Why Do You Cough When You Exercise in the Cold?

It’s great to go for a run on a clear autumn day. There is coolness in the air, a springy gait and – what is this? – hacking cough. Perhaps a little wheezing. No, you didn’t suddenly lose your shape. Coughing after exercising in the cold is more common than you think, and you’re not the only one.

I’m going to discuss several reasons why this cough can occur, but the main one is exercise-induced asthma. Don’t stop reading! It is much more common and less diagnosed than many athletes and exercise enthusiasts think. Surveys have shown that 8% or 16.5% of Olympic athletes (depending on the study) have asthma , with the condition being more common in the sports that you think are most likely to trigger asthma symptoms. So if you happen to be among them, you’re in good company.

(Also, scientists have many competing theories about why elite athletes suffer from asthma so often. One theory is that exercise itself causes them to develop asthma, which contradicts other studies that have found that exercise exercise tends to improve asthma symptoms. Another possibility is that my favorite theory is that elite athletes have the same prevalence of asthma as the general population, but they are more likely to be diagnosed. tend to assume that we’re just out of shape and might as well not bother exercising if we’re going to cough every time we do it.)

You may have asthma (even if you are sure you don’t have asthma)

All my life I have coughed after hard workouts, especially in the cold, but I was never diagnosed with asthma. I was definitely not one of those kids who had to carry an inhaler with me. In the summer I could play sports perfectly, and in the winter the cough did not slow me down much. Clearly not a medical issue, so I decided I was probably just more out of shape than I thought.

It wasn’t until I was thirty that it dawned on me that maybe I actually had asthma. I discovered this through a non-exercise related cough that continued even after I had recovered from the infection that caused it. My mom suggested asking my doctor for an inhaler. Not only did it get rid of the cough associated with the illness, but I also realized that I could use the inhaler to relieve or even prevent the cough I would get after running uphill again. Hm .

I later asked the doctor about this and outlined my symptoms: I cough and wheeze (hear a whistling sound when breathing) after very strenuous exercise or those that occur in the cold, and worse if the two factors are combined. . This is less likely if I warm up for a long time or cover my mouth and nose with a scarf. This happens less often when I’m used to running often. Bingo is an ideal treatment for exercise-induced asthma.

Doctors will debate the best name for this condition. You may be told that you have exercise-induced asthma (EAA), exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), or simply be told that it is asthma, no additional adjectives required. When asked, I usually describe it this way: I have mild asthma that comes from exercising in the cold.

What does exercise-induced asthma (EIA or EIB) look like?

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology , typical symptoms of this type of asthma include:

• Wheezing after exercise

• Cough after exercise

• Feeling of chest tightness after exercise

• Shortness of breath after exercise

• Chest pain (although this is rare) after exercise

Chest pain and shortness of breath may be signs of other, more serious conditions, so please get checked if your symptoms are severe or if you have other health problems.

Symptoms of exercise-induced asthma usually appear 5 to 20 minutes after exercise (so you may feel fine at first and then start coughing), but they can also occur during exercise, which I’ve experienced on the back half of some. my long runs.

What causes exercise-induced asthma

Many people with exercise-induced asthma do not have asthma symptoms in any other part of their lives and only see them appear during exercise. Others, like me, may have other triggers (such as allergies or respiratory infections). And of course, if you have asthma that affects your entire life, you may find that exercise makes it worse. No matter who you are, you may find that these are the factors that cause or worsen your symptoms, again according to the AAAAI:

• Cold weather, especially when the air is cold and dry.

• Dry air (I learned the hard way not to do HIIT on an airbike)

• Intense intervals, especially without warm-up

• Be out of shape

• Poorly controlled nasal allergies

• Vocal cord problems

You may find that you are more likely to experience symptoms when air pollution or pollen counts are high.

How to prevent asthma symptoms from worsening during exercise

First, talk to your doctor if possible. They can test you for asthma, and you can also discuss allergies (since eliminating allergy triggers can relieve asthma symptoms). For some of us, going to the office can be as simple as describing what you’re experiencing and going home with a prescription for an inhaler to see if it helps. If your asthma is more severe, other medications may be discussed.

Regardless of what happens in the doctor’s office (or whether you’ve already been to one), here are some things that can help prevent or control coughing and wheezing:

• Cover your mouth and nose when exercising in the cold (a cloth face mask is great for this, or use a scarf or buff).

• Breathe as much as possible through your nose rather than your mouth. (Your nose warms the cold air before it reaches your lungs.)

  
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