Asthma is no obstacle to exercise, playing sport and keeping fit. Many Olympic competitors, footballers and other high level sportspeople have asthma including several gold medal winners. For most people exercise is one of a number of different triggers. Symptoms of exercise-induced asthma Symptoms of exercise induced asthma include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty in breathing that is triggered by exercise. Symptoms usually begin after exercise and worsen about fifteen minutes after exercise stops.
Research shows that if exercise is attempted again within three hours the symptoms are less severe.
As with all asthma symptoms, there is a wide variation between different people at different times. It is not known exactly how exercise triggers asthma. When people exercise they breathe faster and this makes it more difficult for the nose and upper airways to warm and add moisture to the air breathed in. This results in the air breathed in during exercise being drier and colder than usual. It is thought that this cold, dry air in the airways triggers the symptoms of exercise induced asthma.