Clinical classification of asthma in relation to swimming training in a hot spring pool

Swimming training in a hot spring pool was carried out with 30 patients with bronchial asthma including 22 cases with steroid-dependent intractable asthma. Improvement in ventilatory function after 3 months of swimming training was compared among three asthma types, 1-a, 1-b and 2, classified accoridng to clinical symptoms. The ventilatory function test before the training showed that the mean value of FEV(1.0%) was less than 70% in all asthma types, indicating obstruction of the airways, and that the values of % FVC, % MMF, % V(50) and % V(25) of type 2 (bronchiolar obstruction type) asthma cases were significantly lower compared to those of type 1-a (bronchospasm type) and type 1-b (bronchospasm　+　hypersecretion type) asthma cases. After the 3-month training, type 1-a asthma cases showed an increase in FEV(1.0%) accompanied by an increase in % MMF, % V(50) and % V(25). An increase in % MMF, % V(50) and % V(25) with less increase in FEV(1.0%) was observed in type 2 asthma cases. In type 1-b, the mean increase in all parameters indicating obstruction of the airways was very low even in the cases whose symptoms were improved by the training.