If you're typically coughing, wheezing or feeling short of breath during exercise, experts say you could have a condition called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB).
The condition causes the tubes inside your lungs to narrow during exercise, triggering symptoms of asthma.
What's behind EIB? The American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology says people with the condition are sensitive to cold and dry air. While the typical pattern of breathing through the nose will warm and moisten the air, during exercise, people tend to breathe more through the mouth. This allows cooler, drier air to reach the lungs.
What else can trigger EIB? Air pollution, allergens, respiratory infections and being out of shape are at the top of the list, the academy says.
Health Tip: Chronic Cough Could Signal Lung Disease
If all types of lung disease were combined, it would be the third-largest killer in the United States, the U.S. National Women's Health Information Center says.
It's important to recognize and treat symptoms of lung disease early. The American Lung Association offers this list of possible warning signs:
- Having a persistent cough that lasts at least a month.
- Having trouble catching your breath or finding it difficult to breathe.
- Producing mucus continually for at least a month.
- Making a noisy, wheezing sound when you breathe.
- Coughing up blood.
- Having persistent chest pain that lasts a month or more, particularly when you inhale or cough.
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