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Do you experience wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness when exercising or shortly after? If so, you may be experiencing Exercise Induced Asthma or EIA. Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but for some, exercise can trigger the symptoms of asthma. Approximately 13% of the population experience EIA who do not otherwise suffer from asthma. This does not include the 7% of the population who already suffer from asthma. People who suffer from allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or with a family history of allergies may also experience EIA.

What is asthma?
As we breathe, air moves down the windpipe (trachea) through the bronchial tubes and into the lungs. As it passes through the bronchial tubes, it is cleaned, warmed, and humidified. When the air reaches the tiny air sacs of the lungs called the alveoli, oxygen passes into the blood stream through the thin walls of the alveoli and carbon dioxide passes from the blood out into the air sacs to be exhaled.

Asthma is a condition which affects mainly the bronchial tubes by blocking airflow through the tubes. During an asthma attack, the bronchial tubes constrict or narrow (bronchospasm), become inflamed and swollen, and increase the amount of mucous normally produced which can block the bronchial tubes completely. During an asthma attack, air is inhaled into the lungs but cannot be exhaled easily, causing trapped air. Shortness of breath and anxiety can lead to further air trapping and respiratory distress.

Asthma can be triggered by external or internal factors. A cold or infection is an internal trigger. External factors that can trigger asthma are cigarette smoke, allergens such as pollen, animals, allergies to food or food additives, and exercise. Increased production of mucous, coughing, wheezing, sneezing, tightness in the chest, and anxiety are all symptoms of an impending asthma attack.

What causes EIA?
People who experience coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath within 5 to 20 minutes after starting exercise may have bronchial tubes that are sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and humidity of air. The symptoms may also occur within 10 minutes after performing a brief period of exercise. As we exercise, our mouth breathing and increased respiratory rate causes colder drier air to fill our lungs. In people with EIA, it is thought that increased sensitivity of the bronchial tubes to the cold dry air causes an asthma attack that may last anywhere from a few hours to several

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