Asthma exercise testing
Exercise is researched to show positive results with asthma, testing will give you a chance to assess progress.
Why do I need to test.
Doctors can use asthma exercise testing to help them understand their patients illness. If you can understand what type of breathing trouble you have when you exercise, it can ensure that your workout program is appropriate.
What is the test.
The test that is often used is the EIB or, to give it its full name, the exercise induced bronchoconstriction test. This is a combined breathing and exercise test that uses a spirometry breathing test before and after you exercise on a treadmill. The spirometry test can show how much air you can breathe in and out, and how fast you can breathe in and out.
What is interesting is that when this test is used on patients with asthma who report symptoms of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, the underlying issue is often found to be poor fitness, independent of their reported breathing problems.
Those who suffer, or believe they suffer, from exercise induced asthma typically limit their activities, thus producing a negative cycle where they become more and more de-conditioned, leading of course to breathing problems whenever they attempt any vigorous exercise this they blame on the asthma, rather than on their lack of conditioning.
In summary.
If they can be reassured that exercise is safe for them, they can gradually gain the fitness to reduce their breathing problems.
