ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SERIES NO: 14 : ASTHMA

Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.
 ASTHMA

SYMPTOMS


• Restlessness or insomnia.

• Increasing, but relatively painless, tightness in chest.

• Mild to moderate shortness of breath.

• When breathing, a wheezing or whistling sound that can range from faint to clearly audible.

• Coughing, sometimes accompanied by phlegm.



WHAT IS ASTHMA

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that, like bronchitis and emphysema, causes a tightening of the chest and difficulty in breathing. In the case of asthma, however, these symptoms are not always present. They come in episodes set off by various environmental or emotional “triggers”, such as pollen, animal dander, tobacco smoke, and stress. Some people with asthma experience only mild and infrequent episodes; for them the condition is an occasional inconvenience. For others, episodes can be frequent and serious, requiring emergency medical treatment. If you have asthma, you should be monitored by a physician regularly, and you must seek immediate medical intervention for a serious episode. By identifying your triggers, you can learn to lessen the intensity and frequency of asthma attacks and perhaps even avoid them completely.

Asthma is not a problem with breathing in, but with breathing out. During an asthma episode, muscle spasms and swelling bronchial tissues narrow the lungs tiny airways, which then become clogged with excess mucus. Stale air gets trapped in the bottom of lungs, forcing you to use the top part to gasp for air. Mild and Moderate episodes consist of short incidents of breathlessness and wheezing. In server cases, the lungs airways become so narrow and clogged that breathing is impossible.

An episode may pass quickly or last more than a day. Sometimes symptoms recur suddenly and with surprising intensity. This “second wave” attack can be more sever and dangerous than the initial episode and may last days or weeks.

A fairly common disease, asthma affects somewhere between 15 million and 16 million Americans. More prevalent in children than in adults, asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism and pediatric hospital admission. Although asthma is seldom fatal, it is quite serious. If you have asthma, you should seek the help of a doctor before trying alternative therapies.

CAUSES

Asthma has no single cause; rather, episodes can be brought on by a variety of factors working alone or in combination. Allergies are the primary offenders. Between 50 percent and 90 percent of people with asthma have allergies. The most common allergens, or allergy-causing substance, are pollen, grass, dust, mold, tobacco smoke, and animal dander. When inhaled, this substance can trigger the release of histamine and other body chemicals, causing an allergic reaction and asthma episodes. Other allergens include chemical fumes; aspirin or aspirin-like compounds, such as phenylbutazone, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; and sulfites, high concentration of which are found in some foods and liquids. Another factor in allergy related asthma is heredity: scientist has discovered a gene that appears to make people susceptible to the disease.

Lung infections can also induce asthma. Bronchiolitis, a viral respiratory infection that usually affects children aged two and younger, is a common cause of childhood asthma. Adults may develop asthma as a result of an upper respiratory infection, such as bronchitis. Other asthma triggers include exercise, emotional stress, and environmental stresses such as air pollution.

DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES

To determine if you have asthma, your doctor will probably administer a pulmonary function test, which measures the strength of your exhalation. Normally, a person without asthma asthma can exhale about 75 to 85 percent of the air in the lungs within a second, emptying them within three seconds. However, it takes a person with asthma six or seven seconds to expel all the air from the lungs. The pulmonary function test used most often is called a peak flow test, which takes readings as you exhale into a device called a peak floe meter. Your doctor can prescribe a peak floe meter for you, so that you can monitor your condition at home.

TREATMENT

If you have asthma, you should see a doctor regularly; for sever episodes, conventional medical treatment is always necessary. However, a number of alternative treatment can be helpful when used in conjunction with conventional therapy.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Following a diagnosis of asthma, your first step should be to work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan. As part of this plan, the physician might ask you to keep a daily diary, noting environmental and emotional factor that bring on asthma episodes, this not only will help the doctor monitor the disease but will help you recognize and avoid your asthma triggers.

To treat asthma medicinally, doctors generally prescribe bronchodilators; drugs that help dilate the lungs constricted airways. These medication are available in two forms: inhaled and oral. Inhaled bronchodilators, which come in aerosol or metered-dose inhaler form, resemble epinephrine.(the synthetic version of the hormone adrenaline produced by the body). Doctors usually prefer inhaled bronchodilators, such as isoproterenol, metaproterenol, isoetharine,and albuterol, because they are delivered directly to the lungs, and because they use 1000 times less medicine than oral forms. Generally, one or two “puffs” relive the wheezing and chest tightness associated with mild ti moderate episodes.

WARNING: Bronchodilator are potent drugs. If overused, they can cause dangerous side eefects, such as high blood pressure.

Oral bronchodilators, which include theophyline, metaproterenol, albuterol, and terbutaline, are available in liquid, tablet, or capsule form. They frequently prescribe for people who cannot tolerate inhaled medication or who suffer from chronic asthma. In sever cases corticosteroids may be prescribed, but doctor needs to monitor this treatment carefully because of serious side effects. Emergency situation may require an injection or inhaled dose of epinephrine to help open the lungs airways.

If you asthma has been caused by allergies, your doctor might be suggest immunotherapy. By gradually exposing your body to certain allergen through a series of injection, immunotherapy can help your immune system build up defenses; over time, your allergic reaction may lessen or disappear entirely.

ALTERNATIVE CHOICE

Many people have reported success with alternative asthma treatments, but even advocates recommend these methods only as complements to conventional therapies. Remember: Once diagnosed, asthma should be monitored by a physician, and serious episodes always require conventional medical attention.

ACUPRESSURE

Applying gentle pressure to certain body points may help relieve some of the discomfort of asthma. Reaching over your left shoulder with your right hand, press firmly on the part of your back in between the left shoulder blade and spine (point BL 13); take five deep breaths, then repeat on the other side. Or put your fist on your chest, thumbs pointing upward, and feel for the sensitive spot next to the breastbone, just underneath the collarbone (POINT KL 27). Press firmly for two minutes.

ACUPUNCTURE

Several medical studies suggest that acupuncture may help alleviate the symptoms of asthma. The procedure should be carried out only by a licensed acupuncturist.

AROMATHERAPY

Essential oils such as eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globules), hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), aniseed (pimpinella anisum), lavender (Lavendula officinalis), pine (Pinus sylvestris), and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), may help ease breathing and relive nasal congestion. Inhaled through the nose, a few drops of one of the oils or a mixture of several dabbed on a handkerchief or tissue can help ease breathing during a mild episode of asthma. If you feel congested at other times, mix a few drops of essential oil in a sink full of hot water, cover your head with towel, and inhaled the fragrant steam through your nose.

CHINESE HERBS

The Chinese herb Ephedra (Epedra sinica) is a potent bronchodilator.

CAUTION :Large quantities of this herb can have the same effect as large quantities of epinephrine; do not use it if you have high blood pressure or heart disease. Prepare an infusion by combining 5 grams ephedra, 4 grams cinnamon sticks (cinnamoum cassia), 1.5 grams licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis), and 5 grams apricot seed (prunus armeniaca). Steep the mixture in cold water, then bring to a boil.

Drink it hot.

HRBAL THERAPIES

Elecampane (Inula helenium), a root that acts as a soothing expectorant, may help clear the body of excess mucus. To prepare an infusion, shred the root to yield 1 tsp and add a full cup of cold water; let the infusion stand for 10 hours, An infusion made from mullein (Verbascum Thapsus) is recommended for soothing the mucous membranes, especially during nighttime episodes.

HOMEOPATHY

Homeopaths offer a variety of treatment for astma symptoms. Following are just a few : To help calm restlessness and anxiety, take Arsenicum album (30 c) as required. For symptoms that worsen at night or during cold weather, take Aconite (6 c) as required. For symptoms exacerbated by dampness, for more remedies, consult a licensed homeopath.

REFEXOLOGY

Massage the skin between the big toe and second toe on both feet; this area is said correspond to your throat and lungs. Then, flexing so the toes are spread apart, massage the ball of the foot, the area said to correspond to the lungs and chest.

YOGA

Yoga can help you learn to breath deeply and to relax, thereby helping you deal more effectively with stress, a common trigger for asthma.(see Wheezing for exercises.)

PREVENTION

• Learn to identify your triggers : keep a diary detailing all environmental and emotional factor that affect you every day over the course of several months. When you have an asthma attack, go back to your diary to see which factor, or combination of factors, might have contributed to it.

• Monitor the shifts in your lung capacity at home using a peak flow meter, a device that your doctor can prescribe for you. Alerted to reduction in your ability to exhale, you can take precaution and lessen the severity of an asthma episode.

• Avoid foods and drinks that have high concentration of sulfites, such as beer, wine, wine vinegar, instant tea, grape juice, lemon juice, grapes, fresh shrimp, pizza dough, dried fruits (such as apricots and apples), canned vegetables, instant potatoes, corn syrup, fruit topping, and molasses. Some nutritionists recommend that you also steer clear of foods that cause excess mucus production, such as milk.

• A daily dose of B-complex vitamins (50 to 100 mg ) and magnesium (400 to 600 mg) may help reduce the frequency and severity of asthma episodes

ASTHMA MYTHS AND FACTS

MYTH : Asthmatics shouldn’t exercise.

FACT : Exercise is as important for people with asthma as it is for anyone else. Equipped with the proper medication, people with asthma can exercise normally. Note : Many doctors recommend swimming for people with asthma, as humidity helps ease breathing. But the chlorine in swimming pools may cause an allergic reaction, triggering an asthma episode.

MYTH : You’ll grow out of it.

FACT : This is both true and false. Although about half of the people who had asthma when they were between the ages of 2 and 10 seem to “out-grow” the disease, in many cases it recurs when they hit their thirties. It’s also possible to develop asthma as an adult even if you did not have it as a child.

MYTH : Allergic mothers shouldn’t breastfeed.

FACT : Infants who are breast-fed are less likely to become allergic than those who are not.