“My doctor has just diagnosed me with asthma and I am really surprised. I am a regular runner and besides the diagnosis, I am fit and healthy. I had asthma as a child, but I ‘grew out’ of it. Could the same be said for my adult diagnosis and do I need to alter my exercise routine?”
Asthma is an inflammation of the lining of the airway causing cough, breathlessness and wheeze. Ireland has one of the highest rates of asthma in the world. Over 20% of Irish children have an episode of asthma diagnosed by a doctor. This falls to less than 10% of adults. Genetically you are the same person now as you were when you were a child. Hormonal, environmental and other changes means it simply stops causing symptoms, sometimes as in your case for many years.