I have grown up playing multiple sports for different clubs and teams, and have been used to the busy schedule of practices, lifts, and games. However, a few years ago while conditioning for upcoming run tests I felt as though I could not improve my mile time. My arms would become tingly and it would become extremely hard to get air into my lungs. I ran every day and made little improvements. I went to the doctor to get an asthma test, but it was negative. They then tried a different test for laryngeal function and it raised some concern. The test entailed a continuous laryngoscopy during exercise to view the constriction of the larynx.
It turned out that I had exercise induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO). This means that after exercising for a while, my larynx would close as I inhaled. I was told that this cut my ideal oxygen intake by 4. This also explained why my arms would get tingly after running a mile or so. I couldn’t get enough oxygen to my blood, which caused my nerves to function improperly. Having excess CO2 may have also caused the tingly feeling by causing acidic blood. EILO is not dangerous, but rather a nuisance when training. The reason it took so long for me to figure out what was wrong is because EILO is widely unheard of and not yet fully understood. After researching I found that EILO is most common in young female athletes, and can be partially fixed by working with a respiratory therapist.
A study was done by doctors in pulmonary medicine and sports medicine in 2023 on therapy results of teenage athletes with EILO. (Robert Fujiki et al.) This study was very important because it proved that after 6 months of therapy many subjects reported decreased dyspnea symptoms, as well as a decreased inhaler use. The findings also support the idea that dyspnea symptoms may improve even after discharge as patients continue to use respiratory therapy techniques. In more severe cases of EILO, a supraglottoplasty, which uses a surgical laser to cut away tissue, may be suggested. In a survey performed by Camilla Mehlum et al. surgery was found to be extremely effective, even though only 17 patients were interviewed. (Camilla Mehlum et al.)
Fujiki RB, Olson-Greb B, Braden M, Thibeault SL. Therapy Outcomes for Teenage Athletes With Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2023 Jul 10;32(4):1517-1531. doi: 10.1044/2023_AJSLP-22-00359. Epub 2023 May 17. PMID: 37195781; PMCID: PMC10473392.
Mehlum CS, Walsted ES, Godballe C, Backer V. Supraglottoplasty as treatment of exercise induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO). Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2016 Apr;273(4):945-51. doi: 10.1007/s00405-015-3823-2. Epub 2015 Nov 5. PMID: 26541712.
You mention that EILO isn't dangerous but is instead a hinderance to training, and that your research has told you working with a respiratory therapist can help improve the condition. What do you do to manage EILO, and do the changes you've had to make require conscious thought, such as making intentional changes to your breathing while running, or do you address it in some other way?
ReplyDeletewow i had no idea this was a condition. how do you manage this condition now? and do you notice things that make it flare up even more?
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