Asthma in Elite Athletes: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, Differential Diagnoses, and Treatment

Elite athletes have a high prevalence of asthma and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Although respiratory symptoms can be suggestive of asthma, the diagnosis of asthma in elite athletes cannot be based solely on the presence or absence of symptoms; diagnosis should be based on objective measure...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Physician and sportsmedicine 2011-09, Vol.39 (3), p.163-171
Main Authors: Pedersen, Lars, Elers, Jimmi, Backer, Vibeke
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
airway hyper-responsiveness
Anti-Asthmatic Agents - therapeutic use
Asthma, Exercise-Induced - diagnosis
Asthma, Exercise-Induced - therapy
Athletes
Bronchial Provocation Tests
Bronchoconstriction
Diagnosis, Differential
Doping in Sports
exercise
Exercise Test
exercise-induced bronchoconstriction
exercise-induced laryngomalacia
Humans
Nutritional Support
Pollen - adverse effects
Respiratory Protective Devices
vocal cord dysfunction
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Description
Summary:Elite athletes have a high prevalence of asthma and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Although respiratory symptoms can be suggestive of asthma, the diagnosis of asthma in elite athletes cannot be based solely on the presence or absence of symptoms; diagnosis should be based on objective measurements, such as the eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea test or exercise test. When considering that not all respiratory symptoms are due to asthma, other diagnoses should be considered. Certain regulations apply to elite athletes who require asthma medication for asthma. Knowledge of these regulations is essential when treating elite athletes. This article is aimed at physicians who diagnose and treat athletes with respiratory symptoms. It focuses on the pathogenesis of asthma and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in elite athletes and how the diagnosis can be made. Furthermore, treatment of elite athletes with asthma, anti-doping regulations, and differential diagnoses such as exercise-induced laryngomalacia are discussed.
ISSN:0091-3847
2326-3660
DOI:10.3810/psm.2011.09.1932