What is Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction?

EIB is an asthma-like condition that can be managed with help from your allergist in Ventura CA

Everyone gets a little short of breath when they exercise. In fact, this is typically seen as a good sign—it means you’re working hard enough to burn fat and stay fit. However if your shortness of breath is accompanied by symptoms like coughing, wheezing, or tightness in your chest, you may have a condition called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB).

This is basically a fancy way of saying you have exercise-induced asthma.

Not everyone who has EIB actually needs medical treatment. However, if you have just recently begun to experience EIB symptoms, or if your symptoms have been getting worse, we strongly encourage you to make an appointment with an allergist in Ventura CA.

How Your Allergist in Ventura CA Can Help

Asthma Testing: The first thing an allergist in Ventura CA will do is figure out if you have asthma or just EIB. A health history is important for this activity, but we really need some hard data provided by asthma testing. A spirometry test will be used to measure your breathing capacity when at rest. If this test is normal, we will then ask you to do an exercise challenge test to measure how your airways function after exercising. For most people with EIB, it takes just 5 to 20 minutes of exercise for symptoms to develop.

Medications: Once we have a diagnosis, we can recommend the right medications for management of your condition. If the spirometry test showed you have generalized asthma, we can recommend controller medications for you to take on a regular basis. If you have EIB, a short-acting beta-agonist such as albuterol will be more appropriate. This type of medication can be used as a preventative measure before exercise or as a treatment if symptoms develop during exercise.

Exercise Advice: One final way that we can help you manage your EIB as your allergist in Ventura CA is by providing advice on how to avoid or minimize your symptoms. For example, since most people with EIB are sensitive to low temperatures and dry air, swimming laps in a heated pool is actually the ideal exercise.

Ready to Make Your Appointment?

If you are ready to see an allergist in Ventura CA about your EIB symptoms and get on the path to enjoying exercise again, please contact Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Medical Group today.