Asthma!

Chronic Lung Condition.

Benefits Of Natural Remedies:

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that is one of the leading causes of childhood deaths, especially in city dwellers. The rising toll of asthma has puzzled doctors, but they attribute it to a combination of factors, such as the costs of asthma medications, which may be beyond the means of a lot of low income families, improper use of asthma medications, and exposure to so many enviromental polutants.

Wheezing, chest tightness, labored breathing, and other asthma symptoms occur when the tiny muscles that control the airways to the lungsconstrict, causing a bronchospasm. Normally the airways narrow somewhat when exposed to smoke, pollutants, very cold air, or substances that are harmful if inhaled. In people with asthma, however the response is exaggerated and very often triggered by otherwise harmless substances or activities such as pollen and other allergens and even excercise.

The reason why some people have hyperactiveairways is unknown; heredity, however is suspected of playing a role, because the disease runs in families. Many asthmatics also have hay fever and other allergies. Although stress and emotional upsets can trigger or worsen an attack, experts emphasize that asthma is a lung disease, not a psychological disorder; as such, it should be treated as a serious and sometimes debilitating physical condition.

Some asthma attacks are quikly reversed by taking a bronchodilator medication 5that eases the symptoms by opening the constricted airways. Other episodes are more prolonged, and the airways become more inflamed and clogged with mucus, breathing then becomes increasingly difficult. In these cases, an injection of epinepherine (Adrenalin) and a corticosteriod drug may be needed to stop the attack.

When asthma starts during childhood, the frequency and severity of attacks tend to lessen as the child grows and in some cases may disappear by the time they reach adulthood. Some adults though suffer a recurrence, often as an aftermath of a viral infection. In these cases, the asthma may be even more severe than it was as a child.

Avoiding The Triggers:

The best treatment for asthma entails identifying and then avoiding the triggers. In some instances these are very obvious, for example, exposure to tobacco smoke and other noxious fumes, cold air, excercise, or an allergy to animal dander. Seasonal asthma is usually due to various pollens, molds, and other environmental faxctors. Suspected allergins can usually be identified by blood and skin tests.

With a lot of asthma sufferers, food allergies can trigger attacks; in these cases, indentifying the culprits may require considerable detective work, especially in children. Because food allergies vary from one person to another, there's no handy list of offenders. But sometimes a child unconsciously links an offending food with his asthma by fussing or refusing to eat it. Complaints like it makes my mouth feel funny may point to a food allergy. More often however, foods that trigger asthma are identified by keeping a careful record of the time and ingestion of all foods and drinks, as well as any asthma symptoms. After a few weeks, a pattern of offending foods may appear. A doctor can then do confirming skin or other allergy tests.

For some people, enviromental allergens that are accidently ingested are the problem, rather than the foods themselves. People allergic to ragweed, for example, may also react to pyrethrum, a natural pesticide made from chrysanthemums, or to other allergens related to certain plants.

Also, people allergic to mildew and other enviromental molds may react to molds in foods, common offenders include cheese, mushrooms, hot dogs, and other processed meats, and anything that is fermented, including soy sauce, beer, wine, and vinegar.

Salicylates compounds in the same family as the active ingredient in aspirin and found naturally in many fruits may trigger asthma. Yellow food dye 5 (tartrazine is chemically similar to salicylate, although it is less potent.

Even more prevalent and potentially deadly asthma triggers are sulfites, preservatives that are added to many foods to prevent spoilage and preserve color and texture. They are especially common in dried fruits, dehydrated or instant soup mixes, instant potatoes, dough conditioners, wine, beer, and white grape juice. Anyone allergic to sulfite should carefully check food labels for any ingredient ending in sukfite for example, potassium bisulfite as well as sulfur dioxide. In addition to bringing on an asthma attack, sulfites sometimes lead to anaphylaxis in people hypersensitive to them.

Helpful Foods

No specific foods prevent asthm,a, but some can lessen its complications. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in canola oil and salmon, mackeral, sardines, and other cold water fish, haVE an anti-inflammatory effect and may counter bronchial inflammation. To fight bronchitis and other secondary lung infections, some nutritionists recommend eating extra servings of fresh vegetables and fruits for vitamin C, and yogurt for zinc nutrients that promote a healthy immune system.

Also coffee and tea are sources of theophylline, a bronchial muscle relaxant used to treat asthma in people who are not sensitive to salicylates. A mild asthma attack can be aborted by drinking one or two cups of tea. Anyone taking a theophylline drug should avoid large amounts of tea to prevent an overdose.