Question:
When the allergist who re-diagnosed my allergis rhinitis as "triad
asthma" realized that I was not responding to desensitizing shots, he
said that I was probably having intrinsic asthma(meaning I was reacting
to whatever was going on inside my body, ie: infection, hormone changes,
etc.). He also said that sometimes grass, tree, mold, smoke, perfume etc
may effect my breathing too. I am interested to hear what "internal triggers' others who have asthma
experience.
Answer:
Years ago, asthma was described as being either "extrinsic" or
"intrinsic." This terminology is oversimplistic, but persists. Extrinsic
refers to an external trigger, such as allergy; or may even be equated to
allergic asthma (although other, external, non-allergic factors also
trigger asthma). Intrinisic implies that the asthma is not due to (or
triggered by external factors). This classification can be misleading. Asthma often is multifactorial with
regard to potential triggers. Allergies may be the predominant triggers
for some people, while others have no demonstrable allergic sensitivities.
And the pattern of triggers may change for an individual over time: e.g.,
infections being the most common triggers in young children, and allergies
being the most common triggers in older children. In your situation, IF exposure to grass pollen triggers asthma, then
allergy injections with the appropriate allergens and appropriate doses
may eventually produce some benefit. However, if the allergic triggers are
only a small part of the picture, then the benefit may be minimal. It is
not possible to quantify the relative importance of the various factors.
