Exercise-induced asthma: diagnosis and treatment for the recreational or elite athlete.

Exercise-induced asthma: diagnosis and treatment for the recreational or elite athlete. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 1 (Suppl.), pp. S33-S38, 1999. Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is found in 10-50% of recreational and elite athletes, depending on the population studied. The diagnosis may be made with symptoms (cough, wheeze, chest tightness, etc. with exercise) and with pulmonary function measurements (spirometry or peak flow measurements) before and after exercise. Most patients respond well to pre-exercise treatment with an inhaled quick-acting beta agonist. Some patients require additional therapy such as pre-exercise inhaled cromolyn, daily inhaled steroids, salmeterol, theophylline, leukotriene modifiers, or other agents. An occasional patient presents with the symptoms of EIA but responds poorly to treatment. Further investigation may lead to a totally different diagnosis such as vocal cord dysfunction. For most athletes with EIA, proper diagnosis and treatment will allow them to complete at any level.