Exercise-Induced Asthma

Abstract

OF the known triggers of asthma, allergens and exercise have received the most attention. Both are powerful, naturally occurring precipitants, but exercise is a potential factor in the daily life of every asthmatic, whereas allergens only affect some persons with asthma. Nevertheless, more is known about the effects of antigens on pulmonary mechanics, partly because the stimulus that initiates the bronchoconstriction is well defined and easily controlled, and thus the relation between stimulus and response can be quantified. In exercise-induced asthma, this quantitative relation is unknown. Without this information, it has been difficult to determine how muscular work produces airway . . .