But it is serious enough to have kept him on several drugs over the past 11 years. Although he didn't realize it at the time, his asthma began in 1983. A couple of times I found I was wheezing after running. But, he says, he didn't really understand what the problem was until, out of professional, not personal, curiosity, he went to a lecture about asthma. I really had a problem with asthma.
Chronic asthma occurs whenever sufferers are repeatedly exposed to a trigger.
Another common form is exercise-induced asthma, which occurs only when a person exercises. Peterson's asthma is both exercise-induced and chronic, triggered by pollen in the spring and summer, leaf mold in the fall, and dogs. Once Peterson knew the cause and triggers of his asthma, he began preventive treatment. While he's tried many different treatment regimens, he's had the greatest success with inhaled corticosteroids used daily and occasional use of a bronchodilator about 15 minutes before running. Inhaled corticosteroids reduce inflammation of the airways, decrease mucus production and swelling, and may allow other asthma medicines to work more effectively.