Keeping children with exercise-induced asthma active

Exercise-induced bronchospasm, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, and ex ercise-induced asthma (EIA) are all terms used to describe the phenomenon o f transient airflow obstruction associated with physical exertion. It is a prominent finding in children and young adults because of their greater par ticipation in vigorous activities.(1) The symptoms-shortness of breath, cou gh, chest tightness, and wheezing-normally follow the brief period of bronc hodilation present early in the course of exercise. Bronchospasm typically arises within 10 to 15 minutes of beginning exercise, peaks 8 to 15 minutes after the exertion is concluded, and resolves about 60 minutes later, 2 bu t it also may appear during sustained exertion.(3) EIA occurs in up to 90% of asthmatics and 40% of patients with allergic rhinitis; among athletes an d in the general population its prevalence is between 6% and 13%.(4,5) EIA frequently goes undiagnosed. Approximately 9% of individuals with EIA h ave no history of asthma or allergy.(1) Fifty percent of children with asth ma who gave a negative history for EIA had a positive response to exercise challenge.(6) Among high school athletes, 12% of subjects not considered to be at risk by history or baseline spirometry tested positive. 5 Before the 1984 Olympic games, of 597 members of the US team, 67 (11%) were found to have EIA. Remarkably, only 26 had been previously identified, emphasizing t he importance of screening for EIA even in well-conditioned individuals who appear to be in excellent health.(1,7) The severity of bronchospasm in EIA is related to the level of ventilation, to heat and water loss from the respiratory tree, and also to the rate of airway rewarming and rehydration after the challenge.(8,9) Postexercise dec rease in the peak expiratory flow rate of normal children may be as much as 15%; therefore, only a decrease in excess of 15% should be viewed as diagn ostic. EIA is usually provoked by a workload sufficient to produce 80% of m aximum oxygen consumption; however, in severe asthmatics even minimal exert ion may be enough to produce symptoms.(1) Patients with normal lung functio n at rest may have severe air flow limitation induced by exercise, 10 and a s many as 50% of patients who are well-controlled with inhaled corticostero ids still exhibit EIA.(11) A challenge of sufficient magnitude will provoke EIA in all patients with asthma.(12) Pharmacologic Therapy. Exercise, unlike exposure to allergens, does not pro duce a long-term increase in airway reactivity. Accordingly, patients whose symptoms manifest only after strenuous activity may be treated prophylacti cally and do not require continuous therapy.(13) Most asthma medications, e ven some unconventional ones such as heparin, furosemide, calcium channel b lockers, and terfenadine, given before exercise, suppress EIA.(14,15) McFad den accounts for the efficacy of these disparate classes of drugs by their potential effect on the bronchial vasculature that modulates the cooling an d/or rewarming phases of the reaction.(16) Short-acting beta-agonists provi de protection in 80% to 95% of affected individuals with insignificant side effects and have been regarded for many years as first-line therapy.(17) T wo long-acting bronchodilators, salmeterol and formoterol, have been found effective in the prevention of EIA.(18-21) A single 50-mu g dose of salmete rol protects against EIA for 9 hours; its duration appears to wane in the c ourse of daily therapy.(22-24) Cromolyn sodium is highly effective in 70% t o 87% of those diagnosed with EIA and has minimal side effects.(17) Nedocro mil sodium provides protection equal to that of cromolyn in children.(25) Children commonly engage in unplanned physical activity and sometimes are n ot allowed to carry their own medication. Thus, a simple long-acting regime n given at home is likely to be more effective than short-acting drugs that must be administered in a timely manner. Although the 12-hour protection b y salmeterol reported by Bronsky et al(18) may not persist with continued u se, the 9-hour duration of action is a dependable finding,(22-24) and shoul d be sufficient in most cases. Nonpharmacologic Approaches. At rest, inspired air is warmed and humidified primarily in the nose and trachea. As the rate of ventilation increases, t he air is conditioned predominantly in the intrathoracic airways. Breathing through the nose rather than the mouth or through a mask that reduces the loss of heat and moisture during physical exertion has been shown to minimi ze EIA.(26,27) A gradual cooling off, rather than sudden cessation of activ ity reduces the rate of rewarming of airways and protects against bronchosp asm.(16) About 40% to 50% of patients with EIA experience a refractory peri od after an earlier exercise stimulus. This protection has a half-life of a bout 45 minutes and dissipates over 2 to 3 hours.(28) For this reason, a pr olonged warm-up that includes brief periods of intense activity is benefici al for many subjects with EIA.(29) In individuals with EIA, aerobic conditioning lessens the prospect of an as thma attack by reducing the ventilatory requirement for any activity. Altho ugh improved fitness of children with asthma is highly desirable, we must e mphatically discourage patients from adopting the view that they can overco me their disease solely by being in good physical shape. Conclusions. EIA is a common clinical problem that is not limited to patien ts with asthma. It is as frequent in athletes as in the general population. With appropriate therapy, 90% of individuals with EIA can control their sy mptoms and should be able to participate in any vigorous activity.(29) Thos e patients who are refractory may not be taking their medication or may suf fer from another condition, most likely vocal cord dysfunction.(30,31) Exercise is a powerful trigger for asthma symptoms. For this reason, young patients may avoid vigorous activity with damaging consequences to their ph ysical and social well-being. Parents may be reluctant to allow their young sters with asthma to participate in athletics, and teachers may fear taking responsibility for a child's severe attack. All patients suspected of havi ng asthma should be questioned about how much exercise they perform, their exercise tolerance, and symptoms after exertion. Those with a concerning hi story should have an exercise challenge. Early diagnosis coupled with pract ical, long-acting treatment regimes such as the one reported by Bronsky et al(18) should help these young people enjoy the benefits of an active lifes tyle and fulfill their athletic potential.