Exercise And Asthma Control Tips

If you have asthma, then you may know that exercise is a major asthma trigger for you. In most cases, this has to do with the way you breathe through the mouth when exercising. The way you breathe deeply can cause an asthma attack and so can the temperature of the air. Specifically, mouth breathing causes cold air to enter the lungs. While exercise can cause issues, it can also strengthen the lung tissues. You can keep asthma attacks at bay while exercising with the tips listed below.

Use Your Inhaler Beforehand

Most of the time, you probably keep your rescue inhaler with you in case an asthma attack comes on. However, you should sometimes use your inhaler before a problem occurs, like when you are actively involved in an asthma trigger situation. Specifically, you should use your inhaler before you exercise. If you have an albuterol rescue inhaler, then you should take one puff or dose of the medicine. If an asthma attack occurs, then you can and should take another dose.

Also, if you intend on exercising often or if you notice that asthma attacks occur during every exercise session, then speak with your asthma or allergy doctor about adding a prophylaxis or asthma prevention inhaler to your regular treatment regimen. The inhaler, which typically contains a medicine like fluticasone, is a steroid that reduces lung inflammation long-term. 

If you decide to start using an asthma prevention inhaler, then you will probably need to use it two times a day. Inhaler use about every 10 to 12 hours is needed to control lung inflammation. You also will need to use the inhaler every day to see positive results, so keep these things in mind when speaking to your physician about asthma control methods.

Keep It Slow And Steady

If you jump into your exercise routine and start running, biking, or using exercise machines without warming up, then you are very likely to trigger an asthma attack. These things can cause you to inhale cold air quickly and to increase your heart rate significantly within a matter of minutes. Both of these things can stress out the lungs and lead to an asthma attack.

If you want to avoid a breathing issue, then you need to warm up properly. Start by doing some light stretching, jog in place, and complete simple exercises like sit-ups, push-ups, and jumping jacks. Afterwards, increase your exercise intensity a little bit more for 10 or 15 minutes, and then increase to normal or intensive exercise. 

Once you complete your total workout, you want to cool down. The same types of exercises and movements, like jogging in place, are a good idea in the case. You should start to feel your heart rate dropping and you can then stop your cool down once the rate returns to normal. 

Contact professionals like Cookingham Allergy & Asthma Associates, P.C. for more information.