What Is Exercise-Induced Asthma?

What isexercise-induced asthma?

Exercise-induced asthmais a common form ofasthmathat occurs only when a person exercises. People with chronicasthmacan develop symptoms whenever they are exposed to a "trigger" of theasthma, such as a virus,pollen, dust, orcigarettesmoke.

About 80 to 90 percent of people who have chronic asthma haveexercise-induced asthma. And about 35 to 40 percent of people with seasonalallergiesalso haveexercise-induced asthma and symptoms worsen during the spring and fall. Exercise-induced asthma tends particularly to affect children and young adults (because of their high level of physical activity) but can occur at any age.

Exercise-induced asthma is initiated by the process of respiratory heat exchange (the fall inairwaytemperature during rapidbreathingfollowed by rapid reheating with lowered ventilation). The more heat transferred, the cooler the airways become, the more rapidly they rewarm, and the more the bronchi are narrowed.

Of note,colddry air is believed to trigger exercise-induced asthma. Exercising outdoors in the winter or mouth breathing can set off theasthma attack. (Breathing through the nose normally warms the air.) Some doctors recommend indoorswimmingas an ideal form of exercise because the warm, humid air keeps the airways from drying and cooling.

Exercise-induced asthma is monitored using apeak-flow meter. This hand-held device measures air flow (how fast air is blown out of thelungs). Patients can use peak-flow meters to measure their own air flow regularly. This allows patients to obtain a much earlier indication of an oncoming attack.

Exercise-induced asthma is managed by avoiding the offendingallergictriggers and using medications up to an hour before exercising. Medications used (bronchodilators) help to relax themuscle spasm的航空公司,允许改善气流. Other medications can be used to prevent the lining of the airways from swelling in response to cold air or allergic triggers. Inhaled cortisone-related medications are sometimes also used to reduce inflammation and swelling in the airways.

While in the past, athletes were forced out of competition because of exercise-induced asthma, today they can frequently get back in the stride with their peers.