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General
After my son was diagnosed with *Reactive Airway Disease - I started learning more and more about the respiratory system and how it�effects lifestyles. I became an Illinois State Licensed EMT and began volunteer work for the�Heart and Lung Association.
I remember following my son to�hockey always using the peak flow meter (like a thermometer is for a fever�to help manage asthma) and carrying�his puffer (inhaler) in my pocket...always having to watch the clock to be sure we got up in enough time to use the nebulizer (a medical device that delivers liquid medication into fine droplets that are inhaled)�for such activities.� The look in his eyes when he would tell me he wasn't getting any air was very scary.�There were things to do to help him. �We knew hockey was a great exercise.� The fast and furious sport was not going by the waist side.
Are you in�control of your Asthma? Go to www.AsthmaInCanada.com�to take the 30 second Asthma test.� If you check one box, your Asthma may be out of control.
I continued to learn and explore more information to help everybody workout and lead a healthy lifestyle through this disease.
Many of my Personal/Sports Training Clients today are Asthma sufferers.� One of our members, a 49 year old from Mokena,�Illinois USA has been suffering from�Asthma most of her life. She climbed 94 floors of the John Hancock building�with the American Lung Association's� "Hustle Up the Hancock"�group�with LOA's Leslie Nolan.� Her group was called�"Mom's On The Move."� It was not easy.� However, many of her family members have�lung disease and the cause was worth the climb to her.� The group earned $7000.00 for the�Lung Association.
The Asthma Society of Canada, http://www.asthma.ca/adults/lifestyle/exercise.php,� Exercise and Sports Lifestyle tells us "Having asthma does not mean that you cannot exercise. However, if you have any limitations in your ability to exercise because of your asthma, your asthma is not being controlled properly.
Webster defines asthma�as "a condition often of allergic origin that is marked by continuous or paroxysmal labored breathing accompanied by wheezing, by a sense of constriction in the chest, and often by attacks of coughing or gasping."� Bronchial�Asthma��"asthma resulting from spasmodic contraction of bronchial muscles."
The Asthma� Society of Canada recommends "by following your doctor and asthma educator's advice, and by avoiding your personal triggers, you can take control of your asthma and its symptoms. Much of asthma management is a matter of simple lifestyle modification."
An Eastern�Health Center reports: "Up to 90 percent of asthma sufferers have had attacks brought on by exercise. Indeed, some people only experience asthma while exercising. Physical exertion in extreme temperatures, either cold, dry air or hot and humid weather, also exacerbates the problem.�
Exercise-induced asthma can cause wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness or congestion, coughing, exercise fatigue and inconsistent performance. However, with the right preparation asthmatics can still work out. In fact, research indicates that being physically fit reduces the number of asthma attacks and lessens the need for medication".
The bronchioles inflame and Ice Hockey often feels good as the cold air opens the airway and�providing a means for the air to travel properly allowing an asthmatic to exercise longer and at a more intensity which may trigger an attack.
It was thought at one time�the exposure of nitrogen dioxide triggered asthma more with ice hockey players, However, the Swedish Foundation of Strategic and Environmental Research (MISTRA) and the Asthma and Allergy Association of Sweden concluded "children playing� appears unlikely that increased exposure to combustion products, including nitrogen dioxide, is a major contributor to this excess risk."� Information�obtained from the European� Respiratory�Society.
More than 25 Million North Americans suffer from Asthma some are exercise induced, caused be allergies, hay fever, dust, pollen etc.� Proper preparation keeps our bodies able to exercise and workout through this uncomfortable and often scary disease.� Remember to always warm up and stretch out before your workouts.� It is mostly the intense workouts that trigger an asthmatic attack.� Especially one that is outdoors in dry or humid temperatures.
Remember to prepare yourself for your workouts - warm up for 15 minutes, gradually intensify your workout and keep indoors in the air conditioning�when triggers are present.� Talk to you health care provider for the proper medication you should be on for your specific condition, height and weight.
"If you exercise outdoors, remember to breathe through your nose when possible since that helps warm and humidify the air you inhale. Check the air quality and avoid outdoor exercise when pollen counts are high." Asthma and Allergy Foundation, 800-727-8462
Eloise Nayder
http://www.cardiomoves.com
*Reacative Airway Disease is Asthma (in children), which is common. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing, which is caused by inflammation and tightness in the breathing tubes of the lungs. My son has since out grown this.
This first appeared in the http://www.cardiomoves.com/ issue of Hockey
Player Magazine®
© Copyright 1991-2003, Hockey Player® LLC and Hockey
Player Magazine®
Posted: Apr 27, 2005, 15:52
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