Eosinophilic asthma, as opposed to allergic asthma, has some distinct differences. People suffering from eosinophilic asthma typically experience shortness of breath and wheezing due to an elevation of blood eosinophils.
Allergic asthma, by contrast, tends to occur when someone is exposed to animal dander or another allergen. Could you be suffering from eosinophilic asthma? Here are the common signs and symptoms.
Eosinophilic Asthma
History
Eosinophilic asthma has been known about for about 100 years. As long ago as the 1950s, it was known that severe chronic asthma shows an elevation of eosinophils. Recently, there’s been even more focus on reducing eosinophils in order to help treat this type of asthma.
Details
Eosinophilic asthma is often rather severe and is more commonly seen developing in adults. Inflammatory cells infiltrate airways, blocking the passage of air, leading to shortness of breath and wheezing. A lot of people with eosinophilic asthma have no history of allergies, though allergies are another common cause of asthma.
Those of have eosinophilic asthma have increased eosinophils in their blood and tissues, meaning that their entire respiratory system is being affected. Chronic sinus disease is common among those suffering from this type of asthma.
Those with higher levels of eosinophils in their blood have been shown to have a higher risk of future asthma attacks. These can range in severity a good bit from patient to patient. If you think you may have asthma, speak to your doctor about it.
Causes
It’s unknown, at present, what causes eosinophilic asthma. Typically, patients don’t have allergies, and modern medical science is unsure of how this type of asthma starts. However, there are treatments that involve combating the high number of eosinophils.
Symptoms
Those suffering from eosinophilic asthma tend to have symptoms like coughing, wheezing, tightness of the chest and difficulty breathing. Airflow obstructions are also common. Notably, those suffering from this type of asthma typically don’t have allergies and their asthma attacks are unrelated to outside factors.
Chronic nasal polyps and inflamed nasal membranes are also common symptoms. If you’re suffering from symptoms like this, speak to your doctor. They may be able to diagnose the issue and could prescribe you medicine to combat this type of asthma.