During or after exercise, if you cough, wheeze or feel out of breath, it may be more than exertion causing your symptoms. You might have exercise-induced asthma. As with asthma triggered by other things, exercise-induced asthma symptoms occur when your airways tighten and produce extra mucus.
If you have exercise-induced asthma — also called exercise-induced bronchospasm (BRONG-ko-spaz-um) — physical exertion may be the only thing that triggers your symptoms. Or, exercise may be just one of several things that trigger your asthma. But having exercise-induced asthma doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise.
Exercise-induced asthma is a chronic disease, it take a very long time to treat. Some people have to use medication for the rest of their lives. The best way to improve your condition and live your life on your terms is to learn all you can about your asthma and what you can do to make it better.