Causes and Treatment of Exercise Induced Asthma

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Asthma is a disease of the lung that is usually either inherited or it may develop as a severe allergic reaction to a variety of causes. Not everyone who has allergies develops asthma though and not everyone who has asthma has allergies. It is a chronic inflammatory disease 3,5 and it can be very frustrating and difficult to live with if not treated properly. Exercise induced asthma (EIA) is also known as exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). The term exercise induced asthma has been around for quite some time and has been described with symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, tight feeling in the chest and fatigue. 1,2,3,4 It is usually defined by the following or some close variant: “a condition in which vigorous physical activity triggers acute airway narrowing in people with heightened airway reactivity.”3,4

The overall commonness of exercise induced asthma seems to be increasing. It is being diagnosed similarly in children as well as adults at rates that are as low as 4% and as high as 20% of the general population.3,4,5 Added to that is the fact that it is being observed that athletes, especially elite athletes, have a much higher rate of exercise induced asthma occurrences. These numbers show that this group of people who experience exercise induced asthma is between 11% and 50% of the general population.5 And in addition to these findings, the number of people who are diagnosed with asthma who also experience exercise induced asthma are reported to be between 50% and 100% in some studies.3,4

The assumed etiology of exercise induced asthma has two basic theories. One theory concerns the water content of the air that is being breathed in to the lungs (dry) and the other theory concern...

... middle of paper ...

...ns can be started immediately. This will help with the issue and help the person feel better and have a better quality of life.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Hansen-Flaschen J, Schotland H. New Treatments for Exercise-Induced Asthma. New England Journal of Medicine. July 16, 1998:192, 193.

2. Leski M. Exercise-induced Asthma. Southern Medical Journal. September 2004;97(9):859-860.

3. Joyner B, Fiorino E, Matta-Arroyo E, Needleman J. Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Children and Adolescents with Asthma Who Report Symptoms of Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction. Journal Of Asthma. November 2006;43(9):675-678.

4. Massie J. Exercise-Induced Asthma in Children. Pediatric Drugs. April 2002;4(4):267-278.

5. Ali Z, Norsk P, Ulrik C. Mechanisms and Management of Exercise-Induced Asthma in Elite Athletes. Journal Of Asthma. June 2012;49(5):480-486.

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