Exercise-induced asthma -- EIA -- occurs when your airways tighten and produce extra mucus. Most people experience episodes of exercise-induced asthma, also called exercise-induced bronchospasm, shortly after they finish exercising. But they can also happen during your session. The most pronounced symptoms of this condition are wheezing, coughing and tightness in the chest, but EIA can cause less pronounced symptoms, including a tendency to develop frequent colds.
Identification
Since frequent colds can occur for a variety of reasons, from exposure to numerous cold viruses to a weakened immune system caused by stress or poor nutrition, your doctor will need to look at other symptoms and risk factors to diagnose EIA. Risk factors that make you more prone to the condition, reports MayoClinic.com, include hay fever or other allergies, a diagnosis of regular asthma, a family history of asthma, smoking, obesity and being a child -- children experience EIA more frequently than adults do.
Misconceptions
A diagnosis of EIA doesn't mean you should stop exercising. Regular exercise can help you fight off the frequent colds associated with the condition by boosting your immune system and strengthening your breathing muscles. As long as your EIA is under control, the Canadian Lung Association indicates that you should be able to exercise and participate in sports. Sports with a slower pace and regular downtime, such as swimming and baseball, often work better for people with EIA than sports that keep you moving constantly, like basketball and running.
Treatment
Frequent colds can cause upper respiratory infections that require antibiotic treatment. Your doctor will treat these before creating a management plan for your asthma. MayoClinic.com indicates that many people with EIA successfully manage their condition by using a quick-relief inhaler -- full of bronchodilator medications -- 10 to 15 minutes before their exercise session. These medications can usually keep your airways open and clear for several hours. In more severe cases, treatment with long-term control medications, such as inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers or combination inhalers might help.
Prevention/Solution
Proper treatment and precautions can help you keep your EIA under control. Always warm up for 15 minutes before starting an exercise session. Do not exercise while you have a cold or respiratory infection. Exercise in a humid environment, if possible, such as a gym with an indoor pool or a trail alongside a river or lake. If you exercise in cold or dry air, wear a scarf or mask over your nose and breathe through your nose, not your mouth. This warms the air up before it hits your lungs.
Warning
Failing to properly treat and control EIA can cause poor athletic performance and a permanent narrowing of the airways. The frequent colds and breathing complications caused by the condition can lead to emergency room visits and hospitalizations. See your doctor if you continue to get frequent colds even after seeking treatment for EIA or if you use your quick-relief inhaler more than three times a week.
