When track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma in 1982, her first reaction was to ignore the diagnosis. She finally accepted the fact that she would have to manage her asthma or else she might die -- and she became an Olympic gold medalist. According to a 2006 "Medical News Today" article, exercise-induced asthma affects one out of every six Olympic athletes. If you also experience exercise-induced asthma, learn to manage the condition so your workouts won't suffer.
Exercise-Induced Asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung disease, in which exposure to various "triggers" -- such as exercise, chemicals, weather changes, smoke, and mold -- can result in your airways temporarily swelling up inside. Once the swelling takes place, you may experience shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, chest pain and fatigue. If you have exercise-induced asthma, your symptoms may strike during or after an exercise session, and you may also be sensitive to other triggers.
History
Exercise-induced asthma was identified in the 17th century by an Italian physician Bernardino Ramazzini, one of the founders of occupational medicine. As described in a 1991 "Clinical Rheumatology" article, Ramazzini wrote a treatise titled "Diseases of Workers," in which he also commented on diseases of athletes, noting that "runners suffer from hernia and from asthma, an ailment that we very often observe in racehorses."
Diagnosis
If you are having breathing problems during or after exercise, visit your primary-care physician to make sure that you are not suffering from other illnesses. You will then be referred to a pulmonary specialist, who will perform a thorough examination of your breathing. A peak flow meter will measure the amount of air in your lungs when you blow into it. The specialist will likely prescribe lung inhalers, nasal inhalers or pills for you to try.
Daily Management
Take medications exactly as prescribed, and do not skip any doses. Keep a daily written record of your asthma symptoms and peak flow meter readings, so that your pulmonary specialist can see whether your lungs are improving. If a medication does not seem to be working or your peak flow meter readings suddenly worsen, let your pulmonary specialist know immediately so that a different medication can be prescribed.
Exercise Cautions
Stopping exercise because it causes asthma would be an unhealthy choice. Instead, consider the suggestions given in "Exercise-Induced Asthma: Recognizing and Managing the Problem," a prepared by athletic trainers at Richard Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey. The trainers suggest performing some stretches and light activity a half-hour to an hour before any intense exercise. Take medication, such as puffing on an inhaler, about 15 minutes before beginning intensive exercise. After finishing intensive exercise, spend 15 minutes in a gradual cool-down, engaging in walking and stretching. Exercise indoors during high air pollution days. Consider wearing a mask over your mouth and nose while exercising during cold weather.
References
- Cure Autoimmunity: Asthma Stories: Jackie Joyner Kersee
- Medical News Today: Exercise-Induced Asthma Common Among Olympic Athletes
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise-Induced Asthma
- "Clinical Rheumatology"; Bernardino Ramazzini; Dr. W. Watson Buchanan; 1991
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: Asthma - a Disease of Antiquity
- Richard Stockton College: Exercise-Induced Asthma: Recognizing and Managing the Problem
