Allergic vs. non-allergic asthma

[sprinkaan]

I know there are two types of asthma - allergic and non allergic...
When it comes to triggers for non-atopic asthma, drugs and chemials like preservatives are possible triggers..

From personal experience, I get bronchospasms after only a few mouth-fulls of fruit juice preserved with e.g. Sodium Benzoate. This is usually an immediate reaction. How is this not allergic??

I don't know if my confusion is because of my lack of immunology knowledge, but if you have any ideas..?

[madcat8000]

From my limited knoledge of allergens they are allergic because they posess a sequence of repeating amino acids that our bodies normaly recognize on the surface of parasites. Perhaps simple chemicals in common language are refered to as allergens yet are not technicly produceing an allergeic responce.

[madcat8000]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergen Perhaps your experience would be classified as an irritant responce.