Antiarrhythmic drugs suppress the transmission of electrical signals in heart tissue. These medications can help the heart beat slower or more evenly.
Exercise-Induced Asthma
Exercise-induced asthma, or sports-induced asthma, happens when airways constrict during physical activity. This causes coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. These symptoms appear during or after exercise and may come back after rest. With medications and good exercise choices you can manage exercise-induced asthma and stay active.
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Overview
What is exercise-induced asthma?
Exercise-induced asthma, or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), happens when airways get smaller during exercise. Asthma triggered by sports or exercising can make it hard for you to breathe. You may have asthma symptoms like coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath during or after physical activity.
Asthma symptoms appear when the airways constrict (become narrower) during exercise. Symptoms are worse when the air is cold and dry, or when pollution levels and pollen counts are high.
People with exercise-induced asthma should warm up before exercising. Inhalers and other medications can prevent an EIB episode and open the airways.
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Is exercise-induced asthma common?
Yes. Exercise-induced asthma, sometimes called exercise-induced bronchospasm or sports-induced asthma, is common. About 90% of people with asthma have symptoms of asthma during or after exercise. But people who don’t have asthma can get EIB too. Around 10% of people without asthma have exercise-induced asthma.
Anyone can get exercise-induced asthma, including children and adults. People with asthma and allergies are more likely to have the condition. Sports-induced asthma is more common among elite athletes, including Olympic athletes and professional football, soccer and hockey players.
Symptoms and Causes
What are the symptoms of exercise-induced asthma?
Symptoms can range from mild to severe. They can appear a few minutes after you start exercising or after you finish a workout. Symptoms usually start to improve after about 30 minutes of rest.
Sometimes, exercise-induced asthma can return up to 12 hours after you’ve finished exercising. They can appear even when you’re at rest. These are called “late-phase” symptoms. It may take up to a day for late-phase symptoms to go away.
Symptoms of asthma triggered by exercising include:
- Coughing after running or exercising. (Coughing is the only symptom for some people.)
- Wheezing.
- Difficulty breathing (shortness of breath). You may feel like it’s hard to push air out of your lungs.
- Tight feeling in the chest.
- Severe fatigue.
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What causes exercise-induced asthma?
Rigorous physical activity and cold, dry air can trigger exercise-induced asthma. When you’re resting, you usually breathe through your nose. Your nose warms and moisturizes the air you breathe as it travels through your nostrils.
When you exercise, you breathe in through your mouth more often, and the air coming in remains cold and dry. If you have asthma, the bands of muscle around your airways react to the cold, dry air by constricting (becoming narrow).
Exercise-induced asthma is worse when:
- Air is cold and dry.
- Pollen counts are high.
- Pollution levels are high, causing poor air quality.
- You’re recovering from a cold or respiratory illness.
- You’ve breathed in smoke, chemicals or fumes from paint or cleaning supplies.
What sports commonly cause asthma symptoms?
If you have sports-induced asthma, you may want to choose certain activities over others. Endurance sports and activities that take place in colder temperatures are more likely to trigger symptoms. That’s because cold, dry air can constrict the airways and trigger symptoms of asthma.
Sports that are most likely to trigger symptoms of asthma:
- Require constant physical exertion: Long-distance running, soccer, basketball and other endurance sports require you to breathe heavily and constantly with little rest.
- Take place in colder weather: Skiing, ice hockey, ice skating and snowboarding commonly cause symptoms due to colder air temperatures.
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Which activities are less likely to cause sports-induced asthma symptoms?
Indoor sports and those with short bursts of activity are less likely to trigger an asthma episode. But any activity can cause symptoms. Be sure to talk to your provider before starting any exercise program.
To avoid symptoms, you may want participate in sports or exercises that are best for asthma including:
- Activities with short bursts of energy: Asthma symptoms appear less often during sports that involve quick, short sprints with periods of rest. These sports include volleyball and baseball.
- Less-rigorous activities: Golf, biking and walking are often good choices for people with asthma.
- Indoor sports: Some indoor activities (like gymnastics) are less likely to trigger sports-induced asthma symptoms.
- Warm or humid environment: Swimming, diving and water polo have a lower risk of triggering sports-induced asthma symptoms. Moist pool air makes an EIB episode less likely. But some people find chlorine in a pool to be irritating. A saltwater pool can be a better choice, if you have one available.
COVID-19
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) note that shortness of breath is one of the symptoms of COVID-19, the disease that occurs due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
In a 2020 study , researchers from China reported dizziness and headache as the two most common neurological symptoms among 214 people with COVID-19.
Most people develop symptoms 2–14 days after exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
Other signs and symptoms to look for include :
Treatment
People who experience mild to moderate symptoms can recover at home. They should make sure to stay hydrated and get plenty of rest. Over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen, can help reduce muscle aches and fevers.
People who experience severe respiratory symptoms may require supplemental oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation to help them breathe.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved the antiviral drug remdesivir (Veklury) for people admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 who are over the age of 12 and weigh at least 40 kilograms (88 pounds).
They have also granted emergency use authorization for remdesivir to other patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and for remdesivir in combination with baricitinib (Olumiant) .
Asthma
Asthma refers to chronic inflammation of the airways.
It restricts the flow of air in and out of the lungs. People with asthma may experience the following symptoms during an asthma attack:
- difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- coughing
- wheezing
- chest tightness
- dizziness
Different factors can trigger an asthma attack, including:
- exercise or other strenuous physical activity
- allergens, such as dander and pollen
- mold
- tobacco smoke
- dust mites
- chemicals
- laughing or crying
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute note that people may experience worse asthma symptoms at different times throughout the day, such as in the morning or at night.
Asthma is a chronic condition. As a result, anyone with asthma will need to follow a treatment plan designed by a doctor.
Treatment
Treatments for asthma involve long-term medications that help control asthma symptoms. These include:
- inhalers that contain corticosteroids or beta-agonists
- corticosteroid pills
- biologic medicines
- allergy shots
A doctor may also prescribe one or more of the following medications that offer short-term relief during an asthma attack:
- fast-acting beta-agonists
- oral or injectable corticosteroids
- fast-acting anticholinergics that help open the airways
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to progressive lung diseases that cause breathing-related problems. COPD includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
COPD reduces airflow to and from the lungs, which lowers the level of oxygen in the blood.
Low blood oxygen levels can lead to dizziness, shortness of breath, and headache.
Other symptoms of COPD include:
- persistent cough that produces mucus
- wheezing while breathing
- chest tightness
- rapid heartbeat
- lips and fingernails that turn blue or gray
Treatment
Treatments for COPD can help relieve symptoms and slow the disease progression. Examples of COPD treatments include :
- quitting smoking
- medicated inhalers
- oxygen therapy
- surgery to remove damaged lung tissue
- lung transplant
