Exercise-induced respiratory symptoms: an epidemic among adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

To review the most important causes of exercise-induced respiratory symptoms in adolescents.

DATA SOURCES: Published English-language medical literature.

STUDY SELECTION: Primary literature and consensus publications relevant to the objective.

RESULTS

The diagnosis and treatment of exercise-induced asthma are well characterized. Other syndromes, such as exercise-induced vocal cord dysfunction, exercise-induced paradoxical arytenoid motion, and exercise-induced hyperventilation, are relatively common but so far are described primarily in uncontrolled case reports.

CONCLUSION

Controlled studies are necessary to define efficient diagnostic and treatment algorithms for young patients experiencing respiratory symptoms during exercise who do not respond to asthma treatment.