Q. How do I know if I have exertional shortness of breath and not exercise-induced asthma?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
Exertional shortness of breath (ESOB) and exercise-induced asthma (EIA) are two different conditions that can cause breathing difficulty during physical activity. To determine if you have ESOB or EIA, there are a few key questions to consider.
First, ask yourself if your symptoms appear suddenly with physical exertion—this is typically the hallmark sign of EIA. If so, then it’s likely that you may be dealing with this condition rather than ESOB. It’s also important to note how long your symptoms last for; with EIA they should not persist past a few minutes after completing the activity or taking an inhaler prescribed by your doctor; however, in cases of ESOB these symptom will usually linger afterwards and become worse over time as exercise intensity increases.
Another distinguishing factor between the two conditions is what other factors might trigger them; while both can be brought on by physical exertion, only EIA is triggered by cold air and allergen exposure as well. This can help differentiate between them when trying to decide which condition you have been diagnosed with. Finally, another consideration when attempting to discern whether you have ESOB or EIA is age: while both conditions can occur at any age, more often than not children are prone developing asthma due to their still-developing respiratory system which makes it somewhat easier to tell the difference between the two issues in these individuals .
Overall although both diseases present some similar outward signs in terms of increased difficulty breathing during activities like running or sports performing , there are several noticeable distinctions between them such as how long symptoms last for , what triggers them and even age that can aid greatly in determining exactly which one has affected an individual .