A shortness of breath, a wheezing sound in your throat, or a tightness in your chest after you run - these are the classic signs of exercise-induced asthma, an inflammation of your airways which limits your ability to breathe and can put a serious damper on your athletic performance.

Statistics for asthma in runners

A medical center in Finland investigated the presence of asthma in a range of athletes and found that asthma was present in 23% of the athletes but only 4% of the control subjects, based on a medical evaluation and history. Among the athletes, asthma was present significantly more often in the swimmers and the runners when compared to the power and speed athletes, perhaps because of their prolonged high rates of breathing.

A larger follow-up study examined 103 elite runners, finding that a total of 52% of these runners had some evidence of asthma problems. While 16% of these runners had been previously diagnosed with asthma, another 14% had chronic symptoms consistent with exercise induced asthma without knowing they had the disease.

Studies by this group also found a strong correlation between allergies (as measured by a skin-prick test) and asthma. Some 58% of runners with allergies were found to have symptoms of exercise-induced asthma, compared to only 37% of those who did not have allergies.

If you already know you have asthma or allergies:

• Be aware that your condition can be made worse by pollen during the spring, so planning long and strenuous workouts on days with a lower pollen count in the spring might be helpful.
• Indoor air quality also can have an effect on your workout if you do treadmill or indoor track workouts.

But the biggest take-away from these studies is that a large number of runners probably have exercise-induced asthma without even knowing it!

If you have been experiencing the following symptoms:

• occasional chest tightness
• shortness of breath
• wheezing following exercise, especially indoors, in the winter, or in the spring,

You should see a doctor and get tested for exercise-induced asthma. Keep in mind that your risk is almost doubled if you know you've got allergies to pollen or dust, and if you are a high-level athlete doing high volume and high intensity training, your risk is probably greater as well. St. Francis Sports Medicine physician Dr. Steve Keiser is a Primary Care physician with specialization in sports medicine, and can do testing for exercise induced asthma. He can be reached at 864-365-0115.

References: RunnersConnect.net  

Remember - St. Francis has emergency rooms at both ST. FRANCIS downtown (near Academy Street) and ST. FRANCIS eastside (near Patewood Drive). Urgent Care is offered in downtown Greenville on McBee Street near the corner of Main Street (beside the CVS) and After Hours Care is offered at ST. FRANCIS millennium (near Laurens Road/Mauldin) and Travelers Rest. And of course, you can always call 864-675-HURT to get priority appointment times with our orthopedists or call-ahead ER service if needed.