What is exercise-induced asthma

Exercise is a common trigger for asthma. It can affect anybody with asthma- children or adults, recreational sports players or elite athletes.

What are the symptoms of exercise-induced asthma?

Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty in breathing. Symptoms usually begin after exercise and worsen about 15 minutes after exercise stops. Research shows that if exercise is attempted again within three hours the
symptoms are less severe.

Why can exercise trigger asthma?

It is not known exactly how exercise triggers asthma. When people exercise they breathe faster. This makes it more difficult for the nose and upper airways to warm and add moisture to the air breathed in, resulting in the air being drier and colder than usual. It is thought that this cold, dry air in the airways triggers the symptoms of exercise-induced asthma.

Diagnosing exercise-induced asthma

To help to diagnose exercise-induced asthma, your doctor may ask about your medical history and take peak flow tests. If the diagnosis is difficult to make or symptoms are having a large impact on life, other breathing tests performed in a hospital may be recommended, including an exercise test.

Managing exercise-induced asthma

Certain types of sport are more likely to trigger asthma:

Long-distance or cross-country running are particularly strong triggers because they are undertaken outside in cold air without short breaks.
Team sports such as football or hockey are less likely to cause asthma symptoms as they are played in brief bursts with short breaks in between.
Swimming is an excellent form of exercise for people with asthma. The warm humid air in the swimming pool is less likely to trigger symptoms of asthma. However, swimming in cold water or heavily chlorinated pools may trigger asthma.
Yoga is a good type of exercise for people with asthma as it relaxes the body and may help with breathing.

Asthma should not stop you doing any type of exercise as long as you:

consult your doctor regularly
keep your asthma well controlled
take the correct medicine
work up to your sport gradually.

There are several steps that can be taken to help to reduce the symptoms of exercise-induced asthma. These should be used with any prescribed medicines.

Warm up and down.
Avoid the cold air. It may help to cover the nose and mouth with a scarf in the cold.
Stay fit. Good aerobic fitness can help to reduce exercise-induced asthma