Exercise-induced Asthma

GENERAL INFORMATION:

What is it?

• Exercise-induced asthma (AZ-muh) is also called EIA. EIA is a narrowing of the airways (tubes that bring air to your lungs) caused by heavy exercise. Heavy exercise causes you to breathe fast, deep and heavy. This type of breathing quickly cools and dries out the airways leading to your lungs. For some people, cooling and drying of the airways may cause bronchospasm (BRONG-koh-spazm). During bronchospasm, smooth muscles tighten like rubber bands around your airways. This tightening makes the airways too narrow and makes it hard to breathe. EIA is sometimes called exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB).
  
  
• Many people with EIA are already being treated for asthma problems. Some people have bronchospasm, but do not have regular problems with asthma. You may feel like giving up exercise altogether because of your EIA, but this is not a good idea. Exercise is important to help you stay healthy. Caregivers will work with you to treat and prevent your EIA so that you can continue exercising.

What causes EIA? EIA is most often caused by deep, fast breathing from doing heavy exercise. You may get EIA because you did very heavy exercise rather than continuous mild exercise. You may have exercised too much. Your EIA may be made worse by some of the following:

• Breathing in allergens (things you are allergic to) while you exercise. Common allergens include pollen, grasses, weeds, or dust. Breathing in substances that you know make your asthma worse, or that trigger (start) an asthma attack while you exercise. Common triggers may include air pollution or tobacco smoke.
  
  
• Exercising in cool, dry air. You may be more likely to get EIA while doing cold weather sports or activities. These may include cross-country skiing, ice skating, and running outdoors in cold weather.

What are the signs and symptoms of EIA? Signs and symptoms of EIA may happen during heavy exercise. You may have one or more of the following signs and symptoms of EIA:

• Chest tightness.
  
  
• Coughing.
  
  
• Get tired easily during exercise.
  
  
• Lack of interest in heavy exercise or activities. This may be a symptom of EIA, especially in children.
  
  
• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing.
  
  
• Wheezing (high-pitched or whistling sound while you breathe).

How is EIA diagnosed? Your caregiver will ask you questions and do a medical exam. Different kinds of exercise tests can be done to learn if you have EIA. During an exercise challenge test, caregivers may test how well you can breathe air out of your lungs. You may blow hard into a tube that is connected to a machine called a spirometer (spy-ROM-e-ter). You may blow into the spirometer before, during, and after exercise. During other exercise tests, caregivers may measure how well you pass oxygen from your heart and lungs to your blood. You may need to walk on a treadmill or ride an exercise bike during your exercise tests. You may run outside on a track during the tests. You may need allergy tests if your caregiver thinks allergies are triggering your EIA.

How is EIA treated? It is important to work closely with your caregiver to help control your asthma. EIA can usually be controlled by taking medicine, avoiding asthma triggers, and knowing your EIA signs and symptoms. The following may help you manage EIA:

• Take your medicine. You may take regular medicines to control your asthma. Keeping your asthma under control helps you to control or prevent your EIA. There are two main groups of asthma medicines.
  
  
  • Quick-relief medicine: You may take quick-relief medicines called bronchodilators (brong-koh-deye-LAY-tohrs). Bronchodilators quickly relax muscles that have tightened around the airways. This opens the airways to help you breathe more easily. Your caregiver may give you a quick-relief medicine to take 15 to 30 minutes before you start exercising. This may help to control or prevent EIA signs and symptoms. Quick-relief medicines are often taken by using an inhaler.
    
    
  • Long-term control medicine: You may use these medicines every day to decrease or prevent inflammation (in-flah-MAY-shun) (swelling of the airways). These medicines may help keep the smooth muscles from tightening around the airways. Do not stop taking your regular asthma medicines without your caregiver's OK. Stopping on your own can cause problems.
  
  
• Watch for early warning signs of EIA. Know the signs and symptoms of EIA and watch for them as you exercise. Then you can treat yourself quickly and prevent the EIA from getting worse.
  
  
• Use a peak flow meter. A peak flow meter can measure how well you are breathing before and after exercise. A peak flow meter is a small tube with a measuring scale or "meter" (like a ruler) on the side. You take a deep breath and blow hard into the tube. The meter on the side lets you know how well you are breathing. It can help show if you are breathing OK or if your EIA is getting worse. Ask your caregiver how often you should use a peak flow meter to check your breathing. A lower peak flow reading may be an early warning sign of EIA.

How can I help prevent EIA and bronchospasm? Work with your caregiver to learn what your triggers are. You may help prevent EIA and bronchospasm if you do the following:

• Use your medicines exactly as ordered by your caregiver. Take medicine before you start exercising if ordered by your caregiver.
  
  
• Warm up before and cool down after exercise to help prevent bronchospasm. Warm up before exercising. Do light exercise such as walking or stretching for 10 minutes, then stop. Wait at least 30 minutes. Then begin to do your regular exercise. Cool down for at least 10 minutes after heavy exercise. For example, if you have been running, walk (to cool down) for at least 10 minutes.
  
  
• Exercise in warm, humid air. Swimming is a great exercise for people with EIA. This is because the air around an indoor pool is warm and humid.
  
  
• Wait at least two hours after eating before you start heavy exercise. Certain foods, such as shrimp, peanuts, and egg whites, may trigger EIA in some people.
  
  
• Avoid exercising outside during the afternoon and evening. This is when air pollution, pollen, mold, and ozone counts are the highest, making EIA more likely to happen.
  
  
• Go regularly for medical check-ups. Caregivers will help you learn when you should not exercise. Do not exercise when your peak flow numbers are low or when your asthma is not under control. Do not exercise if you feel signs and symptoms of EIA before you have even started exercising.
  
  
• Cover your mouth and nose with a scarf or mask when exercising outside in cold weather.
  
  
• If you smoke, you should quit. If you have trouble quitting, talk to your caregiver about ways to quit. If someone in your family smokes, they should smoke outside and away from you.
  
  
• Write an action plan. Have a meeting with your caregiver. Write down how to manage your asthma and what to do if you have EIA. Keep a copy of the written action plan with you all the time. Give copies to your school, coaches, close friends, and family members. Then they will know how to help you when your asthma gets worse or if you get EIA.

Where can I go for support and information? You may feel scared, confused, and anxious because of your EIA. You may blame yourself and think you have done something wrong. These feelings are normal. Talk about them with your caregiver or with someone close to you. Ask your caregiver about support groups for people with EIA. Such a group can give you support and information. Call or write the following groups for more information.

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
  555 E. Wells St, Suite 1100
  Milwaukee, WI 53202-3823
  Phone: 1-800-822-2762
  Web Address: http://www.aaaai.org
  

• American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
  85 West Algonquin Road, Suite 550
  Arlington Heights, IL 60005
  Phone: 1-847-4271200
  Phone: 1-800-8427777
  Web Address: www.acaai.org
  

• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
  1233 20th Street NW, Suite 402
  Washington,, DC 20036
  Phone: 1-800-727-8462
  Web Address: http://aafa.org
  

Risks: You could die if you do not take your asthma medicine and follow your EIA treatment plan. Call your caregiver if you are worried or have questions about your medicine or care.

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

Link to this page

Printable Version

Email Page