A commonly-encountered clinical scenario in primary care involves an adolescent or young adult, with no past medical history, presenting with wheeze and breathlessness, occurring in association with exercise.1
However, the differential diagnosis for this presentation is broad. Such patients are often diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma and prescribed a short-acting bronchodilator.1 Recently there has been increasing recognition that an alternative diagnosis should be considered,2 specifically a condition termed exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO), a phenomenon in which closure of the larynx occurs during high-intensity exercise. This narrowing causes a significant reduction in airflow, thereby precipitating breathlessness and wheeze.
Publication information
Hall A, Thomas M, Sandhu G, Hull JH. Br J Gen Pract. 2016 Sep;66(650):e683-5