Adult Onset Asthma and Exercise
Q: I had asthma as a child but "outgrew it". I've recently started running for exercise and am having a lot of trouble breathing. Has my asthma come back or is it something else? Should I lay off the running and give my lungs a break?
A: Most folks with asthma as children also have asthma as adults, but they may have learned to avoid the factors which trigger their asthma. About half of adults with asthma have allergic triggers, but the vast majority have exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) when they exercise vigorously in cold or dry air. Your symptoms shortly after a bout of exercise sound just like EIB (not poor conditioning).
Are you currently taking any asthma medications? Consider going to an allergist or pulmonary doc and asking for a new asthma evaluation, which will probably include spirometry. Once asthma is confirmed as the cause of your exercise symptoms, the doctor will probably prescribe an inhaled corticosteroid and an albuterol (rescue) inhaler. Using the albuterol 5-20 minutes BEFORE you begin your exercise is highly likely to prevent EIB. If not, there are several other approaches to prevent it (see my FAQs). Please let us know the results.
Related Topics: Worst 100 Cities for Asthma, Everyday Pain Relief with Asthma
Technorati Tags: asthma, outgrowingasthma, asthmainhalers
A: Most folks with asthma as children also have asthma as adults, but they may have learned to avoid the factors which trigger their asthma. About half of adults with asthma have allergic triggers, but the vast majority have exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) when they exercise vigorously in cold or dry air. Your symptoms shortly after a bout of exercise sound just like EIB (not poor conditioning).
Are you currently taking any asthma medications? Consider going to an allergist or pulmonary doc and asking for a new asthma evaluation, which will probably include spirometry. Once asthma is confirmed as the cause of your exercise symptoms, the doctor will probably prescribe an inhaled corticosteroid and an albuterol (rescue) inhaler. Using the albuterol 5-20 minutes BEFORE you begin your exercise is highly likely to prevent EIB. If not, there are several other approaches to prevent it (see my FAQs). Please let us know the results.
Related Topics: Worst 100 Cities for Asthma, Everyday Pain Relief with Asthma
Technorati Tags: asthma, outgrowingasthma, asthmainhalers
3 Comments:
Thank you for your insight on outgrowing asthma. I for years thought I out grew it relying on the occasional Albuteral for emergencies which were weeks if not months in between. I know for a fact that I didn't avoid my allergens. In fact that is WHY I thought I out grew the condition/disease. Then living in NYC after 9/11, it came back with a vengance and I've had to be on Cortico steriods and frequent use of my emergency inhaler. I have a question, now that my have a reaquainted myself with a daily medication routine. What is the acceptable heart rate scale for someone with asthma who primes for a workout with an albuteral use. Resting/exercising? It is so hard to find this kind of specific, yet important information for the millions of asthma sufferers like me. I do not include my age on purpose so that a chart like the one for normal people can be created/distributed.
I never had asthma as a child or adult until I was diagnosed 2 years ago after complaining that I wasn't brethaing the same way I used to, and my voice was much softer. Could it be as a result of the 9/11 pollution? I live and work 5 miles from there, although I was 3 miles away at the time.
I'm not sure if my breathing problem is Adult Onset Asthma and/or EIA. I recently had an EKG and chest x-ray and everything was fine. I will probably be going to an pulonary specialist next. I have breathing probs only when I exert myself for anything here lately. At first it was when I was exercising (inclines especially) but now it's gotten worse w/like I said any exertion I do. I never had as a child. I'm now 57 and this only started often and own since last year. My mom had asthma as a child and my daughter had the EIA but has outgrown it. Does this seem to be my problem or do you see signs of something else? Any help is greatly appreciated.
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