The present review article concerns physical activity and sports in asthmatic adolescents. Exercise induced asthma (EIA) is found in 8-10% of a normal child population and in approximately 35% of children with current asthma as reported from a population based birth cohort study. The mechanisms of EIA are related to markedly increased ventilation during exercise, causing increased heat and water loss through respiration, leading to bronchial constriction.
In athletes and especially in endurance athletes, the repeated daily physical activity during training will over time cause epithelial damage and increase inflammation in the respiratory mucosa. With increased exposure to environmental agents as cold air in skiers and chlorine compunds in swimmers, the athlete may contract symptoms and signs of asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness, either worsening an existing asthma or causing symptoms in a previous healthy adolescent athlete. There are several causes of breathlessness in adolescents including EIA, vocal cord dysfunction, poor physical fitness and others, important to consider in the diagnostic procedure.
The asthmatic athlete should follow the same guidelines for treating his/her asthma as the ordinary asthmatic patient with concern made to the special diagnostic rules given for the use of asthma drugs in sports, especially for inhaled β2-agonists.
