Wilderness: Asthma

Asthma Myths Quiz Slideshow

• Asthma Overview
• Asthma Symptoms
• Asthma Treatment
• When to Seek Medical Care
• For More Information
• Web Links
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Asthma Overview

Asthma attacks occur when the lower airways (bronchioles) constrict (narrow) in reaction to an allergic substance (an allergen that triggers a reaction), a respiratory infection, or other triggers. People with asthma often have a history of previous attacks.

Asthma is present in about 5% of the US population and in up to 10% of all children.

• Features of an allergic reaction, such as itching, watery eyes, or stuffy nose, may accompany an asthma attack.
• 
  
• Consult with a health care provider prior to traveling because asthma often worsens during travel. Asthma is a potentially life-threatening condition and requires special considerations that people with asthma should not ignore when planning a trip.
• 
  
• Travelers with asthma who frequently use inhaled bronchodilators or who are planning to participate in intensive exercise on a trip may be at an increased risk to develop an asthma attack. Increased asthma therapy prior to exercise will achieve better disease control, but intensive exercise should be discouraged.
• 
  
• Scuba diving requires special considerations by people with asthma.
  
  
  • Physical and psychological fitness are required for scuba diving. Certain people with asthma find scuba diving too big of a risk. Indeed, some countries consider scuba diving absolutely too risky for people with asthma.
  • 
    
  • People with asthma who experience frequent symptoms or have a measurable baseline airway obstruction may be susceptible to lung injury and should not scuba dive.
  • 
    
  • People with asthma who have perfectly normal measures of pulmonary function with rare acute episodes may be able to scuba dive, but they should seek advice from their health care provider before doing so. The person with asthma who chooses to scuba dive should, however, be aware that significant shallow-water injuries occur even in swimming pools.
• 
  
• High altitude travel also deserves special consideration by people with asthma.
  
  
  • People with asthma with airway obstruction may be susceptible to lung injury in high altitudes. In addition, the cooler and drier air or the participation in strenuous activities at high altitude may precipitate an asthma attack.
  • 
    
  • On the other hand, fewer allergens are present in the air at high altitude. During longer stays at high altitude, people with asthma may actually experience improvement in their asthma control.
• 
  
• Anyone known to have asthma generally should not scuba dive or venture too far from medical facilities. A sudden asthma attack under water or where medical facilities are not accessible could be fatal.