For some people with asthma, asthma attacks have nothing to do with allergies. Although these people get the same symptoms and have the same changes in their airways as patients with allergic asthma, their asthma is not triggered by allergies. However, like any patient with asthma, asthma attacks may be triggered or made worse by one or more non allergic asthma triggers including materials (irritants) in the air you breathe, such as tobacco smoke, wood smoke, room deodorizers, pine odors, fresh paint, household cleaning products, cooking odors, workplace chemicals, perfumes, and outdoor air pollution. Respiratory infections, such as the common cold, the flu, or a sinus infection may also give you symptoms. Finally, exercise, cold air, sudden changes in air temperature, and even gastroesophageal reflux (heartburn) may be triggers for people with non-allergic asthma.

Severity

Recent research shows that there is no difference in basic pathology types of asthma and thus the above mentioned style of classification does not help much in the therapy. Therefore, the classification of asthma has been done also on the basis of severity and chronicity of the disease and the treatment guidelines are based on that.