Beware! If you have asthma and you exercise excessively, it could turn to EIB.
Exercise-induced bronchospasm or EIB is a chronic breathing disorder that can be distinguished by frequent attacks of wheezing and unusual shortness of breath. Affecting both children and adults who regularly exercise, asthma turns to EIB when you are already suffering from the following signs and symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Tightness of chest
- Wheezing when you exhale
- Coughing, especially at night, and sometimes with little sputum
- Rapid and shallow breathing
- Tightening of the neck muscles when breathing
The best way to prevent asthma from turning to EIB is to slow down or minimize extensive exercise. As they say, do everything in moderation. If you are aware that you are an asthma patient, which you probably are, then go easy on exercising.
Below are some more ways to treat and prevent asthma from worsening and developing into EIB.
- Because allergens are the primary causes of asthma, it is best to get rid of all allergens and irritants surrounding you. Whether they are present at home and at work, it is best to stay away from them.
- Carry regular medications with you at all times. Additionally, ask your doctor if you can keep emergency drugs with you just in case a serious attack happens.
- Maintain correct posture and practice deep breathing each morning to loosen collected lung secretions. During attacks, it is best to sit upright.
- Take in medications as prescribed by your doctor. These might include expectorants, bronchodilators, corticosteroid drugs, cromolyn sodium, and other preventive drugs.
- Stay active, but avoid extensive and sudden bursts of exercise. If you experience an attack after a heavy exercise, just keep calm, sit upright, and drink warm water.
- If your symptoms can be controlled, continue engaging in exercises and other physical activities. Otherwise, reduce exercise levels temporarily until symptoms improve.
- Avoid eating foods that you are allergic to. Moreover, drink at least three quarts of liquid every day to keep lung secretions loose and thin.
- To further remove pressure from the central nervous system and help soothe your breathing, you may want to get a chiropractic treatment that will normalize the function of your body. Many cases of asthma have improved when patients sought spinal adjustment from chiropractors.
Your symptoms to EIB can be controlled with proper treatment and strict adherence to preventive measures. Without treatment, however, severe attacks can be fatal. Possible complications include chest enlargement from repeated asthma attacks over a long period of time, pneumothorax or collapsed lung, repeated lung infections, COPD from recurrent attacks, and respiratory failure.