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Patients & Consumers Online Tools Find an Allergist / Immunologist Pollen Counts Diseases 101 Drug Guide Featured Resources » AAAAI Tips Brochures Topic of the Month Information Request Form Donate Now Constituencies » Patients & Consumers Contact Search by Condition (A-Z) Request a Speaker Smoke Free Homes Referral Guidelines Breakthroughs in Bioscience Other Resources En Español Just for Kids Seniors		What is exercise induced asthma? Exercised Induced Asthma Exercise induced asthma (or EIA) causes symptoms of coughing, wheezing, chest tightness to breathing, or shortness of breath. Children with EIA may experience breathing difficulty 5-20 minutes after exertion begins. EIA may occur more easily on cold, dry days than on warm, humid days. If your child’s asthma is triggered by exercise, the symptoms can take subtle forms. They may complain of not being able to run as fast as their peers, and consequently express a dislike for sports. In school-age children, inferior performance in physical education classes or a reluctance to participate in athletics may also lead to problems with fellow students and teachers and low self-esteem. Without proper diagnosis, EIA may cause children to avoid physical activity altogether, but this does not have to be the case. Although the type and duration of recommended activity varies with each individual, some activities are better for those with EIA. Almost all people with EIA should be able to exercise to their full ability with appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Sports that are less likely to trigger EIA: Swimming Walking Leisure biking Hiking Free downhill skiing Team sports that require short bursts of energy , including: Baseball Football Wrestling Golfing Gymnastics Short-distance track and field events Sports that require continuous activity or are cold weather activities are more likely to trigger EIA: Soccer Basketball Field hockey Long-distance running Cross-country skiing Hockey Make sure your child’s physical education teacher and/or coach has specific written instructions that include: The nature of EIA, Which medications are used to prevent EIA and how to use them, Other techniques to prevent EIA (e.g., warm-up period), Warning signs of an asthma episode, A copy of the asthma management plan (Page 1 and Page 2 Spanish version) This article was written and medically reviewed: March 31, 2000 Information for this educational article was derived from the document: Pediatric Asthma: Promoting Best Practice Guide for Managing Asthma in Children Known as the Pediatric Asthma Guide for short, it represents the collective work of many people and many organizations. It is the only document for treating childhood asthma that is endorsed by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The Guide is based on guidelines developed by the NAEPP. This pediatric initiative adapted those guidelines into an easily-referenced, user-friendly, pediatric-focused document for medical professionals. The Guide is but one part of a larger initiative committed to ensuring that a broad spectrum of health care providers learn about, understand and implement clinical and best practice information for diagnosing and managing children with asthma. <back>
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