Exercise Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO) causes difficulty breathing in many teenagers. This study examined how EILO influences quality of life in teens. Teens reported that identifying EILO (getting a diagnosis) was difficult and took an average of 10.5 months. Teens reported that EILO hurt athletic performance because they were forced to pace themselves or stop participating. EILO also negatively affected academics and social life. Patients also reported that EILO caused feelings of fear, frustration, dread, guilt, and embarrassment. Patients stated that therapy with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) improved symptoms, but was more difficult to complete than expected.
Why is it important?
These findings show that EILO affects teenagers in a variety of ways. As such, it is important that EILO be diagnosed quickly - before symptoms can get worse. It is important that clinicians understand that EILO can affect social, academic, and emotional function. Therapy with an SLP helps EILO symptoms, but more work is needed to see how this treatment can be improved.