Exercise-Induced Asthma

As practice for marathons, football and other fall sports begins this month, athletes, coaches, trainers and parents should learn to recognize the signs of exercise-induced asthma.

Exercise-Induced Asthma (EIA) affects up to 20% of competitive athletes and 90% of asthmatics. Unrecognized, EIA can make it hard to breathe. Untreated, it can lead to death.

"Asthma can affect both summer and winter athletes, but it does not have to hinder overall athletic performance if proper treatment and medication are used," said Dr Summit Shah of Will County Medical Associates. "Knowing limitations is key to controlling exercise-induced asthma."

The signs of EIA are:

- Difficulty breathing 6 to 8 minutes after you stop exercising.
- Coughing or wheezing (a whistling sound while breathing) when exercising.
- Having a tight feeling in your chest.
- Feeling extremely tired or short of breath after exercising.

"People with EIA have airways that are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and humidity," Dr Shah said. "During exercise, people tend to breathe through their mouths, allowing dry air to reach the lower airways without passing through the nose, which naturally warms and humidifies the air before it reaches the lungs."

In addition to mouth breathing, air pollutants and pollen counts, both of which tend to be higher during the late summer than at other times of the year, and viral respiratory tract infections can increase the severity of wheezing when exercising.

Managing asthma in athletes
Most asthmatics, whether athletes or not, use two medications. One is a daily, long-acting medication that controls the bronchial inflammation at the root of asthma. The other is an inhaled, short-acting medication. This medication relieves acute asthma symptoms.

EIA can be effectively treated by following this basic treatment checklist:
- Use a fast-acting inhaler 15 minutes prior to exercise. This will help ease attacks, and lasts between 4-6 hours.
- Warm up for 6-10 minutes before beginning a full exercise program.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- If symptoms arise, stop exercising.
- Cool down at the end of your exercise.


"Regardless of the medicines you use, it's important to talk to your physician about using daily medication that treats the underlying asthma, and to use good technique with your inhaled medicines," Dr Shah said.

With proper medication and treatment, people with EIA can participate in any sport, though some activities are considered better for people with EIA. Sports with intermittent periods of activity, such as swimming, baseball, wrestling, golfing, walking, leisure biking, hiking, and downhill skiing, are less likely to cause asthma symptoms, as they allow you to regain control of your breathing. Many asthmatics have found that with proper training and medical treatment, they are able to excel as runners or even basketball players.

Famous athletes with asthma include:

- Jerome Bettis, NFL football player
- Kurt Grote, Olympic medalist, swimming
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic medalist, track and field
- Greg Louganis, Olympic medalist, diving
- Hakeem Olajuwon, NBA basketball player
- Joanna Zeiger, Olympic triathlete

If you believe you have exercise-induced asthma, or you think your asthma is becoming unmanageable, you should be examined by an allergist/immunologist. After taking a detailed history and examining you, your doctor will assess your asthma triggers as well as help you design an asthma management plan.