Symptoms of exercise-induced asthma

Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is asthma triggered by vigorous or prolonged physical activity. Most people with chronic asthma experience symptoms with exercise. In addition, numerous people without chronic asthma develop symptoms only during exercise.

Health Tips from Dr. Healy: Video: How to keep your asthmatic child out of the hospital Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control Latest News: Study shows certain asthma drugs raise the risk of a severe attack See the top websites for information about allergies and asthma More about allergies & asthma Asthma-Related Clinical Trials Information Email this page Print this section

During normal breathing, inhaled air is first warmed and moistened by the nasal passages. During exercise, people tend to breathe through the mouth, resulting in the inhalation of colder and drier air. In exercise-induced asthma, the muscle bands around the airways are sensitive to these changes in temperature and humidity and react by contracting, or spasming. The narrowed airway leads to coughing, tightness in the chest, wheezing, unusual fatigue during exercise, and shortness of breath. Symptoms may be exacerbated by pollens and pollutants in the air and by upper-respiratory infections.

The symptoms of exercise-induced asthma generally begin within five to 20 minutes after the start of physical activity or five to 10 minutes after brief exercise has stopped. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms with physical exertion, inform your physician, who can advise you on how to control them. Physical activity should not be avoided because of exercise-induced asthma.