The World Health Organization estimates that 300 million people worldwide suffer from asthma, which leads to lost productivity and increased health costs, reports the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. Children and adults can both be affected by asthma, but you don't have to have traditional asthma to suffer from exercise-induced asthma. This illness causes difficulty breathing after engaging in exercise and although it is different than traditional asthma, most of the treatments are the same.
Symptoms
Exercise-induced asthma causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing and a tight chest after engaging in exercise. You may not feel like you can catch your breath. Other symptoms include cough and even chest pain on some occasions. These symptoms occur five to 20 minutes after exercising.
Triggers
Certain types of exercise that use more lung capacity, such as running, may be more likely to cause the symptoms. Patients with exercise-induced asthma are often more sensitive to hot and cold temperature extremes. Therefore, you may be more likely to have an asthma attack when exercising outdoors in extremely hot or cold weather. Dry air is also a common trigger.
Inhalers
The most common treatment for any type of asthma is an inhaler, which quickly delivers a measured dose of medicine to open your airways and improve breathing during an asthma attack. According to MayoClinic.com, the most common medicines used in rescue inhalers include corticosteroids, short-acting beta agonists and ipratropium. You can also use long-term asthma medications on a daily basis as a preventive treatment, but this is less often prescribed for exercise-induced asthma.
Inhaler Timing
Although generalized asthma requires using an inhaler once an attack has begun, those with exercise-induced asthma may be able to prevent attacks by proactively using the inhaler before exercise, advises MayoClinic.com. Using an inhaler before exercise may enable you to engage in sports or a workout for several hours. If your exercise-induced asthma is not severe, this may be sufficient to manage your condition.
Warnings
Unlike traditional asthma, exercise-induced asthma rarely causes death. However, if your inhaler is not providing sufficient relief or if you are having asthma attacks on a frequent basis, see your doctor. You may need to add a long-term asthma medication for more constant relief of symptoms. Inhalers can cause long-term damage to the lungs when used too often.
