A guide to exercise-induced asthma

Exercise-induced asthma refers to a flare-up of asthma symptoms during exercise or tasks that are physically demanding.

Symptoms can come into effect within minutes of physical exertion. Or, you might feel the effects up to 15 minutes after your workout is complete.

This condition can also be referred to as exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). This avoids any confusion that exercise itself causes asthma. In this instance, exercise is a trigger.

Signs of EIB vary from person to person. But are most common symptoms include:

• frequently stopping exercise so that you can catch your breath
• feeling that you need to use your reliever inhaler
• shortness of breath
• wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe)
• long periods of coughing fits
• tightness in your chest making it difficult to take in deep breaths

If you experience these symptoms during exercise, you should stop what you’re doing and use your blue (reliever) inhaler.

When you start exercising your muscles need more oxygen. To achieve this, you start to breathe through your mouth rather than your nose.

By breathing in through your mouth, you breathe in air that's colder and drier than normal. This can irritate your airways.

For asthma sufferers, this irritation causes the airways to become narrower, leading to breathlessness, coughing and wheezing. This is more likely to occur during intense activity.

Exercising outdoors may also trigger your asthma if there are high levels of pollution or pollen in the air, as these are also irritants.

It is perfectly safe to exercise as someone who is asthmatic if you take preventative measures and only do certain exercises.

Regular exercise can be beneficial for asthma sufferers. Cardio, strength training and the use of your lungs can help increase your lung capacity. This increases the amount of oxygen you can breathe in - improving asthma symptoms in the long term.

Exercise is also beneficial for improving circulation, heart health and weight loss. The good news is that doesn’t need to be avoided if you have asthma.

If you get asthma flare-ups during exercise, ensure that you are using your asthma medication. This includes using your preventative (brown) inhaler daily, or as much as your doctor has told you to do so.

Asthma must be properly treated. That way, you’re more likely to stay in control of your symptoms and avoid emergencies such as asthma attacks.

As well as taking your prescribed medication, the following steps can make exercising with asthma easier:

• warm up with gentle exercise for about 15 minutes before starting more vigorous physical activity
• try breathing through your nose rather than your mouth
• cover your mouth and nose with a scarf if you’re exercising outdoors during cold weather
• take over-the-counter antihistamines if the pollen count is high and you have seasonal allergies

Different types of breathing can also help to manage wheeziness and any shortness of breath. Before you start to exercise, you might consider trying any of the following breathing exercises:

• Pursed-lip breathing: Inhale through your nose and hold your breath for a couple of seconds. Proceed to slowly exhale through your mouth (purse your lips like you’re blowing out a candle). Repeat as many times as you like.
• Diaphragmatic breathing: Breathe in as deeply as you can, so that your stomach raises upon inhale. Hold your breath and then slowly exhale. Aim to do 10 of these long breaths.
• Buteyko breathing: Exhale the air from your lungs and hold your breath (pinch your nose with your thumb and forefinger). Keep hold of your breath until you feel the urge to inhale again. Breathe normally for 10 seconds and then repeat.

The following exercises may cause less breathing difficulties if you struggle with exercise-induced asthma:

• indoor exercises where the air is warmer and more humid
• team sports (football, hockey, netball) that involve short bursts of exercise rather than continuous activity
• less strenuous exercise such as walking or hiking
• indoor swimming (where the air is humid and warm)

If possible, try and avoid vigorous activities such as:

• running
• sprinting
• interval training
• outdoor activities (especially during the winter months)

By taking extra precautions, you can safely exercise on a regular basis without struggling with asthma symptoms.

Remember the following:

Managing exercise-induced asthma

Regularly use your preventative inhaler and bring your reliever inhaler just in case.
Warm up for 15 minutes before doing more intense exercise.
Choose less strenuous exercise (like walking and hiking over running).
Exercise indoors where the air is warmer and more humid.
Cover your mouth and nose with a scarf if you choose to exercise outdoors.

At euroClinix, we sell a variety of different asthma inhalers. Prices include a free consultation with one of our registered doctors, as well as free delivery.