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Athletic induced asthma goes unrecognized, more common than students realize

By Maddi Bourgerie
<[email protected]>

It was a normal early Saturday morning for the 11-year-old athlete. The soccer fields were full of young athletes dressed in jerseys, soccer shorts and cleats; all focusing in on the main goal, to win. But when one boy dropped to his knees and was gulping for a breath, a horrible wheezing sound caught everyone’s attention. Everyone stopped and the focus was now on him. Taylor Wagner went to his doctor, who later diagnosed him with athletic induced asthma (AIA).

“I was worried that asthma would get in the way of my future in sports,” said Wagner, who is now a senior football player and an elite athlete who has played four successful years on the football team. He said his AIA didn’t stand in his way.

According to Riley Asthma Care Center, asthma is a respiratory disorder caused by narrowing or obstruction of the airways or breathing tubes. AIA has the same symptoms but only takes affect when one is active. About 10 percent of the general population without asthma has AIA when they exercise. Dawn Robertson, an athletic trainer for this school’s sport teams said she sees about one to two players per sports teams with this disorder.

There are many people who don’t play sports that may have this disorder and don’t realize it,” Robertson said.

Elite athletes are diagnosed more often because they push themselves to a level of activity that most people wouldn’t, causing symptoms to be recognized.

This mostly includes the people who are active at a slower pace, like running on treadmills or elipticals. When working out most people look for the wrong symptoms. “Many people think asthma has to do with your lungs and you just can’t catch your breath. It actually involves the throat closing up,” Wagner said.

The Riley Asthma Care Center states that symptoms can be mild or severe. Some symptoms include: shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, tightness and occasionally tiredness. Asthma attacks, which is when the body quickly reacts to the lose of breath, can also play a part. “They are scary, I couldn’t catch my breath. Nothing was coming in or out,” Wagner said.

“If students or athletes are feeling shortness of breath or feel like they are breathing through a straw while working out, they need to speak with me and I can help get in to see a physician who can diagnose them and treat their condition,” Robertson said.

There are many different treatments for AIA. According to Riley Asthma Care Center, the goal of treatment for this condition is to allow participation in physical activities without triggering asthma symptoms. Treatment is three-fold and includes medications, modified training techniques and monitoring. The most common treatment is the inhaler.

“When I use my inhaler I can see a big difference, I last much longer in the game. If I don’t take it I have trouble breathing from the get-go,” Wagner said. “It used to worry me. Now my asthma is just another part of my routine.”

Medications and treatment only work if they are taken consistently. “People with this condition need to make sure they are taking their medication. Many think they don’t need it, all people with AIA need to use their prescribed treatment before being active. Also, if they don’t they need to immediately stop and take their rescue inhaler and work on their breathing. Trying to ‘tough it out’ only makes it worse,” Robertson said. “AIA affects many athletes, along with other non-athletes who may not realize they even have the condition. The good thing is there are treatments and preventions that can help these active people with their condition.”

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