What Is Asthma

The path that an asthmatic has to follow is long and arduous and it often involves taking a daily dose of medicine and having to also act in a manner that will help prevent the next asthma attack. If you have ever had the misfortune of suffering from asthma, you know just how much you will have to do in order to find a proper treatment for your woes. Though, few are lucky enough to identify ways by which to eliminate their asthma related symptoms.

Natural Solution

Combining medicines with a holistic approach is the norm and in fact, no two asthmatics will be found using the same means to cure their symptoms. However, a suitable option in curing asthma is to try the natural solutions such as exercise for asthma. To be sure, exercise for asthma will mean any and all forms of exercises that help to improve the condition of an asthmatic patient. It is hard to pinpoint any one exercise as being the best.

According to experts, the main benefit of trying exercise for asthma can be noticed by looking at the fact that when a person exercises, it helps to open up the bronchial tubes and thus provides long-lasting relief to the patient and irritation as well as constricted airways. Symptoms should not be as bad as what they were prior to performing exercise for asthma.

Even aerobics is considered worthwhile as exercise for asthma. Walking and even dancing and in fact, are also good choices. So are other exercises that make your heart rate increase and which are sure to prove effective in combating asthma in a more natural way.

However, there are certain kinds of asthmatics that need to rely on those exercises for asthma in which a connection is established between the mind and body, and yoga is a prime example of what exercise for asthma should be as it allows both mind and body to relax and unite as one. In fact, there are breathing exercises taught by yoga instructors that are in fact an essential element of the exercise. These breathing techniques also require being able to hold a number of different postures while at the same time focusing on your deep breathing and focusing your mind on what you are doing.

To be clear, there is also exercise induced asthma to contend with. So before opting for a particular exercise for asthma, make sure to understand how it will affect your health and only proceed further if no risks are attached.

There are no doubts about the fact that exercise for asthma is one of the best tools that can be used with good effect in controlling symptoms. You need to also take guidance from professional medical practitioners who can guide you into performing the best exercise for asthma for your particular condition and thus help improve your overall health.

The problem with asthma is that when your having an attack, you just need more air, and you can't get enough, and if you've run out of inhalers it's even worse as the wheeziness and tight chest increases. But this "over-breathing" leads to hyperventilation, which can lead to a bad asthma attack that could be fatal. Over breathing can make your asthma worse! But what is over breathing?

The internationally recognised measure for breathing is the "Minute Volume". This measure depends on your age, size, height and gender, and is a measure of how much air you breath per minute. Normally this should be around 4 - 6 litres of air per minute while you are at rest. Over breathing occurs when you are breathing between 2 to 4 times the normal rate. This is called Hyperventilation, and can trigger an asthma attack. But why?

Over-breathing leads to the breather receiving LESS oxygen, not more! This is because by over breathing, the carbon dioxide that is required by hemoglobin to release oxygen into the blood stream is reduced. The reaction to this is to increase the rate of breathing to compensate. This leads to hyperventilation, and most certainly an asthma attack.

Taking control of your breathing is a key way of reducing the symptoms of asthma, and even eradicating it. By practicing the techniques of shallow breathing (breathing so that air flow through the nose is barely perceptible), and controlled breath holding, many asthma sufferers have reported amazing success in seeing their use of asthma drugs reduce drastically. The techniques require discipline, but they do work! But how?

Well, by holding your breath, you are increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in your body. This means more oxygen can be released into the blood stream, thereby normalising breathing. Its that simple! And very effective! Of course, you don't hold your breath until you are passing out, because that can cause an asthma attack. Hold your breath until its uncomfortable ( if you can work towards more than 30 seconds, that will certainly help your building strength and capacity in your lungs) and then slowly inhale.

The actual technique of breath holding is beyond the scope of this article, but will be covered in my up coming book on asthma. Needless to say, please consult your doctor when trying new breathing techniques.

Do you end up with wheezing, choughs or other asthma symptoms after physical exertion? If so, you may be suffering from exercise induced asthma.

In some people, asthma is triggered exclusively by exercise and not by allergens like pollen. How does exercise bring on this condition?

Researchers point out to a number of contributing factors.

One reason is that the person may have greater than normal sensitivity to changes in temperature. It could also be that during exercise, breathing often becomes rapid and shallow, which may end up bringing more allergens into contact with lung tissues.

A third factor is that when breathing rapidly, air that reaches the lungs doesn't have a chance to warm up sufficiently. When we breathe normally through our noses, the air that reaches the lungs warms up during the passage.

However, during exercise, the body has increased oxygen requirements. To meet it, we tend to breathe through the mouth. This doesn't allow the air to warm up before it gets to the lungs.

Cool, dry air reaching the lungs can irritate the bronchial tubes and the trachea lining. When that happens, the body releases histamines which result in inflammation.

What can you do to reduce the risk of having an exercise induced asthma attack?

One of the best things to do is to use the bronchodilator inhaler prescribed by your doctor. Use it a quarter of an hour before exercising. This action by itself will significantly reduce the chances of an asthma attack.

Bronchodilators work by relaxing the muscles around the bronchial tubes. This cuts the chances of asthma being induced by changes in breathing patterns.

Warm up before starting on heavy exercise. This is anyway a good idea for a number of reasons not related to asthma. When you warm up, the body can better adjust to changes in breathing patterns. This reduces chances of asthma attacks. Also, ensure that you cool down after intensive exercise.

Since cold air is a major factor in triggering asthma, avoid exercising outdoors in cold weather. At the very least, use a face mask that covers your nose and mouth. Using a mask will trap warm, moist air near the nose and mouth so that the cold air can't get directly into your lungs and trigger an attack.

Likewise, avoid outdoor exercise during pollen season. Rapid breathing during exercise can pump a lot of allergens into your lungs thus increasing your chances of coming down with an asthma attack.

Exercise induced asthma is no reason to avoid exercising, provided you take your doctor's advice and follow some simple, sensible ground rules.

Asthmastics usually bring asthma inhalers with them. In case of asthmatic attack, the inhaler is crucial to provide immediate therapy. An attack is an emergency and should be given prompt attention lest the condition may worsen.

Asthma inhalers have ingredients that relieve the inflamed lungs and respiratory parts that become constricted during an asthma attack. Bronchospasm is the most common effect of an attack. Inhalers take immediate effect on the airways thus is more preferred than oral medications.

Beside the asthma inhaler, there are also other treatments available. The type of treatment, however, is a case to case basis. You should always consult with your doctor on which type of treatment is most appropriate for you. Treatment for a person is not always the right one for another. It always depends on the causes, triggers, risk factors, severity of condition, and over all health of the person. Every person should be closely monitored after seeing a doctor so that proper treatment and care is given to the asthmatic person. There should be a asthma management plan worked out with your doctor.

A good treatment plan may include being desensitized from agents that cause the signs of asthma. Others may require certain medications that are meant to control the severity and frequency of the attacks.

Since asthma is a chronic condition, there is no absolute cure for it. The best thing you can do is to find a treatment plan that is most appropriate to your specific condition. Work out a management plan that will prevent asthma attacks and give emergency cure when one happens.Your plan should both be to prevent and to provide immediate relief.

Ensure that you understand the uses and precautions of inhalers and nebulizers. Be guided accordingly on how to properly use each agent and what are the emergency measures to watch out for. Have an open communication with your doctor and ask all the questions and doubts you have in mind. Clarify all issues and seek proper advice. Do not self-medicate and do not presume. It is always best to be safe. Ask and make sure you understand.

Treating asthma is possible and can be effective if one only knows how to ask and seek prompt guidance from authorized persons like the doctor and care provider such as a nurse who is experienced and well-trained with asthma cases. It can also help to research and read materials and seek clarifications as needed.

There are many chronic medical conditions and it would be literally impossible to cover each and every one of them in one small article. Instead I have decided to expand upon a single issue and that is asthma.

Asthma has become a worldwide problem which knows no age limit. He is found in both children as well as adults. In recent years the condition has been becoming a very serious health concern to medical professionals particularly due to the vast number of increased cases which are causing an alarming rise in children's afflictions.

For those people who are currently suffering from the effects of asthma they know only too well how this chronic medical condition effects their ability to breath when they experience a flare-up. It become just about impossible for these patients to achieve a normal breathing pattern when their air passages have reacted adversely to any sort of atmospheric change or and other dreaded allergens. These sudden attacks are capable of occurring to even the very best of prepared individuals and can be so severe that death can result.

Those people who suffer from this condition have learned that there are certain ways that they can effectively reduce their risks of asthma attacks by carefully monitoring their condition on a daily basis. The actual frequency of the attacks as well as the severity of them will determine what course of actions and treatment the patient must follow.

Usually treatment falls into one of several major categories. First should be medications which will prevent such attacks from occurring. Second, the treating of those minor attacks which happen and lastly, treating any life threatening situations as they occur.

During the preventive phase each asthma sufferer will be provided with what is called a Bronchodilator. This instrument will provide immediate relief from any minor attack. Many asthma patients have found this to be very sufficient and no other asthmatic medication is generally required.

For those patients who may be experiencing a more serious condition the medical care giver may advise the use of a low dose glucocorticoids or perhaps a mastcell stabilizer. Unless your condition is extremely severe you should not expect your physician to prescribe the use of oral glucocorticoids.

Regardless of the patients severity condition a patients has some sort of medical reliever to help their condition. It is important that the asthma patient be able to quickly assess the various situations which tend to trigger the attacks in order to successfully avoid those particular conditions.

Atmospheric pollution is now believed to be making the asthmatic condition even worse around major cities or industrial areas.

The medications prescribed for asthma will help to prevent or to treat flare-ups but they should be used very sparingly as they bring with them some very serious side effects. As an example, continued and regular use has resulted in fatigue, dizziness, a lack of sex drive, depression or liver damage.

An alternative to this is the use of more natural products that may be recommended for those patients who are suffering from respiratory conditions. These natural products tend to attack the root cause of the problem and not merely cover up the reason for the condition.

It is possible for cats to get asthma, just as we do. And the evidence is showing that cat asthma is on the increase, just like in humans. Genetics can play a role in feline asthma, but it can be triggered by allergens in the atmosphere.

What is Feline Asthma

Asthma in cats or humans is an upper respiratory disease that occurs when the flow of air through the airways is constricted. This can be due to a tightening of the airway muscles, an excess of mucus or even the airway itself swelling. Any of these will reduce the flow of fresh air into the lungs.

Symptoms

These can include wheezing, trouble breathing, a dry cough that is very similar to bringing up hairballs but persists, and either not being able to play for long periods or not wanting to play or exercise at all. If you notice any of these symptoms occurring over a period of more than a few days, schedule an appointment with your vet. It is important to have this checked as early as possible to have a correct diagnosis.

Causes of Feline Asthma

An asthmatic attack can be caused by something as simple as pollen or something as complex as exposure to various chemicals in the home. It is an allergen, or something that your cat is allergic to that triggers the attack. Other allergens could be smoke of any kind, dust, some aerosol sprays. Sometimes, cool or cold air can cause the muscles in the airways to tighten in an effort to keep the cold air out of the lungs.

Treatment

Your vet is the only person who can diagnose and treat feline asthma. If you cat is in severe distress, he will want to give some form of treatment that will re-open the airways. This could be via injection, followed by a bronchodilator. Unfortunately asthma is not curable. However, your vet can give you medications to alleviate the symptoms and tips on how to reduce the possibility of further attacks. This could be changing the strong chemical cleaning products you use, using an air filtration system to eliminate some of the smaller particles that could irritate the lungs, not using aerosols, or even installing an enclosed wood heater to prevent smoke triggering an attack. If you are a smoker, he may suggest not smoking anywhere near your cat or giving up smoking altogether. Your vet may also prescribe some corticosteroids, either orally or through an inhaler. You need to be aware of possible side effects of oral steroids. Speak to your vet about this and the best way of treating your cat's asthma. A simple way you can help reduce the severity of an attack is to put your cat in the bathroom with the hot water running in the shower. The steam will help open the airways. You can also use a vaporiser or humidifier to keep the air moist.

Feline asthma is treatable. It is the same as many other diseases such as diabetes or heartworm, or bacterial infections. Your cat is a much loved member of your family. It is depending on you to look after it when it is sick, just as you would do with your other family members. Remember, your cat will be frightened during an attack. Be gentle and use a soothing voice to calm it down. Try massaging between the shoulder blades as this has been proven to help with breathing problems in cats. By holding and massaging or stroking your cat during an asthma attack, it should become calmer, especially if you have developed a strong bond with it over the years.

Asthma is a disease of the lungs where the there is widespread inflammation or saddening narrowing of the bronchial tubes.

Asthma currently can be divided into 4 types according to the National Institute of Health. The 4 types are mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent and severe persistent. Asthma sufferers that fall into the severe persistent range category have chronic asthma.

So let's talk about the peak flow rate. For mild intermittent and mild persistent asthma, their peak flow rate is more than 80 percent of normal. Moderate persistent is between 60 to 80 percent. Chronic asthma has a peak flow rate of below 60 percent. Chronic asthma is a severe form of asthma.

The symptoms for this type of asthma also differ from the other three categories. Unlike people who fall into the first three categories, people that suffer from this type of asthma have daily recurrent symptoms of asthma which is characterized by breathlessness, sudden tightness of the chest and wheezing sounds. Sometimes wheezing sounds cannot be heard at all if the bronchial tubes have been almost sealed completely and air can't even pass through the lungs.

Many people that suffer from this type of asthma have been hospitalized before with the required assistance of a respirator. Whereby people suffering from mild and moderate asthma can reverse their symptoms on inhaled medications alone, asthmatics requires the need of preventive medication like oral corticosteroid courses.

Even the inhaler that severe asthmatics use is different. Asthma sufferer sometimes requires the need of nebulizers. A nebulizer is a device that is used to rapidly deliver aerosol medication containing beta adrenergic agonist. Unlike a metered dose inhaler (MDI), a nebulizer does not require good inhaling techniques and all it requires is normal breathing. A nebulizer also delivers a greater quantity of medication compared to a MDI. However, a nebulizer is more expensive than a MDI.

The treatment strategy for chronic asthma differs from age to age. The purpose of a treatment strategy so that the sufferer can lead a normal lifestyle and make the lungs function properly. Most physicians will usually take a step by step approach to treat severe asthma.

First step is to always to control the symptoms and to stabilize the lungs. This will often require a high dosage of inhaled corticosteroids and long acting beta agonist. After the patient condition has stabilized, the next step will to be slowly reduced the dosage of the medication used so as to reduce the side effects of the medication.

Many believe that if you have asthma, exercise won't be viable for you, as aerobic activities can trigger your condition leading to difficulties in breathing. However, in contrary to this thinking, there are several ways in which you can have a well-fitted body even if you have asthma.

Asthma is a known lung disease, which is chronic and is characterized by wheezing, breathing difficulty, coughing and tightness in chest. It is hereditary and/or environmentally liable to the said condition.

Asthma is a sensitive case and the patient needs to get off with things that can trigger the condition. Things that can worsen asthma condition include exposure to dust mites and cockroaches, viral respiratory infections, high intense exercise, and contact with allergens.

By preventing asthma attacks, you should do the following:

1. Never smoke and don't allow anyone to smoke in your house.

2. Wash your hands frequently.

3. Free your home from anything that can trigger asthma like animal fur, mites and dust.

4. Bathe your pets at least once a week.

5. Stay inside your house with air conditioning when pollen and molds counts increases.

6. During winter months, wear scarf over your nose and mouth.

7. Continue taking prescribe medications given by your doctor to prevent sudden attacks.

Given the above thoughts, you now have the idea about asthma. Since the case is sensitive in nature, you may be wondering what type of exercise should fit in persons with such condition.

As part of the therapy, your doctor will recommend you to take some physical activities like exercise and sports. It may sound odd but some clever exercises can help you improve lung and heart functions.

Most doctors will agree that the prevention to sudden attacks during exercise is to have your medications and inhaler near you. Just bear in mind that when you are exercising or having a physical activity, never use your inhaler three times. You should also have a light exercise the next day if you have wheezing and coughing in previous nights.

If you have IEA or Exercise Induces Asthma, symptoms may appear after six to ten minutes of exercise and could get worse in dry and cold air. But when it comes to exercise, you don't have to worry, as there are other exercises to help you maintain a healthy heart and lungs like walking, downhill skiing, swimming, team based sports and biking even though you have IEA.

Asthma won't be a way for you not have exercise. Just always be cautious in taking medications prescribed by your doctor during the session and consider his instructions before taking any physical activities.

Your doctor diagnosed you with asthma a week ago and you are having trouble dealing with it. The chest pains are annoying and the coughing at night drives you crazy. There are ways to identify asthma attack symptoms and the sooner you learn to point them out, the sooner you could rid yourself of the illness.

Your doctor has prescribed you medicines that you can use every time you think an attack is going to ensue. Make sure you have the medication with you at all times. The three basic symptoms are coughing, wheezing and pain or tightness in the chest.

The symptoms usually kick in when you come face to face with a trigger that worsens your condition or when you indulge in some physical activity. If you have not learned yet what the triggers are, you need to keep a close check. It is a great way to avert an attack.

If you are in a situation where a trigger has given way to coughing and you are beginning to feel a slight pain in your chest, you should immediately take the medicine that has been prescribed to you by your doctor. If it doesn't help, it is essential that you seek medical attention immediately.

Living with a respiratory disorder such as asthma can be very painful. But once you learn how to identify asthma attack symptoms and are taught how to tackle them, you can lead a peaceful life and enjoy physical activities like you once used to.

The asthma attacks of many people may unknowingly be caused by poor air quality. Many people suffer from asthma on a regular basis without knowing the cause of it. Though medications can treat the symptoms of asthma and it may even save their life in emergency situations, but it cannot cure the root cause of it. Antihistamines may allow them to breathe normally during these episodes and to stop the wheezing and coughing, but that is only treating the symptoms of it. The only real cure for asthma is to eliminate the trigger source, if possible.

Some people who have the occasional bout with asthma may be able to identify the root cause of it, if they are able to note down in their "asthma diary" of the times and places when their asthma attacks happen. By doing so, they may be able to narrow down on the sources and may be able to identify their asthma triggers.

For example, if their asthma attacks are seasonal and seem to correlate with the weather and pollen alert forecasts on TV, it could be due to their allergy to pollen that is the cause of their asthma attacks. Once their suspicions are aroused, they can take note of when their asthma bouts seem to worsen, and check if it is that time of the year when the pollen in the air is high. If such is the case, it confirms that their allergy to pollen is the cause of their asthma attacks.

For those people who experience asthma on a regular basis, if they keep their "asthma diary" well, they will notice a sort of pattern in their episodes. For example, if their asthma attacks seem to be happening only on week days during working hours, they could be experiencing work related asthma, which may be triggered by work place pollution, or acute stress at work.

Once they have identified the source of their allergic reactions, they are then able to take steps to overcome these issues. If the allergen is pollen, they could try putting a bit of sea salt under the tongue. Sea salt is a natural antihistamine.

If the asthma attacks are happening during office hours, and this involves other colleagues as well, a proposal could be made to the management to install a high quality air purifier for use in the office. If stress is the cause, a better work distribution flow would benefit all the employees and the company will do well with reduced sick leave and increased productivity.