Exercise-Induced Asthma

No one has fully determined the causes of asthma, however, in trying to understand the disease, doctors have noted that in some patients, asthma only presents either during, or immediately after exercising.  A condition displaying these characteristics is known as exercise-induced asthma.

Up until a few years ago, it was thought that this exercise-induced type of attack was a separate form of asthma condition. It was seen predominantly in children (although present in adults as well) but in these cases none of the other common asthma triggers were evident (allergies, viral infections etc) -it seemed that it was only exercise that brought on an asthma attack.

What is it?

Doctors now believe that people who get asthma attacks only when they exercise don’t have any special form or type of condition. It is simply mild enough that it only manifests itself when exposed to the conditions brought on by exercise. Remember, asthma triggers can be different for individuals. So, exercise induced asthma is really a mild form of the same disease although characterized by having only one primary (or perhaps only) trigger - exercise.

(Of course, many asthmatics have multiple triggers –including exercise.)

And there is no great mystery in terms of why it seems to be more prevalent in children than adults. The fact is, children are more active. Vigorous play is a good workout. There are fewer adults living an active lifestyle than children – hence the perception this asthmatic trigger affects the young more so than grown ups.

Increased breathing (which of course is a standard result of any vigorous exercise) causes cooling and drying of the lining of the air passages. This condition is very conducive to the onset of an asthma attack (although the reasons for this are not really understood).  Warm, moist air is much easier on the bronchiole airways and is not associated with asthma symptoms. 

To exercise or not to exercise?

Asthma is no reason to give up exercise. In fact, one of the goals in managing asthma is to build strength in the lungs and this cannot be effectively done without being active. Exercise is one of the key ingredients in staying healthy and staying healthy is a cornerstone of managing an asthma condition.

So it is best to find an exercise program that will not cause severe asthma attacks. Close consultation with your caregiver and careful monitoring of the conditions that trigger an attack will allow you to come up with an activity program that will help your condition – not trigger it.

There are two cornerstones to finding exercise that helps. One is to determine a healthy level – don’t over due it. If your asthma is related to the intensity of a workout, take it easy for a bit and gradually work up to higher levels.

The other key consideration is to avoid cold dry air. Don’t run outside when it’s cold and if you do run, continually re-hydrate with water. Picking another activity is an excellent option for some – swimming is the “asthma sport” because the moist, warm conditions of a pool don’t seem to trigger bronchiole inflammation.

Exercise is often used as part of the diagnostic procedure to determine if asthma is present, particularly in children. Six minutes of moderate exercise is often enough to provoke a mild asthma attack if the disease is present. Of course, early diagnosis will lead to early treatment and avoid unnecessary suffering.

Famous asthmatics

It is interesting to note that many famous athletes are asthmatic. Donovan Bailey, the fastest man in the world at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta has asthma. Mark Spitz, the 5 gold medal winner in swimming at the 1972 Olympics is also an asthmatic. Their condition didn’t stop them. It doesn’t need to stop anyone.

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