Many people experience breathing difficulties with exercise. Several conditions can cause breathing issues with exercise. Asthma is only one.
Facts:
- Difficulty or “heavy” breathing with exercise is NOT always normal or simply from being “out of shape”
- Breathing issues DO limit stamina and performance
- There are SPECIALISTS who are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of treating issues associated with exercise
- These conditions are very TREATABLE
- Treatment, STAMINA and PERFORMANCE can significantly improve
Common Conditions
- Asthma
- Vocal cord dysfunction
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Hyperventilation
- Airway malacia
- Musculoskeletal abnormalities
Common Symptoms
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
- Wheeze
- Fatigue
- Chest pain
- Lightheadedness
- Poor performance
- Decreased stamina
Symptoms May Very Because of:
- Weather/Temperature
- Season
- Airway irritants (pollution, chlorine, smoke, etc.)
- Allergens
- Type of activity
- Emotion
Common Misperceptions:
- Athlete is faking
- Athlete is lazy
- Athlete is out of shape
- Athlete is over reacting
- Nothing can help the problem
- It will just go away
- It isn’t serious
Diagnosis
- Accurate diagnosis of the conditions causing the difficulty can often require a specialist. For children, teenagers, and young adults, Pediatric Pulmonologists are the specialist trained to deal with these issues.
- Diagnosis can sometimes be made without testing, but often the pulmonary function tests are used. Additional tests that are sometimes required include:
- Exercise challenge test
- Radiologic tests
- EKG or Echocardiogram
Treatment
- Almost all of these conditions are treatable
- Treatment, stamina and performance can significantly improve or should no longer be limitation
- Some conditions require medications to treat, others do not