Exercise-Induced Asthma

Abstract

Exercise-induced asthma is a condition in which vigorous physical activity triggers acute airway narrowing in people with heightened airway reactivity. A more accurate description would be exercise-induced bronchospasm. Long usage, however, has left the former term firmly fixed in the lexicon. To emphasize the underlying pathogenesis, the term “thermally induced asthma” has been proposed1.Exercise-induced asthma is not an isolated disorder or a specific disease. Exercise is but one of many stimuli that result in a limitation of airflow. It is not uncommon for physical exertion to be the first precipitant of asthma. With time, however, others may emerge. . . .