Sport as asthma treatment
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease relatively common in our society. Cure with an obstruction to air flow that can hinder sports practice. Because of this, it is common for patients with poorly controlled asthma to stop doing sports. Physical activity in general is, in fact, beneficial and necessary for asthmatic patients. In this article we will see what role the sport has in the treatment of the disease.
What is asthma?
Bronchial asthma is a respiratory system disease that is characterized by inflammation and varying obstruction to air flow, in addition to bronchial hyperreactivity. A stimulus like breathing in a cold environment, certain foods, environment allergens or even sport can cause exaggerated bronchoconstriction in asthmatic patients.
This exaggerated response will cause the secretion of inflammatory substances to our bronchi. The inflammation of the bronchial wall, together with the presence of greater amounts of mucus, will determine an obstruction to the passage of the air, so that these patients in many cases, when they suffer from an asthmatic crisis, are found without breathing. When the disease is chronified, the walls of the bronchi is altered and the damage can be made irreversible.
Symptoms of asthma
The main symptoms of asthma are a consequence of airflow obstruction and the greatest secretion of mucus. The following stand out:
- Dyspnea or feeling of air.
- Respiratory wheezing or ‘whistles’ when breathing.
- Thoracic oppression.
- Dry and unproductively chronic cough, with morning predominance.
Asthma treatment
The treatment of asthma is complex, it is staggered at levels depending on the seriousness of the disease and includes, in addition to the hygienic-dietary measures (including sport), a wide variety of drugs.
Pharmacotherapy
As we all know, asthma patients must have inhaling in case they suffer from an asthmatic crisis. For these cases, drugs called Beta Adrenergenic agonists are used, which produce a dilation of the bronchi and allow the patient to breathe during the crisis during the crisis. A well -known example of this type of medicines is ventolin or salbutamol.
However, this is actually the rescue treatment, which is unique in cases of mild asthma. In more severe stings the rescue treatment must be accompanied by an inhaled corticosteroid that is used chronicly and should be taken every day.
Hygienic-dietic treatment
In this section sport becomes crucial importance. Together with him, measures such as abandonment of tobacco or respiratory physiotherapy can improve the quality of life of patients with asthma both directly and indirectly. In addition, it reduces the crisis number and can allow patients to need to take less medication. We are going to enumerate the ways in which sport would benefit patients with asthma:
In the case of patients who have overweight or obesity, sport can, together with a balanced diet, help weight reduction and reduce airflow obstruction in the upper respiratory tract.
Physical exercise, both aerobic and strength, helps strengthen the pectoral and abdominal muscles, which participate directly in breathing. Therefore, symptomatology decreases and reduces the crisis number.
The usual sports practice improves the athlete endocrine system. In relation to this, practicing sports also releases substances that reduce inflammation, so it decreases air flow obstruction.
Asthma related to exercise: can I practice sports?
There is a specific type of asthma that is related to physical exercise. That is, the bronchi react exaggerated by narrowing when we start practicing sports. We must know that in all people there is a physiological and transitory bronchoconstriction when the activity begins, but within a few minutes the bronchodilation begins and begins.
In this type of patients, not only is bronchoconstriction reversed, but it occurs exaggeratedly, largely limiting sports practice. It should be noted that all types of asthma can suffer an exacerbation of their symptoms with the practice of physical activity, but in this type in particular it is very serious and limiting if it is not controlled.
The control of the disease is very simple, but it needs the patient. It is as simple as the treatment that is recommended to all asthmatic patients when practicing exercise: inhale two or three doses of our rescue medication, usually ventolin, half an hour before starting physical activity.
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