To create awareness about Asthma, World Asthma Day is coming up on May 6th 2008 with the theme of �You Can Control Your Asthma�. The goal of having Asthma day is to help asthmatic people to stay away from asthmatic spells as much as possible and to combat restricted life (if any) caused by asthma. As an action plan to control and fight against asthma, Pulmunologists / Chest specialists / Health professionals / Educators from all over the world, have come forward by organizing awareness camps / free screening camps to make people aware of proper management and treatment of Asthma. We, ChennaiOnline also wish to join this campaign by publishing articles related with asthma to create good awareness among people and sufferers to have easy breathe and comfort life in spite of having Asthma.

With proper care, Homeopathy exhibits good healing potential for asthma. Even though no one thinks of Homeopathy in acute spell of asthma attack, homeopathy can provide very good relief. It doesn�t provide relief just with dilatation of bronchi and bronchioles but also it acts with our immune system and aims to expel the tendency of recurrent suffering permanently in smooth manner. As ultra low doses of drugs are used as Homeopathic medicines, side effects are usually nil. Its work out on childhood asthma and elderly asthma will be amazing. Most of the childhood asthma can be rooted out completely with the help of homeopathy medicines and in case of adulthood asthma it can help one to manage bouts of wheeze spells easily and can help to maintain good health to stay away from repeated asthmatic attacks.

Causes & TRIGGERS OF ASTHMA

Every disease comes with a cause, but no one can fix a single cause for asthma, as it often remains as multifaceted. Even though lung remains as an inner part of the body, it is always exposed to the chemicals and pollutants as equal to the outer surface of the body, since no one can avoid breathing atmospheric air. Sensitivity to allergen or suffering with allergy usually varies widely from person to person. One can see many persons working in polluted environment without any complaints, but at the same time, allergic or asthmatic people often suffer violently even for a single moment exposure. Likewise some use to have hectic cold & cough for weeks without any wheeze, but for asthmatic, from day one, it may trigger the wheeze.

Even though research professionals can point out several factors as triggers of asthma, avoidance, treatment or rooting out of the sufferings will be very tough in case of asthmatic patients since it often varies from person to person (and sometimes even in same person at different times),. Generally asthmatic complaints manifest with exciting causes (allergens / dust exposure, excessive stress and strain, exposure to change of temperature, infection, etc). Commonly, triggers can be classified in the following way.

Triggers-

• External factors
• Internal factors
• Psychological factors

External factors -

• Low or inadequate supply of oxygen � for example in high altitudes, poor ventilated rooms, in congested crowds, etc.
• Inhaling pollutants � dust, smoke (industrial or cigarette or of automobiles), pollens, perfumes, room sprays, furs of animals / birds, preservatives in foods, chemical irritants / acids, etc
• Exposure to extreme of temperatures
• Violent exercises or strain (especially in cold temperature)
• Infections � bacterial / viral / fungal � causing cold and cough
• Bites of Insects / mites to cause allergic reactions
• Drugs induced (due to sensitivity or allergy) � antibiotics, anti inflammatory medicines, hypertensive or cardiac drugs, etc
• Aspiration of small foreign bodies (parts of toys, foods during deglutition, pins, etc) entering into upper or lower respiratory tract to cause obstruction or cramps or irritations of lungsv

Internal factors �

• Genetic factor � trait of asthma / allergy / eczema
• Allergic tendency or hypersensitivity or immune response of body to cause oedema of lungs with any of the triggers / pollutants - for example lactose intolerance
• Nose � suffering more with allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, post nasal drip, nose block (nasal polyps), etc can also lead one to asthmatic spells
• Throat � Laryngitis, Pharyngitis, etc. can also trigger asthma
• Lung � Acute / Chronic bronchitis, Pneumonia, Bronchiectasis, Pleurisy, Pulmonary oedema / hypertension, etc. can any time turn to reflect as or get settle as asthma with or without proper treatment.
• Stomach � Acidity or GERD, indigestion, vomiting, hiatus hernia can also flare up or induce an asthmatic attack. Here wheezing complaints will be more after food intake, lying down, etc.

Psychological factors - Stress, tension, fear, anger, anxiety and excessive laugh can cause or intensify one�s asthma. Moral support and relaxation can bring back the sufferer to unruffled easy breathes.

Symptoms � Medical advancement still cannot configure the complete picture of asthma, since often it reflect as of different types and also seems to have interactions with multiple factors like season, environment, food, stress, sleep, etc. It may be for transient period or in persistent manner (and may also be seasonally or perennially). Reactions of lungs cannot be understood easily. It usually depends on sensitivity of the lungs which varies from person to person. The intensity, frequency and period of the sufferings will also vary from person to person and sometimes even in same person at different times, i.e., some can able to do all their routine work in spite of suffering and some may not even speak or walk or lie down. The common symptoms of Asthma are

• Changes in breath in depth and frequency
• Shortness in breath in due course (shallow and frequent breathing / fast and irregular breathing)
• Smothering feeling with want of more air or fanning
• In severe cases sufferer often feels like choked
• Restlessness (constantly changing / adjusting positions) to get ease and comfort breathe
• Cough / croup with deep breathe
• Bouts of cough which use to get worse by night and with vigorous exercise or play
• Inability to speak or work
• Heaviness or tightness in chest
• Nasal flaring
• Stooping of shoulders to ease the breathe
• Also, most commonly asthma patients would have associated symptoms like sneezing / running nose / nose block / exertional dyspnoea / nocturnal dyspnoea / aggravation by lying down, etc in addition to the above said symptoms.

(To be continued)

Doctor's Profile

Making a Healthier Tomorrow Dr S Chidambaranathan, Homeopathic Consultant Website: http://www.drcheena.in/ www.drcheena.com E-mail: drcheena@yahoo.com

More Articles

May 5th, 2008