Asthma
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How Do I Deal With An Asthmatic Athlete?Asthma
can be a very serious respiratory problem characterized by wheezing, coughing,
and dyspnea (labored or difficult breathing).
The muscles around the bronchial tree begin to tighten, the airway lining
begins to thicken with edema, and the quantity and character of mucous changes,
mimicking a blocked airway.
The causes of asthma vary significantly; some common causes are
allergies, respiratory infections, medications being taken, exercise, and
environmental factors, such as cold weather. Although
asthma can occur or subside at any age, treatment should be initiated based on
the assumption that the condition is chronic.
With allergy caused asthma, simply avoiding the allergen (pollen, food,
etc.) may be enough to control the problem.
Other cases may involve extensive testing as to the cause, and treatment
with one or more chemical agents to control the asthma.
Several common names for the therapeutic agents are
Ventolin and
Proventil. Exercise-induced
asthma is another common condition among athletes.
It is an acute, reversible, self-limited episode of airway obstruction
that occurs either during or after physical activity.
The cause of this problem is not really known.
The prevailing theory is that loss of heat and water during increased
respiration may bring on the asthma attack.
Individuals who suffer from this type of asthma are often instructed to
use their medication one-half hour prior to exercise as a preventive step.
They then may be instructed to use it more frequently as needed to
control the asthmatic episodes. During
the 1984 Olympics, 67 athletes suffered form exercise-induced asthma.
Forty-one of these athletes won medals.
This shows that asthma does not have to limit athletic participation.
If proper medical supervision is used, asthmatics can be an integral
contributors to any athletic team. |
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©2000 - 2009 David Edell Information on this site is not a substitute for physician directed care. Please consult your personal physician for more detailed information concerning specific injuries or illnesses. Last Update for AthleticAdvisor.com: 10/24/2009 12:09:35 AM |
