How to Treat Extrinsic Asthma

The medical definition of extrinsic asthma is that it is the form of asthma in which otherwise healthy-seeming people, when exposed to a specific allergen, quickly develop the symptoms of acute asthma. Extrinsic asthma can range in severity from mild to severe, depending on the body's reaction to the allergen that triggers an attack.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Physician
• Prescription asthma medication (specific type will vary)
• Inhaler

1. Understand that, if left untreated, a case of extrinsic asthma in which the patient suffers from a reaction to a specific allergen, can develop into chronic asthma. Chronic asthma is not dependent upon the presence of a specific allergen and is considered a more complicated and serious medical problem. In general, allergic-type reactions to allergens that cannot be effectively treated with the use of antihistamines may signal the presence of an extrinsic asthma condition.

2. Quit smoking, or never start. While most extrinsic asthma cases develop in childhood, typically before the age people begin smoking, it does develop in adults as well. You will want to avoid all preventable lung irritants at all times.

3. See a doctor. Remember that asthma is a reversible condition. The prognosis is excellent in cases of extrinsic asthma that are diagnosed early and treated aggressively.

4. Identify the allergens that trigger your case of extrinsic asthma. Typical extrinsic asthma-causing allergens include animal dander, pollen, dust, mold, feather pillows and sulfite-based food additives.

5. Avoid contact with the specific allergen that triggers your asthmatic reaction to the greatest possible degree. The best way to treat asthma is to prevent an outbreak altogether. Your doctor will also be able to advise you as to how you can reduce the amount of allergens in your home, as well as answer any other questions that you may have about managing your condition.

6. Treat an extrinsic asthma outbreak using the asthma medication prescribed by your doctor. Typically, this takes the form of fast-acting bronchiodilators (drugs that open your lungs' bronchial tubes) administered through an inhaler.

7. Know that you can also treat extrinsic asthma using prevention medication, which will neutralize the onset of asthma symptoms when you are entering a situation in which you may encounter lung irritants. Your doctor can discuss the various options with you, which largely depend upon the severity of your condition.

Tips & Warnings

• It is easy to confuse the symptoms of extrinsic asthma with regular allergies. To prevent a severe or life-threatening situation, you should discuss any allergy symptoms with your doctor to ensure that they are not, in fact, caused by an undetected extrinsic asthma condition.