Asthma makes it difficult to breathe and can range from mild to severe, and while it can be managed and treated, triggers vary from one person to another. For some people, exercise is one of those triggers. If you suffer from exercise-induced asthma, there are a variety of ways to help keep it in check and still get your workout in.
Identification
Exercise-related asthma, or exercise-induced asthma, causes coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath from physical exertion. Like "regular" asthma, symptoms occur when your airways swell and narrow and produce extra mucus. Exercise-induced asthma symptoms can include fatigue during exercise or poor performance and can start soon after exercise begins or shortly after exercise stops. You might have triggers such as cold air, dry air, air pollutants, pollen or a cold, and symptoms might worsen with heavier breathing activities such as running.
Risk Factors
Allergic rhinitis or a history of allergies could make you predisposed to exercise-induced asthma. Other risk factors include heredity; if you have a parent or sibling with asthma, your chances are higher. Exposure to smoke, air pollution or chemicals can trigger exercise-induced asthma. Children are more susceptible than adults simply because they tend to be more active. Being overweight or out of shape can play into developing exercise-induced asthma.
Primary Treatment
Exercise-induced asthma often can be controlled by using an inhaler right before exercise. Sometimes additional medications are needed for daily long-term control. Inhaled corticosteroids are commonly prescribed, and other inhalers include long-acting beta-agonists or combination inhalers that consist of both corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists. Oral medications sometimes are used as well.
Other Treatment
There are other ways to help get your asthma under control without or in conjunction with medication. Breathing exercises such as the Buteyko method or pranayama are aimed at learning how to breathe. By purposefully controlling your breathing, more oxygen can be delivered to your lungs. Asthma symptoms during exercise can occur because of the rapid cooling and warming of your airways, so a warm-up before exercise and a cool down after exercise can help ease your symptoms. Exercise in environments that won't exacerbate your symptoms.
Considerations
It can be difficult to realize that there is a problem when you are exercising, particularly if you have been exercising for a long time. At first it might seem as though you are out of shape or are coming down with a cold. If you experience coughing after you work out, or wheezing or shortness of breath during your work out, contact your doctor to see if you are suffering from exercise-related asthma.
