Is Exercise Induced Asthma A Different Form of Asthma?

Occasionally asthma attack happen only during, orExercise-induced asthma can be useful for asthma
shortly after, exercise.research and diagnosing asthma in children.
Initially, doctors thought this was a different formIt can be used for testing the effectiveness of
of asthma, an entirely different form, but it isnew medicines that may help treat asthma in the
now known that it is common for people withfuture.
asthma to have asthma attacks during exercise.With exercise of six minutes a child is often
These people do have asthma that is triggeredbreathing hard enough and fast enough to bring
by the exercising, however the asthma is noton a "mild" asthma. "This is very safe" and this
caused by exercising.has brought on early and appropriate advice and
In other words, the asthma existed in the persontreatment for many asthmatics.
BEFORE the exercise, however it is a mild caseIt can cause athletes a particular problem which is
of asthma, which is brought out by the heavier,why some cross-country skiers wear breathing
faster breathing brought on by exercise.masks which store some body heat and moisture
Doctors used to puzzle about why children gotfrom the air they breathe out and return it to the
exercise-induced asthma much more than adults.air they breathe in.
Research into this revealed the simple truth thatSwimmers are fortunate in that, especially with
the majority of adults don't exercise or play asindoor pools, the air surrounding them is moist and
children do.warm.
Increased breathing during exercise causes coolingHowever it is also common that asthmatic
and drying of the lining of the air passages, whichprofessional athletes must be careful with their
can trigger exercise-induced asthma.medications as it may lead to disqualification.
This explains why warm moist air protects againstHowever, all the ordinary asthma medicines and
exercise-induced asthma and why swimming istreatments, used for management, are
better exercise for an asthmatic than running, oracceptable to sporting bodies.
biking.