Exercise-Induced Asthma

Exercise-Induced Astma
Exercise-Induced Asthma
Exercise-induced asthma can be every bit as scary as a full blown asthma attack. Prevention of exercise-induced asthma is usually easy to manage. During exercise-induced asthma you will notice a cough five minutes after exercise has started and after an hour or two of the exercise finishing. With exercise-induced asthma the chest will tighten restricting breathing.

Prolonged physical exercise can make the signs and symptoms of asthma worse and can leave your child breathless and in need of a relieving inhaler.

Exercise-induced asthma is usually a sign that the childhood asthma is poorly controlled although that may not always be the case.

Monitor your childs asthmatic signs and symptoms during sessions of physical exercise and make the necessary arrangements in consultation with the asthma nurse or GP of how to deal with exercise-induced asthma.

Take the preventative inhalers (brown or orange)at the correct times at home and take the relieving inhaler (blue) ten or fifteen minutes before sessions of physical exercise are due to commence. For example when your child is at school they must have their relieving inhaler ten minutes before a PE or Games lesson is about to commence. Also make sure that the relieving inhaler (blue) is taken after the physical exercise has finished. Encourage you child to practice breathing techniques as this can also help to reduce anxiety and panic when an asthma attack is happening. Rapid and deep breathing can lead to hyperventilation.

If you are concerned and this process does not seem to help relieve the symptoms of exercise-induced asthma then do not hesitate to contact your GP or see the astma nurse as a referral may be required to see a respiratory specialist.