Asthma is commonly caused by the airways narrowing intermittently in response to various stimuli. This leads to a reduced airflow rate and various symptoms. Wheezing, chest tightness, coughing, dyspnea, and lung inflammation are all examples of what the patient can experience. One known trigger of this condition is exercise. This trigger makes asthma a particular problem for athletes who suffer from asthma. Currently, there’s no known cure for asthma. The key to a full life with this condition is management.

Standard Methods For Athletes to Manage Their Asthma

Managing asthma can be simple, especially if you’re familiar with your most common triggers. The majority of asthma management involves the use of medication in the form of inhalers. There are other ways you can combat this condition as well. We’ll start with discussing inhalers and move on to other methods.

• Use An Inhaler: Inhalers are one of the most reliable ways of managing asthma symptoms. The medication contains terbutaline or salbutamol. Both are beta-agonist bronchodilators and are effective in 80-90% of all patients with exercise-induced asthma. You can take it up to 15 minutes before exercise begins as a preventative therapy. When taken in this manner, you can prevent asthma attacks for 4-6 hours. In cases where asthma attacks occur anyway, other factors are likely involved.
• Exercise More: This may seem counter-intuitive, but increasing the amount of exercise you get can reduce problems with exercise-induced asthma. However, numerous factors make this relevant. Reduced physical activity and obesity have both been tied to more significant incidents of asthma attacks in all sufferers. Those who also engage in athletic activity find that as their amount of exercise increases, their number of attacks decreases.
• Contact Governing Bodies: This is specifically relevant for those who engage in sports as a professional at any level. Some asthma medications are not permitted for use in professional sports scenarios due to their performance-enhancing benefits. Therapeutic Use Exemptions are available, but you must arrange them before their use during governed events.
• Take Preventative Steps: Asthma attacks are triggered by factors such as cold weather or dry air. As previously mentioned, taking your medication before exercising is another crucial step. To address cold and dry weather, many patients report that wearing a mouth covering of some kind limits the number of attacks.

These steps can help you manage your exercise-induced asthma effectively. Your asthma specialist can provide additional guidance. Every individual’s experience with asthma is different. Knowing your experience can help you avoid these attacks.

Schedule Your Next Asthma Consultation Today!

There’s nothing so important to improve your experience with asthma as working closely with a professional trained for the task. Your allergy and asthma professional can help you build a plan for managing your daily symptoms. They’ll also be an essential resource if you find that you need to seek a therapeutic use exception. Don’t let asthma interfere with pursuing an active lifestyle.