we need to look deep inside the lungs. During an asthma attack, the lung airways
become constricted. They tighten and reduce the movement of air. Breathing is difficult.
Even deeper inside, the tiny airways can fill with mucus, further blocking airflow. Why is this happening?
The simple answer is an allergic response. In all types of asthma, inflammation is occurring because the immune system is stimulated and is
overreacting. In allergic asthma, there is a response to something in the air you are allergic to.
This something is called an allergen. Common allergens include pollen, dust mites, pet dander,
and roaches. When your immune system mistakes and allergen for a dangerous invader, these normally harmless substances
act as triggers to stimulate an overreacted response. Over time, a person's allergic response to airborne allergens
can grow into more and more severe episodes of airway inflammation. We now believe that the reason there
are different kinds of asthma is because the immune system reacts in different ways. Not everyone with asthma has an allergic sensitivity,
so their asthma would be called non-allergic asthma. Still, allergic asthma is the most common type.
People are different in their sensitivities to different allergens. Some of these differences are strongly influenced by family genetics.
Exposure to allergens along with individual sensitivities are important factors in determining if an allergic asthma condition will develop.
In the case of allergic asthma, and really any type of allergy, the allergic response is caused by the presence
of something called IgE. IgE is an antibody. IgE antibodies are proteins the immune system produces when it
recognizes specific allergens. In allergic asthma, your immune system overreacts and produces IgE antibodies that
lead to airway inflammation. As time passes, the allergic response can get stronger, and may cause permanent damage to the airways.
An understanding of the immune factors that cause allergic asthma, such as IgE, helps us make informed treatment decisions.
If you have allergic asthma and are finding it difficult to control, talk with your doctor. For many people, effective treatments are available.
