What should you know about neutrophilic asthma?

Asthma symptoms happen when the airways become narrowed and irritated. In this pattern, immune cells called neutrophils are prominent in airway inflammation. Symptoms can include wheezing, cough, chest tightness and breathlessness, and they may persist even when typical allergy features are not obvious.

A sputum sample, breathing tests and the clinical history may help a respiratory team understand the pattern. Neutrophilic findings can also occur with infections, smoking or irritant exposure, so one test does not define the whole condition.

Keep a record of symptoms, night waking, reliever use and possible exposures such as smoke, dust, workplace fumes or recent infections. Use prescribed inhalers with the technique demonstrated to you, and arrange a technique check if the device changes.

Do not stop a preventer or start antibiotics on your own. Your clinician may review inhaled treatment, check for other airway problems and decide whether additional assessment is useful. Read more about [Asthma](/conditions/asthma/) and [Inhaler Therapy](/treatments/medical-management/inhaler-therapy/).

Seek urgent medical help if breathing becomes severely difficult, you cannot speak comfortably, your lips look blue or grey, or your reliever is not helping as directed. A rapidly worsening attack needs prompt assessment, regardless of the inflammatory pattern.

Arrange a routine review for ongoing cough, wheezing or chest tightness, especially when symptoms interrupt sleep or normal activity. [Nebuliser Treatment](/treatments/acute-and-urgent-care/nebuliser-treatment/) may be used in an urgent setting when inhaled medicine needs supervised delivery.

Ask whether your symptoms and test results suggest neutrophilic inflammation, whether sputum or spirometry would add useful information, and which exposures could be worsening your breathing.