How to beat asthma

How to beat asthma

Two peak flow meters

1. Asthma partially obstructs the bronchial tubes, making breathing difficult. The cause of asthma is still not known. But if you are an asthma sufferer, you can, through natural means, considerably reduce the number of asthma attacks you get.

2. A placebo study has shown that asthmatics who consume 1 gram of vitamin C per day had 4 times fewer attacks. When they stopped taking vitamin C, the attacks resumed with the same frequency as before .

3. As for magnesium, it also works wonders! Dr. Zack H. Haddad of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southern California conducted a study on thirty children suffering from asthma associated with allergies.

4. Twenty of them drank a daily amount of mineral water rich in magnesium, while the others received no magnesium supplement. After three months, the first group had a higher level of magnesium in their blood, and they were able to breathe more easily.

5. So taking vitamin C and magnesium is an excellent way to prevent asthma attacks.

6. But what can you do to breathe more easily during an attack? Simply drink 2 or 3 cups of strong coffee. By activating blood circulation, it eases respiratory blockage

ASTHMA-HOME REMEDIES

ASTHMA-HOME REMEDIES

"Asthma" is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways wherein the airways in the lower respiratory tract go into a spasm and they narrow down in response to a stimulus like an allergy, change of weather, air irritants, lung infection or stress. The air gets trapped in the lungs during expiration leading to a labored breathing and the narrowed bronchus will no longer be cleared effectively by coughing up the mucus formed and thus many of the bronchi become obstructed by mucus plugs. 

For details please refer to the following post:
http://healthtips-sastha.blogspot.com/2012/05/asthma.html
HOME REMEDIES
1. Strictly avoid curd, buttermilk, rice, sugar, lentils (masoor), banana, guava, sour things, strong tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages, condiments, pickles, sauces, fried things, refined and processed foods.

2. Include figs  (anjeer), dry grapes, dates, papayas and apples daily in your breakfast. The juice of grapefruit (chakotra) is an age-old remedy in asthma.

3. Three to four dry figs (anjeer) should be cleaned thoroughly with warm water and soaked overnight and should be taken on an empty stomach the next morning, along with the water in which it was soaked. This treatment should be continued for a period of about two months for good results.

4. Freshly prepared mixture of ginger juice, lime juice and honey, one teaspoonful of each should be taken up to three times daily. This will help to soothe the throat and decrease the cough.

5. Magnesium is the essential mineral that helps to relax the smooth muscles lining the airways. The rich sources of this mineral are whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds.

6. Boiling cloves of garlic in an ounce of milk and taken daily in the morning helps in the early stages of asthma.

7. A teaspoonful of bitter gourd (karela) root paste mixed with an equal amount of honey  or  juice of honey basil leaves (tulsi), given once every night for a month acts as a good expectorant.

8. A paste made from long pepper (pipli), dates, black raisins, ghee, sugar and honey is an efficacious remedy in asthma.

9. Soup prepared from drumstick leaves (saijan ki phalli) and taken once daily is beneficial for the treatment of asthma.

10. Half a teaspoonful of powder of dry safflower seeds, mixed with a tablespoonful of honey, can be taken twice daily.

11. Carrot juice is of some good value in asthma.

12. A few cups of strong coffee make a beneficial effect for an asthmatic attack.

13. Make a paste from ajwain and jaggery and take this twice daily for a few months.

14. Massage the chest with a mixture of eucalyptus and mustard oils. Add two or five drops of eucalyptus oil to half cup of mustard oil.

15. Five drops of the tincture of the herb Squill or Sumbul (also known as the Musk Root) should be taken in warm, sweetened water thrice daily for a few weeks.

Asthma

Asthma 

This allergic disease of the respiratory system primarily affects the lungs. At the end of each tiny air tube that reaches the lung is the alveolus, where gas exchange occurs. Here oxygen enters the red blood cells to be exchanged for carbon dioxide, which is then exhaled. The bronchial tubes that form the large and small air passages have a smooth specialized muscle in them that constricts under certain conditions. In contrast, with the smooth muscle of the artery walls, these bronchial muscles dilate in response to adrenalin and constrict in the presence of histamine as well as other chemical mediators of allergies. A condition described as bronchial asthma occurs when there is spasm of the bronchial tubes, leading to obstruction in the airway. Usually there is also excess mucus accumulation and thickening of the mucus’s making it more tenacious and difficult to clear. 

The asthmatic patient, then, primarily has an air hunger, with musical wheezes in the lung. These can be heard easily with a stethoscope over the chest and in more severe asthmatic crises becomes audible to the unaided ear.

A number of conditions can produce these symptoms. There are certain drugs that can create an allergic reaction, as well as many industrial inhalants that irritate the lungs. A few people react to food allergies with the production of asthma’s though this is less common. Most frequently, the asthmatic sufferer reacts to inhaled particles in the air, called allergens, which may be of a biologic nature or inanimate particles. House dust is an example of the latter. Danders from cats, dogs, horses, feathers, or down also can produce wheezing.

Commonly seen in the spring, summer, and fall are allergies to various inhaled pollens. Although some people primarily suffer from hay fever (discussed below), others are affected in their lungs. The inhalation of pollens, such as those from pine trees in the spring, wildflowers in the summertime, ragweed or goldenrod in the fall, may produce characteristic responses. These are related to the number of particles inhaled and the efficiency of the nasal filtering mechanism.

Emotions can also trigger allergies. I remember vividly the experience of a teenage girl who suffered a violent asthma attack in a hospital when she remembered with nostalgia her dear pet cat at home alone! Moreover, numerous infections in the lung are seen in conjunction with asthma. These are usually termed asthmatic bronchitis. Frequently seen in childhood, they are often associated with an upper respiratory infection.

Treatment

A physiologic approach to asthma then involves several factors. The secretions should be thinned with a copious fluid intake’s preferably by the oral route. Inhalations of cool moist air can often help in the clearing of secretions and the thinning of this very sticky mucous material. Gentle coughing assists in expelling of the mucous plugs, but this should be done in combination with the inhalation of humidified cool air. The use of a stem vaporizer is to be discouraged, as this often adds to the swelling and edema formation in the bronchial tubes. 

Hydrotherapy is important in the treatment of asthma. Often the adrenal glands can be stimulated early in the disease by a quick ice rub to the spine in the upper back, associated with brisk tapping (percussion) over the adrenal area. This stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system results in the discharge of enough adrenalin to counteract the acute effects in beginning stages, as well as induce dilation of the bronchial tubes.

Prolonged hot packs to the chest can sometimes be effective in relaxing both the respiratory muscles and the patient’s s nerves. This must be repeated several times, and will often abort the acute asthmatic attack and eliminate the need for medication. Inhalation therapy with the use of bronchial dilators and theophylline derivatives are often used in a hospital setting. Sometimes mullein tea or other teas containing theophylline can be used with some effectiveness to further aid in combating the bronchial spasm. As in any disease, a thorough attempt to discover the cause’s then as far as possible eliminate it’s will reward the asthmatic sufferer with an increase of comfort and removal of those conditions that progresses in the advanced case too often leading to emphysema. 

Mullein tea (Mullein Verbascum thapsus)

Mullein tea is made from boiling mullein herbs in combination with mallow flowers, lime, colt's foot leaves and plantain. It is then sweetened with honey or sugar and is consumed warm, a spoonful every hour. The tea is then passed through a fine sieve to retain the herb's puff that can cause pharyngeal irritations. 

Are Allergy And Asthma Related?

Are Allergy And Asthma Related?

Allergy and asthma are linked in more ways than you think. They are both triggered by the same factors, so the method of prevention is usually similar.


They are related in more ways than just making you feel terrible. The same things that trigger allergy-related symptoms such as stuffy nose and itchy eyes, usually also irritate the airways. This leads to various asthma symptoms such as wheezing, a sense of tightness in your chest, and short shallow breaths.


Many asthma sufferers see their symptom starting after allergies are triggered. Most times they are allergic to airborne pathogens such as pollen, dust, or pet dander. Symptoms of asthma can even be caused by allergies to different foods and from skin allergies.


If you come in contact with something you are allergic to, the first thing you notice is that the lining of your nose becomes affected and you become congested. If instead you have an asthma attack, the same process affects the airways.


You experience side effects when antibodies perceive the presence of the allergen. The reactions are brought upon when the antibodies go to work to fight off the allergen.


Many asthmatic people respond favorably to allergy treatments. There is a type of allergy treatment called immunotherapy or allergy shots. This has been proven to greatly decrease the amount of asthma symptoms. It works by lowering your sensitivity to certain allergens over the course of time.


Asthma triggered by allergies can be prevented and its symptoms reduced. You can control this problem by taking allergy medication, or even by staying away from anything that triggers an allergic reaction. Neither of these methods usually control asthma completely, but it can happen.


While allergic asthma is the most popular type of asthma, there are many other different forms and triggers for asthma. Exercise-induced asthma is a type of asthma caused by irritation of the bronchi and lungs. Such a condition is usually triggered when you exert yourself too much, both playing a team sport or exercising. GERD, or gastro esophageal reflux disease can be a cause of non-allergic asthma. No matter what kind of asthma you have, it can be helped by many different forms of treatment. Allergy and asthma are often related, but they are different conditions. Be sure to know the difference between the two so that you know how to keep each under control. One of the first thing you should do is to have a skin test for allergies right at your doctor’s office.

Use of Paracetamol may double asthma risk in teens

A new study has suggested that even monthly use of the drug acetaminophen may more than double risk of asthma in adolescents compared to those who use none at all.


Acetaminophen or Paracetamol is a widely used over-the-counter analgesic (pain reliever) and antipyretic (fever reducer).

“This study has identified that the reported use of acetaminophen in 13 and 14 year old adolescent children was associated with an exposure-dependent increased risk of asthma symptoms,” said study first author Richard Beasley, MD, professor of medicine, at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand on behalf of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC).

As part of the ISAAC program, two written questionnaires and one video questionnaire were administered to more than 300,000 13- and 14 year old children in 113 centers throughout 50 countries, asking them to quantify their use of acetaminophen (none, “medium”— at least once in the last year, or “high”— at least once in the last month) and their asthma, eczema and allergy symptoms.


There was a significant association between acetaminophen use and risk of asthma and eczema. For medium users the risk of asthma 43% higher than non-users; high users had 2.51 times the risk of non-users. Similarly, the risk of rhinoconjunctivitis (allergic nasal congestion) was 38% higher for medium users and 2.39 times as great for high users compared to non-users. For eczema, the relative risks were 31% and 99% respectively.


The research results will be published online on the American Thoracic Society’s Web site ahead of the print edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.