Asthma during Exercise
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Son has asthma since he started cross-county running
Nov 2012
My son has discovered he has exercised induced asthma since he started running cross country this year. He can not finish a 1 mile race without a fairly severe asthma reaction. Since I know NOTHING about this type of asthma, I'd like to hear from others how they and their kids deal with this. I DON'T want to put him on daily Singulair since other than running races he doesn't experience problems (plus the season is over for X-country!) Any information or words of wisdom is appreciated! Thanks!
Have you spoken to your pediatrician about this? My son had exercise-induced asthma in middle and high school and he always had an inhaler in his backpack. Pretty sure he would not have been able to play on a team without that inhaler. talk to your doc
Asthma is a serious condition and even if it only occurs with exercise, you should work with your son's pediatrician on the best way to control it.
Your son should have an asthma plan to guide you based on his symptoms. That plan will probably include using a peak-flow meter (a little plastic device you breathe into to measure how well he's breathing) so you can get accurate information about how well he's actually breathing. An asthma plan will help you establish what his normal breathing is, when he needs to use the emergency inhaler and how many puffs, and when it's an emergency that requires an ER trip.
You say he has a fairly severe asthma reaction. Do not play around with this. I have read that over-reliance on the emergency medicine (albuterol) can make it less effective over time. Maybe your son needs to be on an inhaled steroid during cross-country season. These are good questions for your doctor.
My asthma crept up on me as an adult and I didn't realize how bad it was until I got on an inhaled steroid. I had been out of breath walking up stairs but thought I was just out of shape. It's not always an obvious thing. Treat it seriously. breathing great for years now
My daughter had the same problem when she was running in high school. She has mild asthma which is aggravated by cold weather, exercise and pollution/smoke. The doctor prescribed my daughter a fast-acting inhaler, Combivent. She took 2 puffs about 20 minutes before she had to run, which gave the medicine time to take effect. She used a spacer with the inhaler, which propels the medicine better than just using the inhaler alone. This worked very well, and she only had to take the medicine when she actually needed it, instead of being on a daily asthma medication. Ask your son's doctor which inhaler he recommends & also ask for a prescription for a spacer. anon
While your son may well have exercise induced asthma- there is another entity called vocal cord dysfunction that can look a lot like asthma but is treated without medication. My runner son has learned to breathe out with an ''aah'' when he feels it coming on. He learned how to feel the relaxation by contrasting it with an 'eee' sound that has the opposite affect The idea is to relax the vocal cords. He also finds that if he focuses on generally relaxing his upper body and staying calm, he can prevent it. If you google 'vocal cord dysfunction' you'll find some good articles. Cross country mom
First, consult his primary care physician and obtain a diagnosis. In your post, you do not say whether you have done this yet. If the doctor suggests an asthma controller (Singulair is but one example) try one other than Singulair. Flovent works well for my children. You have choices.
If the doctor suggests and prescribes it, your son can use Albuterol or another inhaler prior to exercising. That may prevent wheezing, but of course, the doctor will advise you if that is the correct course of action. It is vital that your son have a physician manage his condition. If your son does have exercise induced asthma, it can be managed with medication. He should be careful to use it as prescribed. Not to be an alarmist, but asthma is a serious condition, and a severe attack can be fatal, although it is rare. Mom of kids with asthma
I have exercised induced asthma. I don't take anything unless I know I am going to be doing some strenuous exercise or if I am doing any exercise when I am very cold (like walking down the street on a cold day in NY. I suggest you not worry about it when your son is not running. However it isn't a bad idea for him to carry it around in his backpack for the next few months to see if there are any other times when he feels wheezy. I usually don't remember until it is too late and I am already doing the activity. When I go to the gym I keep it in my gym bag.
I have had exercise-induced asthma for 35+ years and I run 15-20 miles a week. I just take a puff of albuterol (a bronchodilator) before I go running. Works like a charm. No wheezing here