Olympics athletes with asthma?!

 

It seems weird that the Winter Olympics are starting in February. Didn't we just have the Summer Olympics?!

Oh right....the Summer Olympics were postponed for a year due to the pandemic. 

Some people wonder if athletes can compete at the Olympic level if they have asthma. Can someone with asthma be the Best in the World at their sport? 

Well.........Yes!

About 8% of Olympic Athletes have asthma. That's the same percentage of the general population. So if they can compete on a world level, there's no excuse for us not taking a walk around the block, right?

Asthma Triggers for Athletes

Exercise Induced Asthma (EIA) or Exercise Induced Bronchospasm (EIB) is a common asthma trigger in athletes, so that can make it extra hard to train for the Olympics. They train for HOURS every day, day after day, year after year. It must be hard battling their exercise trigger.

There can also be other asthma triggers that Olympic athletes have to deal with (that their competitors don't). For instance, cold temperatures can be an asthma trigger. And the Winter Olympics athletes breathe in plenty of cold air while they are skiing, snow boarding, ice skating, etc. 

Summer athletes can struggle with heat and humidity asthma triggers. 

Strong emotions and stress can also trigger an asthma attack. I can't think of a more stressful moment than an athlete training their entire life in a sport, then competing, and having their fate decided in a few short minutes!

I find that just WATCHING the athletes compete stresses me out! Especially when they approach the finish line, or are waiting for their score. 

And let's not forget respiratory infections. Long before COVID came along, those of us with asthma would have to worry about colds, flu, bronchitis and pneumonia. My kids were hospitalized countless times with pneumonia. As hard as they try to protect the athletes, it seems like every Olympic village has an outbreak of bronchitis, stomach flu, etc.

I admire Olympic athletes 

I grew up doing just about every sport that existed, and competing in some of the sports too. I admire Olympic athletes for being so passionate about a sport that they spend their entire life preparing for their one chance every four years to be the best in the world. 

Wow! Just wow!

  Good luck to the Olympic Athletes! 

Obviously I'll be cheering for the Americans ;)