Sex can trigger asthma attacks in much the same way as strenuous exercise, a study has found.
- Asthma is a common disease that affects more than 4 million people in France, according to Santé Publique France.
- According to Inserm, severe asthma is directly associated with more than 60,000 hospitalizations and nearly 900 deaths per year.
It’s well known that exercise can cause asthma attacks…but most people don’t know that includes sex too!
Sex as a trigger for asthma attacks is rarely reported
“Many people don’t realize that the energy expenditure of sexual activity is roughly equivalent to walking up two flights of stairs.” says Dr. Ariel Leung of Saint Agnes Medical Center in California, lead author ofa study on sex as a trigger for asthma attacks. And asthmatics also rarely make the connection or they dare not talk about it with their doctor, according to the researchers who presented the results of their work at the annual scientific meeting of theAmerican College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology which was held from November 10 to 14 in Louisville, Kentucky, United States.
Yet the crises of this chronic respiratory disease are not without danger. “In the most severe cases, these asthma attacks may require hospitalization.indicates theInserm.
The researchers scoured PubMed, a database of more than 34 million citations and abstracts from the biomedical literature, looking for different combinations of keywords, including intercourse, sexual behavior, allergy, and allergic reaction. The few studies that mentioned that sexual intercourse could be the cause of asthma attacks have indeed noted the under-reporting of this condition.
Do not forget your inhaler during intimate moments
Dr AM Aminian, an allergist and co-author of the study, said this may be due to “the intimate nature of the subject“.”People may not be comfortable discussing an asthma attack caused by sex with their allergist. But allergists are specialists in the diagnosis, treatment and management of asthma. If anyone can guide a patient on how to avoid an asthma attack in the future, it’s their allergist.“
Raising awareness of the link between sex and asthma”will improve the lives of patients, including their marriage“, conclude the scientists who recommend that patients take their short-acting beta-agonist inhaler – the main bronchodilators used to relieve asthma symptoms – 30 minutes before sex to prevent an attack. asthma.
“Some patients might think it takes away from romance, but nothing is more romantic than taking care of yourself and not letting your partner have an asthma attack.“, insists Dr. Ariel Leung.
