Physical exertion can provoke asthma type symptoms that last for several minutes. Other activators of asthma are allergies, pet dander or respiratory infections.

Exercise induced asthma is caused by inflammation of your bronchial tubes. Its symptoms resemble those of allergic asthma, including:

• fatigue
• dyspnea
• coughing
• wheezing
• chest tightness

Your asthma symptoms may occur 10-15 minutes into your aerobic exercise or after you’ve finished. For some, their asthmatic onset may not happen for hours afterwards.

The benefits of exercise are too important to forgo a regular fitness program. What’s necessary is to chose an activity that is less likely to provoke symptoms.

Exercise induced asthma is typically more prevalent while engaged in cold-weather aerobic activities, like:

• skiing
• ice hockey
• ice skating
• cross-country skiing

It’s best not to participate in any other sport that involves continuous vigorous outdoor exertion as well, such as running or bicycling.

Swimming is one of the recommended aerobic exercises if you have exercise induced asthma. Also, participating in fitness regimes that are made up of short aerobic exertion periods intermingled with rest works well too, like tennis, golf and baseball.

Factors that can contribute or worsen exercise-induced asthma symptoms consist of:

• GERD
• dry air
• obesity
• air pollution
• high pollen count
• cold temperatures
• poor physical shape
• respiratory infections ~ common cold, bronchitis
• chemicals ~ chlorine, paint, fertilizers, herbicides

Those with asthma are more likely to suffer exercise induced asthma. And exercise induced hives and anaphylaxis are completely unrelated conditions.

• Air Pollution Impact on Lungs During Exercise
• Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen Dioxide Effects During Exercise
• Stress Fracture, Hairline Fracture Symptoms, Healing Stress Fractures
• Causes of Exertional Exercise Headaches, Exercise Induced Headaches, After Exercise Headache

Not only does the volume of air you breath substantially increase, but you’ll breath in deeper and that air won’t pass through your pollutant trapping nose. Larger particles tend to get caught up in the mucous of your nose, mouth and throat. The nose being the most efficient at ensnaring them.

Course your lungs’ mucous and cilia participate in keeping the crap out as well. Yet, less is best when it comes to air pollution’s impact on your lungs.

Exercise is all about oxygen delivery. You get that oxygen from the air. But, sometimes you also get noxious pollutants right along with it. More specifically, unhealthy levels of ozone, carbon monoxide, airborne particles, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide or lead.

When you exercise in polluted air, you’ll draw air in deeper and increase your lungs’ contact with these pollutants. This foreign matter causes inflammation and lung lining cell damage. Not only will your lung function be reduced on the spot, but studies indicate repetitive incidences may lead to cancer, scarring and permanent reduction in lung function.

You can minimize your deep lung exposure to air pollution by checking the level of pollutants in your area. And then don’t engage in deep lung inhaling exercises when it’s unhealthy or above.

• Why Some People Die During Exercise
• Why You May Feel Out of Breath During Exercise
• Endorphins: Natural Pain Killer for Survival of Severe Injury
• Benefits of Exercise for Staying Healthy, Disease Fighting, Weight Loss

The effects of carbon monoxide is that it interferes with the delivery of oxygen during exercise. It has the potential to cause unconsciousness, and even death, at a high concentrations.

Lower concentrations may cause:

• nausea
• dizziness
• weakness
• confusion
• headaches
• disorientation

Relatively healthy people may complain of fatigue, while those with heart disease may experience increased episodes of chest pain. And carbon monoxide poisoning is sometimes confused with the flu or food poisoning.

The effects of nitrogen dioxide is it irritates the mucous membranes in the eye, nose, and throat. And causes shortness of breath after exposure to high concentrations. Which is why you may feel out of breath during exercise in a highly polluted environment.

High concentrations, or continued exposure to low levels, of nitrogen dioxide may increase your risk of respiratory infections. Or developing a lung disease, such as emphysema.

When you exercise, you’re likely breathing in either of these air pollutants substantially deeper into you lungs. So check the air out before you go out.

• Air You Breath is a Healthy Lifestyle Factor
• Death by Dirt: Methane Gas Causes Low Oxygen Level
• Headache, Dizziness and Nausea of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
• Dyspnea Cause for Breathlessness, Short of Breath or Out of Breath
  
• Lung, Pulmonary, Respiratory Disease, Difficulty Breathing Problems, Shortness of Breath Causes