|
Occasionally asthma attack happen only during, or shortly
after, exercise. Initially,
doctors thought this was a
different form of asthma,
an entirely different form,
but it is now known that it
is common for people with
asthma to have asthma attacks
during exercise. These people
do have asthma that is triggered
by the exercising, however
the asthma is not caused by
exercising. In other words,
the asthma existed in the
person BEFORE the exercise,
however it is a mild case
of asthma, which is brought
out by the heavier, faster
breathing brought on by exercise.
Doctors used to puzzle about
why children got exercise-induced
asthma much more than adults.
Research into this revealed
the simple truth that the
majority of adults don't exercise
or play as children do. Increased
breathing during exercise
causes cooling and drying
of the lining of the air passages,
which can trigger exercise-induced
asthma. This explains why
warm moist air protects against
exercise-induced asthma and
why swimming is better exercise
for an asthmatic than running,
or biking. Exercise-induced
asthma can be useful for asthma
research and diagnosing asthma
in children. It can be used
for testing the effectiveness
of new medicines that may
help treat asthma in the future.
With exercise of six minutes
a child is often breathing
hard enough and fast enough
to bring on a “mild” asthma.
“This is very safe” and this
has brought on early and appropriate
advice and treatment for many
asthmatics. It can cause athletes
a particular problem which
is why some cross-country
skiers wear breathing masks
which store some body heat
and moisture from the air
they breathe out and return
it to the air they breathe
in. Swimmers are fortunate
in that, especially with indoor
pools, the air surrounding
them is moist and warm. However
it is also common that asthmatic
professional athletes must
be careful with their medications
as it may lead to disqualification.
However, all the ordinary
asthma medicines and treatments,
used for management, are acceptable
to sporting bodies. Learn
More About Symptoms and How
You Can Treat and Live with
Asthma at Exercise for People
with Asthma |
