Does your chest feel tight during exercise? Do you have trouble catching your breath or do you cough during exercise? If you answered yes, you could have exercise-induced brochospasm, more commonly referred to as exercise incuded asthma (EIA). Approximately 10 percent of people within the US have EIA, and it simply means breathing problems brought on by exercise. Most people with asthma have exercise induced asthma, but it’s also possible to experience EIA and not have asthma.
Symptoms of EIA include:
- shortness of breath
- wheezing or noisy breathing
- coughing
- trouble getting a breath
- chest tightness
- unusual fatigue while exercising
When you exercise hard doing things such as running, skiing, biking or aerobic exercise, you typically breathe more rapidly. This fast breathing can make your lungs’ airways dry and irritated. As a result, the airways narrow, making it harder to get air in and out of the lungs. This more frequently happens when exercising in cold, dry air or when there is a sudden change in humidity or temperature.
Management of exercise-induced asthma is usually preventive. This includes:
- Avoid exercise in cold, dry environments.
- Breathe through the nose to warm and moisten the air or use a face mask or scarf which can help trap moisture and keep the air warmer.
- Use a pre-medication plan.
- Warm-up with exercise at least 5-15 minutes before the activity.
- Avoid running outdoors on high pollen or mold days (i.e., windy days in the spring and fall) if allergic, as well as asthmatic,
- Avoid running activities if peak flow is __________ or below ___________.
- Avoid running or strenuous activity for one week following an asthma episode or until the peak flow has stabilized.
