Asthma and sports

The term Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm, preferable to the Exercise-Induced Asthma, is referred to the appearance of symptoms as cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath or wheeze, triggered by the exercise both in people with asthma and also in healthy people, and especially in sportsmen. In this article is made a revision about the characteristics that define it, the factors connected with its appearance, the prevalence among different groups and the clinic criteria to its diagnosis. It is described the exercise test, gold standard for the confirmation diagnosis. The prevention in its appearance includes general rules and treatment with drugs as beta- 2 agonists, cromolyn and nedocromil sodium, and anti-leukotrienes agents, that turn out to be efficient in most people. It is essential to encourage the patients to practise usual physical activity, according to their preferences and abilities, that should not be limited as consequence of suffering from asthma or exercise-induced bronchospasm.