Exercise Info Zone - Health, Fitness, and Exercise
    (Add to Favorites  |  View All Articles  |  Resource Directory)

Tips To Deal with Exercise Induced Asthma


For approximately 80-90% of people that suffer from asthma, exercise can be a strong stimulus for an attack. This syndrome has become known as exercise induced asthma or EIA. The likelihood of an attack is further increased when exercising in cold weather, so this article offers some basic information on exercise-induced asthma and how to prevent or minimize the severity of an attack.

Asthma is a condition where the subject experiences bronchospasms and/or bronchoconstriction - a narrowing of the bronchii (airways) due to excessive smooth muscle contraction, and inflammation. An asthma attack can be very frightening and in severe circumstances, result in death by asphyxiation (suffocation). With the initiation of exercise in healthy individuals and asthmatics, hormones such as adrenaline produce a relaxing effect on the smooth muscles of the airways (bronchodilation). However in asthmatics, this relaxation is followed by bronchospasm and usually begins within 5-15 minutes after exercise.

The reason for this bronchospasm episode is not known exactly, but sports medicine research suggests a strong connection to heat and moisture loss from the cells lining the airways. Air that is inhaled through the mouth must be warmed and humidified before passing further into the lungs. Cold air cannot hold much water vapor, and as a result is also typically dry; so it is suspected that cold-weather exercise/sports may be even more likely to trigger airway constriction. Running in cold weather and sports such as ice hockey are classic examples. Swimming on the other hand is thought to be a relatively safe sport for EIA sufferers.

With winter around the corner, here are a few tips to help minimize the chance of an exercise induced asthma attack.

· Perform an extended warm-up of continuous activity for 15-30 minutes, as this has been shown to produce a "refractory period" where more intense exercise does not trigger as severe an attack. This refractory period may last for up to 2 hours long.

· Try to exercise indoors if possible. If this is not feasible, wear a scarf or something similar over your mouth while you exercise to help retain the warmth and humidity in the respiratory tract.

· If exercising outside, avoid exercising along busy roads where car exhaust fumes and pollution may further aggravate symptoms.

· Always carry bronchodilator medication when exercising

Exercise induced asthma can be an irritation and a potentially deadly situation for the sufferer. Following the tips offered in this article may help relieve or minimize attacks to allow for a more effective exercise session.

David Petersen is an Exercise Physiologist/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles and information can be found at http://www.bossfitness.com

NOTE: You're free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including the author information and all LIVE website links as above.


MORE RESOURCES:

News provided by Yahoo! News and Google News

Simple Tips to keep you fit for a lifetime. - Corsavoo.com

Simple Tips to keep you fit for a lifetime.
Corsavoo.com, France - 19 hours ago
Why is this so? Well basically the traditional viewpoint is that if it's a quick fix it isn’t working. While it would be nice to actually lose some weight ...

Chinese Women Gymnasts Win Gold - Age in Question - AsianWeek

Chinese Women Gymnasts Win Gold - Age in Question
AsianWeek, CA - Aug 15, 2008
A person can eat and exercise healthy but still be slender because of genetics or just how their body is. As for the age rules right now, I don’t believe it ...

Ann Arbor Takes Top Honor as #1 Healthy City to Live and Retire in - AmericaJR.com

AmericaJR.com

Ann Arbor Takes Top Honor as #1 Healthy City to Live and Retire in
AmericaJR.com, MI - Jul 29, 2008
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – AARP The Magazine today announced the top 10 healthiest cities to live and retire in with Ann Arbor, Mich., taking the #1 spot. ...

STAYING FIT AND FABULOUS: Fazlin loses and - New Straits Times

STAYING FIT AND FABULOUS: Fazlin loses and
New Straits Times, Malaysia - Jul 28, 2008
By : SUZANNA PILLAY IF you think losing weight on your own is impossible, Fazlin’s story will inspire you. By eating wiser and diligently working out at the ...

Health and fitness (Northwest Herald)
Exercise Classes Arthritis and just for the health of it chair and more exercise class, 8 to 8:45 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, McHenry County Senior Services Center, 3519 N. Richmond Road, McHenry. Arthritis Foundation certified. Information: 815-344-3555.

Food for your mood - Hindu

Hindu

Food for your mood
Hindu, India - Aug 2, 2008
There is a deadline at work, you feel the pressure mounting and you haven’t had much sleep. You feel tired, petulant and anxious. ...

Health Calendar (The Herald News)
CPR for the health care provider: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 21, Morris Hospital, 150 W. High St. This course teaches the skills of CPR for victims of all ages, use of an automated external defibrillator and relief of foreign body airway obstruction.

Achieving Happiness: Here's how to lose weight - Annapolis Capital

Achieving Happiness: Here's how to lose weight
Annapolis Capital, MD - Aug 17, 2008
By TOM MUHA, For The Capital For many years, experts have debated just how much exercise people need in order to successfully lose weight. ...

Green Hills YMCA expands with exercise space, parking spots (The Tennessean)
The Green Hills Family YMCA has begun a $2.5 million expansion that will add more room for parking, exercise classes and other health-related activities.

home | site map | articles
© 2006