Exercising is no easy feat and you are bound to be tired afterward, but there are some instances when there might be something taking place inside your body that might make matters even worse. While you could just be out of shape, you might also be suffering from exercise-induced asthma. Exercise-induced asthma can lead to the narrowing of airways in the lungs. Exercise-induced asthma can result in poor performance, a lack of beneficial exercise, and can even become life-threatening. Here are the signs you might have exercise-induced asthma.
Common Symptoms
An easy way to figure out if you have exercise-induced asthma is by figuring out the common symptoms. Exercise-induced asthma symptoms will usually occur when you are five to 10 minutes into a workout and can last up to 30 minutes afterward. You may also have a second wave that can happen 12 hours after working out. Coughing tends to be the most common symptom with people, but there are also other signs you might have exercise-induced asthma:
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness
- Shortness of breath
Differences Between Exercise Induced-Asthma and Being Out of Shape
Now, you could also be experiencing similar symptoms while working out, but it could be because you are out of shape. The best way to figure out if you have exercise-induced asthma or are just out of shape is by getting a specialized test performed by a doctor that can reveal a diagnosis.
Exercise-Induced Asthma Triggers
To better understand exercise-induced asthma, it’s good to know how it’s triggered. When you exercise, you start to breathe faster and deeper because your body requires more oxygen. The common trigger of exercise-induced asthma tends to come from dry or cold air that you are breathing in because of bronchoconstriction. Some other triggers in the air that can make exercise-induced asthma worse include:
- High pollen
- High pollution levels
- Irritants
- Smoke
- Fumes
Just because you have exercise-induced asthma doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get any physical activity at all. Regular exercise is still one of the best things for your body. There are many methods you can try to overcome exercise-induced asthma, such as listening to your body, warming up and cooling down properly, exercising for shorter periods, and not in cold temperatures. Take the proper steps so you can continue to practice a healthy lifestyle.
