Brittle Asthma

The pattern of asthma symptoms experienced by some people with difficult asthma at the severe end of the spectrum can be described as brittle asthma, this could include where asthma is unstable and unpredictable and no consistent trigger factors can be identified. There are two types of brittle asthma type one is where the peak flow varies persistently day and night despite considerable medical therapy, peak flow readings may regularly vary more than 40 per cent over a 24 hour period. Type 2 is where attacks come on very quickly without warning and often require emergency hospital admission, between attacks people can feel well and their asthma is well controlled.