Asthmatics and Exercise

This article, courtesy of www.health-care-information.org

Is Exercise Safe for Asthmatics?

An asthma patient generally has sensitive air passages, or airways, resulting in difficult breathing for the patient when these air passages are irritated from an atmospheric change.

It is crucial to note that some sports will have a higher probability of inducing attacks in an asthmatic.  However, this does not mean that an asthmatic cannot exercise safely.

If an asthmatic is looking for a safe sport, researchers point to swimming as the best possible sport for asthmatics–because the breathing required rarely, if ever, causes chest tightness among swimmers. But participating in another form of exercise that would require exactly the same about of oxygen to circulate might not cause the same reaction in the participant.

Of course, some asthmatics will experience acute attacks when they enter the swimming pool. Researchers needed to find an explanation, and it did not prove difficult to explain the reason. Some asthmatics are very sensitive to chlorine, as an irritant. Thus, it is not possible to state that swimmers who are asthmatic do not have attacks.

Running of any type is often a terrible idea for asthmatic patients. It will, in some people, trigger an almost immediate attack. However, recent treatment advances have enabled some athletes who were previously unable to run for more than a few seconds to adapt their exercise routines to include running. 

If an asthma patient is in a situation where s/he is breathing heavily, this may trigger the start of an asthma attack. Common instances of heavy breathing include not only exercising, but also the breathing tests required for the diagnosis of asthma.

Yes, you should exercise if you are an asthmatic. There remain many choices for type of exercises and sports. Asthma-afflicted athletes should get an appointment with a sports medicine specialist who will be able to address athletic medical issues with the patient. The specialist may also be able to provide useful tips and innovative treatment methods to the asthmatic that other physicians might not have considered trying. 

Sports which involve short bursts of activity interspersed with short periods of rest make great activities for the asthmatic. Some examples include swimming, football, softball, volleyball, yoga, and Pilates. Generally, the time required for exercise-induced acute attacks to occur is six minutes of constant heavy breathing.

As inspiration to continue exercising and participating in sports, it is key to notice that many past Olympians have also been asthma sufferers who managed their condition carefully, with the input and treatment plan of their physician. 

These steps, if followed in combination with a personalized asthma treatment plan, will help the patient to have a successful and healthy exercise routine:

•  Warm up properly, and do not forget to cool down.

• Avoid exercising in dry, cold air. If it cannot be avoided, be sure to cover both mouth and nose.

• Stay in good physical shape. Staying healthy will increase an athlete’s ability to successfully avoid asthma attacks during exercise periods.

Many patients will require not just a preventative or reactive medication, but a tailored combination of both types of medications in order to provide them with maximum relief from their illness.  Most physicians agree that the desired outcome it to get the maximum relief from the minimum amount of medication.

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