Types of Asthma

Today, asthma is no longer thought of as a single disease. Asthma is often categorized into different types. They include:

• Allergic asthma
• Aspirin-induced asthma
• Cough-variant asthma
• Exercise-induced asthma 
• Nighttime asthma 
• Steroid-resistant asthma 
• Occupational asthma

Depending on the type of asthma, there are different management steps and treatment options that can help.

The Role of Inflammation 

Researchers have started to look deeper at the role that inflammation plays in asthma. They believe that all people with asthma have some degree of inflammation of the airways. They have categorized these into four biological pathways of inflammation, or endotypes: 

• Eosinophilic 
• Neutrophilic 
• Mixed eosinophilic and neutrophilic 
• Non-inflammatory (Paucigranulocytic)

Do I Have Severe Asthma?

Some people do not respond well to inhaled corticosteroids or other long-term controller medicines, a sign that you are suffering from severe asthma. It is important to talk to your doctor to determine if your symptoms signal severe asthma or are just uncontrolled asthma. Learn more about severe asthma.

Exercise-Induced Asthma

Some people with asthma only have symptoms (e.g., shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing or coughing) during exercise or when doing physically demanding tasks. This is called exercise-induced asthma or exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB). Learn more about exercise and asthma. 

Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome (ACOS) 

ACOS is diagnosed when you have symptoms of both asthma and COPD. ACOS is not a separate disease, but rather a way for doctors to recognize the mix of symptoms and select a treatment plan that is most appropriate for you. Learn more about ACOS.