The symptoms of asthma are cough, chest tightness, wheeze, and shortness of breath. We are all different, and our symptoms are different even if we have the same disease! So some people mainly get cough when they get asthma, and others wheezing, and so on.
What is pretty common in everyone with asthma is the effect of exercise, that is, aerobic exercise – the sort that makes you huff and puff. If your asthma is a little out of control, or slightly unstable, then exercise will bring it on.
So the first way to sort it out is to get your asthma controlled. If you need a reliever spray more than three times a week, or if you wake up at night with asthma, the asthma is controlling you, you’re not controlling your asthma! So start your action plan if you have one, or speak to your doctor. Your exercise asthma may well disappear when your asthma is controlled.
IF THAT DOESN’T HELP…
OK, so your asthma is well controlled, but you still get symptoms when you play sport or exercise. This is pretty common, even among Olympic Athletes! Your doctor will discuss other approaches to solving the problem, including proper warm-up, and the use of reliever sprays and certain preventer sprays before exercise.
THE BOTTOM LINE…
ALWAYS, ALWAYS understand the triggers for your asthma. Work through the “A to K” of triggers with yourself, with your doctor, and with your specialist
The management of your asthma after exercise is not complete until you have understood and treated all the triggers for your asthma.