Price, OJ, Hull, JH, Ansley, L et al. (2 more authors) (2016) Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in athletes – A qualitative assessment of symptom perception. Respiratory Medicine, 120. pp. 36-43. ISSN 0954-6111
Abstract
Background:
A poor relationship between perceived respiratory symptoms and objective evidence of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in athletes is often reported; however, the reasons for this disconnect remain unclear. The primary aim of this study was to utilise a qualitative-analytical approach to compare respiratory symptoms in athletes with and without objectively confirmed EIB.
Methods:
Endurance athletes who had previously undergone bronchoprovocation test screening for EIB were divided into sub-groups, based on the presence or absence of EIB ± heightened self-report of dyspnoea: (i) EIB-Dys- (ii) EIB + Dys+ (iii) EIB + Dys- (iv) EIB-Dys+. All athletes underwent a detailed semi-structured interview.
Results:
Twenty athletes completed the study with an equal distribution in each sub-group (n = 5). Thematic analysis of individual narratives resulted in four over-arching themes: 1) Factors aggravating dyspnoea, 2) Exercise limitation, 3) Strategies to control dyspnoea, 4) Diagnostic accuracy. The anatomical location of symptoms varied between EIB + Dys + athletes and EIB-Dys + athletes. All EIB-Dys + reported significantly longer recovery times following high-intensity exercise in comparison to all other sub-groups. Finally, EIB + Dys + reported symptom improvement following beta-2 agonist therapy, whereas EIB-Dys + deemed treatment ineffective.
Conclusion:
A detailed qualitative approach to the assessment of breathlessness reveals few features that distinguish between EIB and non-EIB causes of exertional dyspnoea in athletes. Important differences that may provide value in clinical work-up include (i) location of symptoms, (ii) recovery time following exercise and (iii) response to beta-2 agonist therapy. Overall these findings may inform clinical evaluation and development of future questionnaires to aid clinic-based assessment of athletes with dyspnoea.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Keywords: | Athletes; Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction; Dyspnoea; Perception; Qualitative methods; Respiratory symptoms |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Biological Sciences (Leeds) > School of Biomedical Sciences (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 30 Jun 2021 15:04 |
Last Modified: | 30 Jun 2021 15:04 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.rmed.2016.09.017 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:175672 |