How To Tell If You Have Asthma When Running

Asthma And Breathing Exercises

Exercising can be more challenging when you have asthma, especially if youre worried it might set off an asthma attack. But exercise is beneficial for your overall health and your asthma. In fact, having regular exercise could result in improving your asthma symptoms, as increasing your heart rate helps improve your lung power, boost stamina and reduce breathlessness.

In addition, regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of an asthma attack. Exercising also releases chemicals in your brain called endorphins, which can raise your mood and help you feel better.

The best types to do if you have asthma are:

• Swimming the warm moist air in a swimming pool is asthma-friendly. Swimming is a good low-impact cardiovascular workout that helps the whole of your body and especially the muscles you use for breathing.
• Walking walking is a great way to improve your fitness, especially if you need to build up slowly.
• Cycling steady cycling can improve movement and endurance levels, without overstraining the lungs.
• Jogging jogging can help strengthen the muscles you use for breathing, as well as improve your fitness as a whole.
• Team sports team sports that involve short bursts of physical activity, such as netball, volleyball, football or athletics can be good choices to try.

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Asthma Isnt An Excuse Not To Work Out

• Warm up and cool down before exercising. This will help you lungs get acclimated to the air.
• Avoid working out during cold weather. If you do, cover your mouth and nose.
• Avoid working out when you have a cold or viral infection.
• Always use your inhaler or prescribed medication before you work out.

You shouldnt use EIB as an excuse not to work out and get exercise. Its likely possible as long as you work with your doctor, find a regimen that works for you and take any medication as necessary, said EXPERT. Dr. Navitha Ramesh is a pulmonologist at Geisinger Wyoming Valley. To schedule an appointment, call 800-275-6401.

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Who Is Affected By Eib

People with asthma account for 90 percent of EIB cases, but 10 percent of those with EIB are healthy otherwise and only experience the symptoms while exercising.

Elite athletes who do not have asthma can be affected by EIB, especially those who participate in endurance sports, such as running, cycling and winter sports. Studies have found that as many as 30 to 70 percent of elite or Olympic-level athletes experience EIB. These numbers vary depending on the temperature, pollutants and intensity of activity.

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How Do You Treat Exercise

• Is struggling to breathe
• Canââ¬â¢t walk or talk
• Shows other signs of a severe attack

1. Stop the activity.

• Have the person sit down and rest.

2. Follow the personââ¬â¢s asthma plan, if possible.

• Find out if the person has an individualized asthma action plan from a doctor.
• If so, follow its directions.

3. Give asthma first aid.

• If the person doesn’t have an asthma plan:
• For a child, follow directions for first aid and using an inhaler in Acute Asthma Attack Treatment for Children.

4. Resume activity when itââ¬â¢s safe.

• Wait until the person can breathe easily and is symptom-free before resuming exercise.
• If symptoms return when person starts exercise again, repeat treatment and stop exercise for rest of day.

5. Follow up.

• If symptoms do not improve with treatment, call the person’s doctor for advice.

If an attack happens at school:

• Notify a school nurse or other designated staff member if the child does not have asthma medication or symptoms do not go away within 5 to 10 minutes after using an inhaler.
• Notify the childââ¬â¢s parents.
• Do not let the child leave the gym or play area alone.

Choose The Right Weather And Season

In general, its the best run in humid and warm conditions.

Pay attention during spring and fall.

Some of you might have pollen or grass sensitivity that triggers asthma.

If you have to run outside in the cold, put on a scarf or facemask to cover your mouth and nose this helps warm the air up before it reaches your lungs, preventing it from irritating your airways.

Or, jump on the treadmillindoor running is less like to induce an asthma attack.

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How To Relax The Airways

Dr. Thiruchelvam says the primary goal is to ensure that you dont avoid exercise. Here are some practical things you can do if you have exercise-induced asthma:

Gaining and maintaining good control over exercise-induced asthma often requires teamwork. A primary care sports medicine physician can help you keep your asthma well-controlled, so that exercise is less likely to trigger symptoms.

What Are Symptoms Of Exercise

If you have EIB, youll likely experience one or a combination of four symptoms: shortness of breath, a dry, non-productive cough, chest tightness, or wheezing .

Some of these symptomssay, trouble catching your breathcan be easy to confuse with the effects of just pushing yourself too hard, or being a little out of shape. So how can you tell if its EIB?

Typically, symptoms of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction are pretty precisely-timed. They tend to begin during the first six to eight minutes of exercise, and peak five to 10 minutes post-workout, says Wang. Thats because, initially, exercise expands the airways. But as you continue to move with EIB, or when you stop, your airways can constrict more than usual.

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If you have EIB, symptoms usually subside within 30 to 60 minutes, he adds. Thats different than a short-term exertion, like if youre pushing yourself really hard in a sprint. In that case, youll regain your breath much faster than this, Wang notes.

If youve done your run and shortly following your run, your chest is tight, maybe youre coughing a little bit, that should go away, notes Taliercio.

If those symptoms persist after that time frame, or get worseespecially if you have a history or asthma and have used a quick-acting inhalerthey may be signs of an asthma attack. In that case, you should seek immediate medical attention, as it can be life-threatening if not treated, notes Wang.

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Find The Right Activity For You

There are no bad activities for people with asthma. And you dont have to sign up for a marathon taking a daily walk, playing more vigorously with your kids or grandchildren, or doing some gardening all count.

Even just sitting down a little less during your day has major health benefits.

People with asthma tell us they enjoy:

• Walking, especially with a walking group, because of the other benefits like being outside and meeting people
• Yoga and tai chi because they let you set the pace and relax, as well as helping with breathing control
• Some people with asthma say swimming really helps, but others report that the chlorine makes their symptoms flare up
• NHS programmes like Couch to 5K and Strength and Flex are free, can be done at home, and are designed for absolute beginners
• Walking netball or chair yoga are great for building up your confidence there are lots of other modified sports you could try search for inclusive sports groups in your area

What has helped me is to learn exercise can be done in one minute blocks and incorporated into my daily life. Asthma UK Readers Panel member

Out Of Shape Or Exercise

The shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness or coughing that some athletes experience during physical activity often turns out to be exercise-induced asthma.

An Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center study of Ohio State athletes found that about 40 percent of them had exercise-induced asthma. Most of them didnt know they had it or werent receiving treatment for it.

Studies of Olympic athletes found that between 20 and 50 percent of them had exercise-induced asthma. Many of these athletes also didnt know they had the condition.

The symptoms are easily mistaken for simply being out of shape. Some athletes may even think the symptoms are normal physical responses to exertion.

But exercise-induced asthma, or exercised-induced bronchospasm, is a condition for which treatment exists. Getting properly tested and diagnosed can improve your athletic performance and quality of life.

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Pay Attention To Your Body

While its easy to zone out while running, its important to stay in tune with your body.

Make sure that youre familiar with the normal signs of exercising, such as:

You should also know the symptoms of an asthma attack, which arent normal during exercise. They may include:

• breathing that doesnt slow down

Other Exercises Can Help Too

Most asthma experts agree asthmatics should stay active. This is true no matter how severe your asthma is. Some of my asthma friends enjoy walking. Thats fine! Thats great! Sometimes I walk too, others engage in archery and yoga. But if you want to try running, perhaps my tips will help you accomplish your goal.

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Signs That Exercise Is Triggering Your Asthma Symptoms

Whether youre out for a run, playing team sports, or cycling to work, dont ignore important signs like:

• needing to use your reliever inhaler
• stopping to catch your breath.

Exercise or allergy?

• If exercise is the trigger, you might notice symptoms coming on after youve exercised. You may need about 30-60 minutes to recover.

• If an allergy is the trigger, , you might notice symptoms during exercise.

Normal exercise symptoms or asthma symptoms?

Its normal to breathe faster or more deeply when we do any strenuous exercise, whether thats Zumba or running up the stairs.

So how can you tell if youre breathless because of the exertion or because your asthma symptoms are flaring up?

Look out for these asthma signs:

• Feeling very short of breath, or like you cant breathe enough air in
• A tight feeling in your chest.

If you have any of these symptoms when you exercise, see your GP to review your asthma.

Always carry your reliever inhaler

Always have your blue reliever inhaler with you so you can quickly deal with asthma symptoms or an asthma attack. Call 999 if your reliever inhaler is not helping.

What Are The Causes Of Exercise

There are 2 theories about the cause of exercise-induced asthma:

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Build Your Strength Slowly And Steadily

Start slowly and work your way up to higher cardio levels. You can begin with a walking regimen or run only a few minutes at a time. Be willing to admit your limits to yourself, and when youre ready to push them, do it in small increments. Its a gradual process that builds your strength over the long term.

Getting Started Check Your Asthma Health

Its natural to worry that exercising might set off your symptoms, especially if youre recovering from a recent asthma attack.

Looking after your asthma is a vital first step to feeling more confident about getting active.

1) Take your preventer medicine as prescribed

Your preventer inhaler helps soothe the underlying inflammation in your lungs and cuts your risk of an asthma attack.

This means your airways will be less likely to react when you start breathing faster from exertion.

Youll also have more protection from common triggers like pollen, pollution and mould spores.

2) Ask your GP or asthma nurse to support you

They might offer to help you monitor and review your asthma more regularly while you get more active.

You could try asking to be referred to a respiratory physiotherapist who will teach you breathing techniques to help with your asthma, but unfortunately waiting lists are long.

The good news is that following a breathing technique programme has been proven to work as well as seeing a physio in some cases.

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Does Running Help Asthma

Running helps improve your aerobic system and the power and efficiency of your lungs. When youre training correctly , your training will help improve asthma.

However, it might not feel like that in the short-termespecially if you push yourself too hard, too fast, too soon. Give your body time to adapt, and recognize that you have a condition you need to overcome.

That doesnt mean you should stop running because you have asthmanot at all. It just means you need to be more intentional and understanding with your training.

Running In The Morning Is Better Than At Night

When you run in the morning, fewer people are on the roads, which means you can breathe easier. Running when it is dark out usually means more cars on the road, and cars mean pollution. When its 6 am 6 pm , traffic accounts for about 60% of carbon dioxide pollution, so I recommend you definitely run before 6 pm if possible.

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What Treatments Exist

The gold standard of exercised-induced asthma treatment is a prescription albuterol inhaler. You can carry it with you and use it about 15 to 20 minutes before exercise to prevent asthma symptoms. Its an effective treatment for about 80 percent of exercise-induced asthma cases.

Alternative treatments include montelukast sodium and other types of inhalers.

How Long Can Exercise

Exercise-induced asthma can be chronic, which means that a person may experience it every time they exercise. For others, it can be infrequent, or it may only occur when they do certain types of exercise, such as running.

The actual symptoms are typically fairly short-lived. They usually happen during exercise and for around 1015 minutes after stopping.

In rare cases, a person may have a more serious asthma attack that requires emergency treatment. People with asthma should always carry an inhaler for asthma attacks.

A doctor may suspect EIB based on a persons physical history. For example, if the persons wheezing and breathlessness persist despite getting fitter, they may have exercise-induced asthma.

Doctors use two tests to diagnose EIB: spirometry and bronchial provocation tests.

Spirometry measures how much air a person can breathe in and out. A doctor usually performs this test shortly after the person exercises to test for breathing difficulties.

Bronchial provocation tests expose the lungs to an asthma trigger, then use spirometry to see how the lungs react.

According to a 2018 review article , exercise-induced asthma is under-diagnosed and frequently misdiagnosed. Many people assume that wheezing, coughing, and breathlessness are normal parts of exercise and either ignore their symptoms or avoid exercise.

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Tell A Friend Where You Are Going

I always make sure that I tell my boyfriend where I am going and how long I expect to be gone before I head out for a run. Even when I take all of the proper precautions, sometimes an attack just comes out of nowhere. Its a good idea to let people know where youre running and how long youll be gone, in the event that sometime does happen to you. If you have a phone, bring it with you and tell people to check in on you at a certain time.

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How Can I Be Better Prepared To Manage Asthma What Is An Asthma Management Plan

Unfortunately, asthma cannot be cured. This makes it crucial to have your doctor create an asthma action plan to help you stay in control of your asthma.

Your asthma action plan will outline:

• What medication do I need?
• How can I tell if your asthma is getting worse?
• What should I do if my symptoms get worse?
• What can I have an asthma attack?

If your doctor develops an asthma action plan for you, its important to follow your asthma action plan closely. Make sure you carry and take your medications, such as an asthma inhaler.

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When To See Your Doctor

Visit your doctor if you experience symptoms of EIB for the first time.

If youve already been diagnosed with asthma or EIB, see your doctor for regular checkups. This will help your doctor track your progress and adjust your medications as necessary.

Follow up with your doctor if you have EIB and symptoms such as:

Is Running Good For Asthma

Running can even ease your asthma symptoms by strengthening your lungs and reducing inflammation. This can make it easier to enjoy exercise and daily activities. Before starting a running routine, make sure your asthma is well controlled. Your doctor can help you manage your asthma before you hit the pavement.

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