What Is Asthma

Asthma is considered to be a long term lung inflammation that weakens and contracts the air passages. This type of disease causes the patient to produce a whistling sound whenever they breathe. Victims of asthma also experience chest pains, breathing problems and regular coughing which usually happens late at night or as you wake up in the morning. Asthma may attack people no matter what their age are, but statistics shows that asthma usually starts at one's childhood.

Maybe you are wondering what happens internally when asthma occurs; or maybe you are asking what really are the causes of asthma. Here's an overview on what asthma is all about. When a person is being attacked by asthma, the air passages which are the tubes that handle the air movement in and out of one's lungs gets inflamed which leads to narrowing of the airways. Those air passages gets extremely sensitive to the air that the person breathes plus the microscopic elements that may be included to that air. When these tubes get extremely sensitive and react, the muscles surrounding those get too tight causing very minimal amount of air to enter their lungs. This type of disease may get ever worse and may lead to death when not given the proper care or attention as the air passages may get even narrower. Aside from narrowing of airways, cells in the area may also produce more mucus than the usual. Mucus is a sticky substance which adds to hardening and narrowing of air passages. All these reactions may eventually result to giving off the signs and symptoms of asthma. These symptoms are sometimes mild and may eventually fade off naturally of after you have taken a certain medicine. But some cases get things even worse. So it is highly advised not to take these signs and symptoms for granted since this disease is considered fatal. It is true that asthma cannot be cured. But nevertheless you still need to manage the sickness when it attacks. Asthma can be fatal but a person with this type of ailment may still live a normal life.

What are the causes of asthma? Well, the main cause of asthma is not really known. Medical researchers say that asthma is lead by some of the genetic factors and some environmental contributors. Some of these are the following:

• Allergic reactions which a person might have inherited. This is called atopy.


• Asthma usually attacks people whose parents are also asthmatic.


• If a person has a respiratory or pulmonary inflammation in their childhood.


• If a person gets in contact with airborne allergens


• If a person gets exposed to some viral inflammations during their infancy or during the time when their immune system is still under development.

Who is most likely to have asthma attacks? Anyone may be a victim of this fatal disease; although, children who usually have lung inflammation or respiratory problems are most likely to suffer from asthma in the future. Other factors include being attacked by several allergies, skin asthma and parents who also suffer from asthma. Statistically speaking, record shows that among children, more boys suffer from asthma as compared to young girls. But in adults, there are more women than men who are being under attacked by this disease. But still there is no particular explanation how gender hormones contribute to asthma attacks.

There are several signs and symptoms of asthma which you need to be aware of since these symptoms may continue to get worse. Signs and symptoms include:

• Coughing that usually attacks in the dawn or late at night. This cough attacks usually make it hard for you to experience a relaxing sleep.


• Whistling sound whenever you breathe.


• Chest pains that feels like someone is seated on your chests making it so tight.


• Breathing problems which make it hard for you to catch your breath. It feels like you are running out of air to breathe.

Not everyone who are asthmatic experience all and the same signs and symptoms. At the same time, not all who are experiences such signs and symptoms are considered to have an asthma disease. So it is highly recommended that you go and seek a doctor's advice when you experience any of these things.

It is widely regarded by many people suffering from asthma, that drinking milk can cause excessive mucus or phlegm production which in turn will lead to asthmatic symptoms.

In fact even I have believed this to be true in the past. I have convinced myself that drinking dairy milk was worsening my asthma. I even switched to drinking soy milk for many years, having to acquire a taste to that controversial milk type, until I found out how dangerous that is!

So to answer your question, no I do not believe that milk does cause asthma. This is a total misconception. Recent studies have proven no link between drinking milk and asthma or excessive mucus production. Unless you have some sort of intolerance to dairy milk, drinking milk will not cause asthma.

I know there are a lot of people out there saying otherwise and they are entitled to their opinions. My personal opinion is that no food on this planet can cause asthma. If it did, everybody who drinks or eats that particular food would develop asthmatic symptoms. But we know that is not true. It may trigger asthma but only those with an existing intolerance. The only way to tell if you are intolerant is by finding out for yourself. Do not believe whatever anybody says about this issue. Milk is a nutritional staple in many people's diet and you shouldn't just exclude it because of something you read on the internet.

This is especially important if you are a parent of an asthmatic child. Milk is one of the best foods for a growing body. It provides high amounts of protein and other essential vitamins and minerals for growth and development including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin A and zinc.

However in saying that animal proteins or excessive amounts should I say, can contribute or trigger asthma symptoms in some circumstances. So it isn't a problem exclusive to milk, but anything which contains animal proteins such as meats and other dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt. If you are concerned and you do believe that milk is causing you or somebody you love to become asthmatic, try coconut milk, almond milk or rice milk.

Personally I drink milk and have been living asthma free for many years. I know that it is not milk or anything for that matter in my diet that will determine whether or not I develop asthmatic symptoms providing I follow the 2 Golden rules.

Most diseases are reversible with food. However, just eating healthy is not enough. The real secret lies in using "specific foods for specific diseases". For example, kiwi is quick to help reverse Asthma, which I've seen hundreds of my students reverse within 1 week of following my food protocol. Asthma is a completely unnecessary disease and is nutritionally caused in my opinion. Other diseases like Arthritis & Diabetes are also frequently reversed with common foods. This information can dramatically change medicine as we know it.

I am privileged to have a live seminar platform in which to test my protocols with over 20,000 people. After 5 years of testing, the protocols were published into a hardcover medical textbook entitled "Conquering Any Disease". At its core, our program uses fruits & vegetables from the grocery store, medicinal mushrooms and tonic herbs to reverse diseases.

Fruits, Vegetables, Tonic Herbs and Medicinal Mushrooms contain PHYTOCHEMICALS that unlock our body's endocrine system, but people don't get enough of them. Phytochemicals hide in the cellulose fibers of seeds, stems, skins and rinds of the fruits and vegetables we eat. Many eat the right foods, but throw away the parts with all the medicine! It is why smoothies from a 3-Horsepower blender have helped so many reverse such diseases as cancer. We need to break out or "micronize" phytochemicals from the seeds, stems, skins and rinds. Juicing fruits and vegetables is a waste of time. It throws the fiber away, for which God intended us to eat and is where phytochemicals dwell!

Type II Diabetes: An Unnecessary Disease

Many people with diabetes have testified on our stages about what it is like to LIVE FREE OF DIABETES after changing their diet and eating special foods. My protocol for reversing diabetes is supplement free and does not require anything outside of the grocery store. Certain foods like the bitter melon contain an insulin-like substance that, when eaten, naturally lowers blood sugar. Bitter melon helps the body naturally balance its blood sugar. In fact, my protocol has been tested successfully on 100's of people who have reversed diabetes. There is no shortage of people; one in five have pre-diabetes.

Aside from eating the specific vegetables high in phytochemicals that lower blood sugar, we also have a protocol that avoids many of the foods that make diabetes impossible to overcome. Many with Diabetes are eating foods they think are healthy because of missing information. To begin with, nobody has told the diabetes community that the disease is completely reversible. Well, I am saying this; nearly everyone who follows our Diabetes protocol to the letter (based completely on food) gets the result. Monitoring the blood sugar proves it.

Asthma: Another Unnecessary Disease

I became Asthma free 12 years ago after learning Qigong. My healing of Asthma came from using advanced breathing exercises, but now I have seen people's Asthma vanish in as little as a few days using Food-based protocols. Inhalers may work to stop an asthma attack, but contain harmful steroids that wreck havoc on the endocrine system.

Take the naturo-path!! Food can do the job!! I've recommend Kiwi for years because of its superior bioavailable Vitamin C content. The white center of kiwi holds a treasure trove of phytochemicals and is particularly effective in helping to reverse symptoms of asthma! Asthma is often caused by deficiency of Food-based Vitamin C. Tablets of Vitamin C will not reverse someone's asthma, only Food-based vitamin C can do this.

Most nutritionists are surprised to see me blend a smoothie adding the avocado WITH THE BIG SEED. When a knowledgeable nutritionist hears that the Avocado Seed has tons of phytochemicals for phase-2 detoxification and more soluble fiber (which cleans plaque from the arteries) than any food on Earth, I usually have their attention. Some of what I say is controversial, but I have tested my protocols on real life people. Reishi mushroom is clinically shown to help heart disease patients with chest pain and is backed by research from the University of Tokyo. My grandfather had chest pains every day for years, and the DAY he began supplementing Reishi into his diet, they stopped. Along with ingesting the high soluble fiber foods like avocado (and its big seed), my Grandfather extended his life, astonishing the doctors with his lipid panel. Cholesterol can also be safely lowered with food, and what a relief. Doctors are saying it's the #1 risk factor for heart disease.

We have the highest rates of success with the following diseases: asthma, arthritis, autism, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, kidney stones, osteoporosis and digestive problems. Anyone who follows our protocols will have big huge bowel movements for life. Digestive problems are actually my specialty and I say that anyone who stands within 50 feet of me will have B.H.B.M's: Big Huge Bowel Movements.

In summary, you already knew eating fruits and vegetables was important. With a proven track record, Food-healing takes it deeper and recommends specific foods for specific problems. Don't assume that medicine has to come from a pill or inside a bottle, often its just sitting in the produce department.

Asthma may significantly impact your sex life, but there is no need to give it up at all. With appropriate adjustments you can still enjoy it to the fullest and even enrich it as the result of these adjustments.

If you dig deeper it turns out that many famous sports people suffer from asthma. Shocking as it may be, you should see it as good news to you in context of your sexual life if you suffer from asthma, too. What do these two have in common?

In many cases sports activity means prolonged effort requiring deep breathing for longer periods. The same concerns sex. So if it is possible to control asthma so well in case of sports people, it is also possible to control it in asthma.

The everyday bread of sports people is training and preparation for various events. In case of sports people with asthma it means also special breathing exercises. Why, then, shouldn't you consult your doctor, and ask for breathing exercises appropriate for you? Definitely, such exercises exist.

Joyful sex despite asthma may also require further adjustments of your erotic life. For example you should avoid positions in which too much pressure is exerted upon your chest which makes breathing harder. Therefore, you'll have to find and use other, more "breathing friendly" positions. There are many books around, including the ever-green Kamasutra, which can aid your imagination in this respect.

Doctors also say that people suffering from asthma don't need to avoid sports as long as doing it requires rather shorter bursts of activity than prolonged effort. That's again a piece of golden advice. If you are afraid of long sexual activity, because it can trigger asthma, you can try to change your sexual routines. Being mostly less active than your partner and taking initiative to the fullest when you feel comfortable can spice up your sexual life greatly.

If you are still afraid of having asthma attack during a sexual act, remember that there are more ways of reaching sexual satisfaction than the intercourse itself. Again, reach for any of numerous books on happy sex. Talk with your partner, and engage them into finding new ways of enriching your sexual life, too. It may be just another experience refreshing and spicing up your intimate relationship.

Asthma may significantly impact your sex life, but there is no need to give it up at all. With appropriate adjustments you can still enjoy it to the fullest and even enrich it as the result of these adjustments.

Asthma is a lung disease very common to kids. This disease attacks following a trigger or an allergen. When it does, the small airways in the lungs narrow and swell. Asthma attacks can be anywhere from mild to life threatening. It is very important for people who are suffering from this disease to always take their medications and never ignore their condition once they feel difficulty in breathing.

But more than medical treatment, prevention is the best cure for asthma. While doctors can prescribe millions of drugs to treat this disease, there is a more natural way to combat it. And that would be through vitamins.

Vitamins are the essential substances needed by the body. And of all types of vitamins, Vitamin C is the best candidate to treat this disease.

Cure Asthma with Vitamin C:

Vitamin C is long regarded to be the vitamin that ensures the body of a healthier immune system.
This vitamin is most helpful if the cause of asthma is allergens. But aside from strengthening the body's immune system, Vitamin C is also a good antioxidant.
It helps free the body of harmful toxins that could give rise not only to asthma but to a host of other diseases as well.

Aside from Vitamin C, there are other Vitamins that can be vital in the treatment of asthma. Beta Carotene or Vitamin A for instance, can protect the lungs. It makes sure that the mucus membranes of the lungs are good an intact. The membranes ensure the health of this vital organ.

Vitamin B6 for Asthma:

Intensive research and studies have lead experts to the conclusion that deficiency in this B vitamin could cause asthma.
They have found out that asthmatic patients tend to have high kynurenic acid and xanthurenic acid content in their urines.
These two acids are produced if the metabolism of serotonin and tryptophan are altered, which is a direct result of the deficiency of vitamin B6.

Vitamin B3 To Prevent Asthma Attacks:

Role of vitamin B3 in the body, as far as asthma is concerned, is somehow similar to Vitamin C.
This vitamin is believed to prevent asthma attack caused by allergens.
That is because vitamin B3 produces an antihistamine effect in the body.

Vitamin D and Vitamin E can also be used to cure asthma because they can help in strengthening the body's immune system. Asthma has been a major health problem since the 17the century. Thanks to these two vitamins, people were able to develop stronger bodies that can fight off the detrimental effects of the disease altogether.

Vitamins can be found naturally in the foods that we eat or in specialized chemical supplements. To make sure that your body gets its recommended daily allowance of the essential vitamins, be sure that you eat fruits and vegetables that are rich in them. Citrus fruits are good sources of Vitamin C. Yellow and orange vegetables are rich in Vitamin A. Add these foods to your daily diet and you will be surely cured of asthma in no time.

For vitamins that can't be obtained directly from foods, there are many over-the-counter supplements that are available in the market today. The B complex vitamins are good examples of vitamins that are not readily available from food as the body synthesizes them. For these types of vitamins, you can take the especially formulated pills and capsules to make sure your body don't get deficient with them.

Some say that there are no short cuts in how to treat asthma especially for very young children and they are right. However, there is always an answer as to how you, especially if you are a parent, can help in alleviating the effects of asthma on your child. Luckily, the best way to treat the asthma condition of your child is through natural methods. Doctors and other medical practitioners would agree with this. In fact, even if they give prescriptive medications to their patients, they still recommend that their patients and the parents of children diagnosed with asthma to subject the asthmatic person to a healthy diet and regular exercise.

However, experts say that if you want to know how to treat asthma, you need to remember the top four factors on how you could control asthma using natural ways and that means not being dependent on prescriptive medications and this include: Environment, Diet, Breathing and Exercise. In almost all the sites that you check out online, you will be able to read about natural ways of treating asthma but most of them forgot to emphasize the need to really engage in what is natural because this is the basis of whether or not the patient will survive an asthma attack. These four factors play an essential role in ensuring that the child is healthy and in tip top shape to engage in all the activities that children their age should be doing.

Since asthma is a disease that can be triggered by pretty much everything that you can find in the environment, it is very important that you as a parent ensure that you know what could trigger the asthma attacks of your child. Your knowledge of this will lessen the frequency of the attacks allowing your child to live a normal life just like other kids without asthma. If you think adults are having a difficult time dealing with asthma and controlling its effects, then perhaps children diagnosed with asthma are dealing with something seemingly impossible. Not only will they suffer from difficulty in breathing but their young fragile bodies will also be exposed to a lot of stress and anxiety and children who are very young might not be able to survive without proper care.

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges that children with asthma have to deal with is the change in the diet that they have been used to. Children find it more difficult to make a shift in their diet plan particularly because they are still young and because they still do not understand why they could not eat chocolates or chicken. It is important that parents understand the foods and drinks that could trigger the asthma attack of their children particularly those that they are allergic too. Allergic reactions of asthmatic patients can be very serious that sometimes it can be fatal.

It has been an accepted fact that parents play a major role in the survival of their children especially those with asthma. It is important that parents understand what their child is up against so that they can prepare themselves and their child for whatever they might suffer form. Moreover, their knowledge of what could trigger allows them to explore the possibilities of treating asthma. Nothing beats parents who are prepared and ready for whatever task may come their way.

Have you ever wondered how the health of competitive swimmers like our U.S. Olympic Swim Team is affected by their bodies' daily doses of chlorine? In this article we will look at that question and other questions like... Is the effect on these swimmers any better or worse than the effect of our taking hot showers in chlorinated water? If it's bad for them, should we have such devices as chlorine filters for our showers?

The damaging effect of chlorine on competitive swimmers was dramatically brought to the world's attention by the U.S. Olympic Swim Team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, when the coaches announced that over one-fourth of the team members suffered from some degree of asthma.

Given the high instances of asthma in our general population, researchers immediately sought to find the cause of the even higher rate of asthma symptoms among swimmers. Their findings were alarming.

The research began with chlorine. At that time, virtually every pool in the U.S. used chlorine to sanitize the water and keep it healthy from germs. Chlorine is a poison and it's dangerous, but chlorination was (and still is) the accepted method of sanitizing a pool.

Pool managers knew the chlorine levels in water diminish quickly with an increase in the number of swimmers and with changes in the surrounding environment (such as opening doors and windows to allow water vapors in the air to exit indoor pools). Consequently they often over-chlorinated the pools to offset the lack of effectiveness of the chlorine under these conditions.

Researchers found, not surprisingly, that the higher levels of chlorine in the water often led to excessive intake of chlorine into the body through the skin and by inhalation of water vapors. This led to breathing problems for many of the swimmers.

Also, chemists tell us that chlorine will combine with organic substances such as skin, sweat, hair, urine, decaying vegetable matter, etc. to form chloramines and trihalomethanes (THMs). These THMs also include such cancer causing agents as chloroforms, carbon tetrachloride, bromo-forms and many, many more.

In 2000, these substances were known to worsen asthma and its symptoms but we now know they may actually cause asthma in otherwise healthy individuals.

Here are a couple of the more amazing facts to come out of the research.

1. The harmful chemicals found in the water vapors near the pools were only about one-fourth of the chemical vapors that result when we shower in chlorinated water at home! As a matter of fact, scientists now say 50 to 70 percent of the chemicals entering our bodies come from breathing in or absorbing such gases while showering.

Actually, it's not surprising when you learn these harmful contaminants vaporize at lower temperatures than water, so, almost all of them will vaporize into the air we are breathing while we are taking a hot shower. And breathing these chemicals greatly multiplies their damaging effect since they are instantly absorbed through our lungs into the bloodstream.

2. The concentration of chlorine in our home water is often higher than what is allowed in the pools! The same dissipating effect of chlorine in pools also happens when chlorine is added to our drinking water. So, the EPA allows four parts-per-million of chlorine in municipal tap water. However, chlorine levels in excess of three parts-per-million are declared unsafe to swim in!

These are undoubtedly major contributing factors why, in the last two decades, the incidence of childhood asthma has quadrupled!

For our swimmers the researchers advocated changing from chlorine to using alternative products for sanitizing pools. While chlorine is very effective as a sanitizer, researchers showed lesser amounts of chlorine in combination with other less harmful products such as ozone were still as effective as sanitizers and far less harmful.

For the rest of us the solution is much simpler. There are simple chlorine filters for the shower that you can install in seconds and they give you good, safe water for bathing.

Also, installing chlorine shower head filters in all your showers will do wonders for your skin and hair. If you've ever spent much time in a chlorinated pool you already know of the drying effect of chlorine.

Whatever you do, don't take the proven harmful effects of showering in chlorinated water lightly and, please, do not drink, shower or bathe in chlorinated water on a long-term basis! If you need proof of chlorine's deadly effect read my article: "Tap Water Facts - Chlorine in Drinking Water Makes Chickens Cry "Foul"".

People having asthma attacks are suffering from symptoms brought upon by narrowing of the airways due to inflammation, mucus and swelling.

What do you need to know to prevent an asthma flare up?

Prevent symptoms from worsening or leading to an attack by having an asthma care plan. This plan is your guide to controlling asthma and knowing the actions needed to be taken when symptoms develop to an asthma attack. Asthma care plans mostly have three components:

1. Severity stage determined by the peak expiratory flow rate
2. Symptoms to watch for
3. Actions to take based on symptoms or peak flow

What are your asthma and asthma flare up symptoms?

Knowing the answer to this question greatly helps you in knowing the actions you have to take. Monitor your symptoms which may include wheezing, chest tightening, chronic cough or shortness of breath. Discussing these with your doctor can help in the treatment of your asthma symptoms.

What must you do during an asthma flare up?

1. Follow your asthma care action plan. Prevent the episode from worsening by taking your prescribed medication.
2. Pay attention to the medicine you are taking. Flare ups can be distressing and during this episode some people mistakenly use their preventer machine which won't help the symptoms of the attack. What is needed is the prescribed dose of your reliever drug.
3. Relax your breathing and use pursed lip breathing
4. Loosen and bring up the mucus in your airways by coughing.
5. If after following the action plan you are still having an asthma attack, call your doctor or seek medical attention. Refrain from waiting too long to get help when you think it is already needed.

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a non-curable yet controllable disease, and the first step in asthma treatment is that of environmental control, as the environment is considered as being one of the most primary causes of asthma attacks. There are certain symptoms of asthma, including: tightness in the chest, wheezing sound, shortness of breath, persistent cough, and increased pulse or heart rate.

More on Asthma.

More on Natural Asthma Treatment.

What are the Available Methods of Asthma Treatment?

In regards to the asthma treatment that is available today, there are basic steps that are advised by most physicians in order to attempt to at least avoid attacks, which are: clean the house at least once a week, avoid any pets with fur or feathers, wash the bedding weekly in hot water, encase the mattress and pillows in dust-proof covers, consider replacing any upholstered furniture with leather or vinyl, consider replacing carpets in your home with hardwood floors or tile, and remember to keep the humidity in the house as low as you possibly can.

The most important form of asthma treatment if for asthmatics to take their proper medications properly and as prescribed. Asthma treatment in relation to this involves that of the monitoring of lung function, especially with the use of that of a peak flow meter, which is used to gauge lung function. This is incredibly important because lung function decreases dramatically before the actual symptoms of an asthma attack, and if the meter results in indicating that the peak flow is down by 20 percent or more from your usual best effort, then generally an asthma attack is on its way.

There are also anti-inflammatories which are often used, and which work by reducing the number of inflammatory cells in the airways and by preventing blood vessels from leaking any fluid into the airway tissues. However, the unfortunate part of this is that there are some people who cannot control the symptoms of asthma even when avoiding the triggers and using the proper medication, and for these people, there is the option of immunotherapy. This type of therapy involves the injection of allergen extracts in order to desensitize the person, and this asthma treatment in particular begins with injections of a solution of allergen given typically five times a week to start, and then the strength will be gradually increased as time goes on.

Herbal and homeopathic asthma treatment are also considered as being quite positive, and depending on the severity of the asthma itself in the person, herbal and homeopathic treatments can reduce or even eliminate the need for synthetic drugs, and even inhalers, and they can also safely be used to complement that of the more conventional asthma treatment.

Asthma is a chronic disease of the respiratory system and may turn even fatal at times. It is therefore important for the asthma patients to take proper care and precautions regularly. Asthma patients suffer from attacks that enforce the system to breathe with difficulty. Wheezing, choking, gasping for breath and suffocation are the symptoms of asthmatic attack.

The attacks may last up to several minutes and leave a person thoroughly exhausted. There can be severe organ damage due to problem in respiration during the asthma attack. Also the system may suffer from lack of oxygen for a longer duration of time. It is therefore imperative to exercise proper caution and avoid the onset of an attack to the extent possible.

Some easily followed precautions everyday may keep an asthmatic without suffering an attack. These precautions are:

1. An asthmatic needs to follow routines. This is because it is generally seen that people do not suffer the agony of an asthmatic attack if they continue to live their life in a regular way. The problem arises mainly when the people go out of their way and break all the routines. The system thus gets unnecessarily pressured and reacts badly by manifesting the symptoms of the disease in the oddest of ways and without many warning signs. Sometimes the body does give the warning signs but the person may ignore them completely.

2. Daily morning walk does wonders to the system. But in the case of asthma patients the benefit from early morning exercise is enhanced manifold. This is because the early morning is the time when the air is pure and at its best. Exercising the lungs with the early morning air does wonders to the asthmatic lungs and respiratory tract.

3. Daily morning exercise schedule needs to be followed religiously in case of an asthma patient. Not only does this help in exercising the whole system but it also makes a person live a more disciplined and regularised life. This is because if a person gets into the habit of getting up early, in all probability he would try and sleep early too and his routine will automatically be set and fixed.

4. The daily diet of an asthma patient should be kept simple and nutritious. He should take care of not eating heavy meals as they would tax the system unnecessarily. Care should be taken to keep the meals small and frequent if need be, rather than consuming standard heavy meals at set hours. Also the food should be cooked with less oil and spices to keep it easily digestible. The diet should be mainly vegetarian with less of fats and carbohydrates. Sweets should best be avoided at night time. Dinner should be consumed at least two hours before sleeping so that the stomach is almost empty before sleeping. Dietary intake of fruits and vegetables should be enhanced. Snacks should be mainly in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables only and fatty, oily and salty or sweet snacks should be avoided completely.

5. Asthma patients should avoid smoking completely. Smoking fills the system with many toxins and the respiratory system gets flooded with them. These toxins are major irritants to the respiratory tract and create an undue pressure on the system that may be too much for an asthmatic to handle. An asthmatic may get more bronchial spasms and is more likely to be affected with respiratory infections if he continues to smoke.

6. An asthmatic person should also not indulge in drinking too much. This is because drinking causes a person to lose sense and become more prone to breaking disciplines of routine and diets. An asthmatic may become careless with his diet and may tend to overeat to counteract the influence of alcohol if he indulges in drinking too much.

7. Asthma patient's surroundings should be kept neat and tidy. As far as possible clutter should be completely avoided to steer clear of dust induced allergies that may create an attack. Clutter in the surroundings inhabits several mites and allergy causing organisms. It is therefore necessary that the furniture and other stuff should be arranged in such a way, which allows proper dusting and cleaning on a daily basis.

8. Asthma patients may have difficulty with the atmospheric pollution also. It is very important to assess whether the patient may be allergic to any particular kind of allergen present in the atmosphere around his place of dwelling or occupation. Sometimes certain professions support the excessive usage of one kind of toxin or the other, in which case a change in profession or occupational conditions may remain to be the only option.

9. Asthmatics should also be very careful of not getting mentally excited too much. This is because the mental aggravation may lead to appearance of asthmatic symptoms in patients. On a daily basis it is better not to accumulate taking decisions, whether in the personal life or in the professional life. The work should also be handled as far as possible on a daily basis to avoid excess stress and anxiety.

10. In order to manage asthma it is very necessary to accept the disease and the limitations attached with it in one's daily life. If proper discipline is maintained a patient can have a long and problem free life.

The word asthma is Greek and means to breathe hard and that is the main symptom of asthma. If you have asthma, the airways in your lungs are almost always sore and inflamed and quick to respond to anything that irritates them.

Asthma is best defined by its four main symptoms:

- Coughing - often the first sign that asthma attack is on the way. You may either have a dry cough or a cough with phlegm, and coughing often happens at night or after exercise.

- Shortness of breath - it is hard to finish one breath before starting another

- Wheezing - the whistling noise made when someone having an attack breathes out. It is caused by sticky fluid, mucus, produced by the reddened and inflamed airways.

- Tightness in the chest - a feeling that you have a vice sound around your chest or that someone is giving you an overenthusiastic bear hug.

Triggers such as droppings of the house dust mite and pets can cause these airways to narrow suddenly. An asthma attach can be frightening because one sufferer described it as a bit like drowning and in extreme cases, asthma can kill.

What is the relationship between the airways and asthma? In an asthma attack, the airways that take air from your nose or mouth to the lungs become constricted, making it hard to breathe.

The problem may be caused in three different ways, the airway walls become swollen, the muscles of the airways go into spasm, and mucus collects and obstructs the airways.

Allergies are very common and one in three people will have an allergy at some time during their life. One in five of us has hay fever and one in every six children has a skin condition, usually eczema.

An allergy is your body overreacting to something that is normally harmless. Most people can walk past freshly cut grass, cuddle up to the family pet and happily munch their way through a bag of peanuts.

A bee sting usually causes no more than a flash of pain and a red lump. For most people drugs, such as antibiotic or local anesthetics, cause no problems. But if you have an allergy, many of these things do and the allergic reaction like an asthma attack can be sudden and violent.

Very rarely, allergies can kill. For a tiny number of people, if they do not get the right medication immediately, a bee sting or a peanut can mean death.

Seasonal asthma refers to the condition which is characterized by the inflammation and constriction of the airways that is caused in the presence of airborne allergies, for example such as pollen in spring season. This type of asthma tends to show up in a seasonal cycle as a response to increasing levels of a number of airborne allergens as seasons keep changing.

However, the severity of the symptoms of seasonal asthma is variable. The normal asthma already takes a toll on people with its tricky nature that dealing with allergies due to seasonal changes simply acts like the last straw. Generally, allergies are an overreaction to normal substances that doesn't trouble most people. Our immune system has a strong effect on how a person handles one's indoor and outdoor activities. In case of being over-sensitive to certain allergens, the immune system can build up a swelling in the lungs and shut out the air that one needs to breathe in.

So, when an asthmatic patient has allergies, one can experience more frequent attacks in spring and fall seasons. This can make the symptoms of the already active asthma go out of control. Depending on one's immunity strength, it can be subtle or life-threatening. So, better late than never; one should keep tabs upon the early signs so that they can be treated well in time.

Here are some common symptoms of seasonal asthmathat are frequently seen. These are the classic symptoms that basically characterize this special respiratory disorder. They are:

1. Frequent coughing
2. Increased mucus production
3. Feeling of chest tightness
4. Shortness of breath
5. Rapid breathing

If the patient suffers from some kind of allergy, the symptoms such as watery, red eyes, sneezing and runny nose can also be seen. It is recommended that if at all the situation goes out of hand, one must seek medical help. With the doctor's help, one can regularly follow the prescribed medication or even refer to a known allergist that can help the patient to figure out one's asthma triggers.

What is both funny and morbid about these symptoms of seasonal asthma is that they can get aggravate even before the patient realizes it. One may feel that their situation is way under control, but the patient may never know when they turn the tables. So, it's advised that whenever one finds it difficult to breathe properly, they should stop all their work and rush to visit their doctor.

Here are some signs one should watch out for when calling their doctor:

1. Persistence of shortness of breath even after following medication
2. Change in the skin color of the patient
3. Chest pain
4. Difficulty in breathing that disturbs the task at hand

Therefore, it's essential for one to keep self-monitoring oneself so that the symptoms of seasonal asthma can be controlled well in time. With changes in the seasons, one should get more alert and prepared to face the allergies with precautions.

For thousands of years, people have been trying to find the link between the body and the mind. There has been a question as to whether, or not, the mind can be used to heal the body from diseases and disorders such as asthma. As long as people have been trying to understand this link, people have been practicing Yoga for therapeutic reasons. Although Yoga has also been known to reduce or eliminate breathing disorders, the exact reason has not officially been pinpointed. Many studies have claimed that practicing Yoga regularly can have a significant affect on asthma.

When practicing Hatha Yoga to help improve the condition of asthma, there are many types of poses that can be utilized, but they generally involve an effort to correct poor posture and learning breathing habits. Many people do not realize that they are not breathing properly. Even though it is considered something that should be second nature, the way a person breathes can weaken their lungs and cause health problems.

Poor posture also prevents air from entering and leaving the lungs as effectively as possible. By learning the correct posture and breathing habits, asthma suffers can significantly increase their comfort level. Yoga can also help to reduce mucous, which can greatly impede breathing. Some of the more advanced poses can help to loosen up the mucous that may have built up inside the chest and nasal cavity. A therapeutic Yoga session a couple times a week can eliminate this impediment and prevent build up.

Also, by simply decreasing the stress and anxiety in one's life through the practice of Yoga, an asthma attack is less likely to flare up. A healthier body often creates a healthier mind, and this is especially true when it comes to Yoga, which has been known to decrease the impact of daily pressures. By decreasing the stress in one's life, it is more likely that asthma attacks will not be triggered or worsened by emotional flows.

Yoga techniques can be used to compliment the traditional medical management. Thus someone may already be using meditation, asana, and pranayama to control his or her asthma. It is not advised to discontinue any medication or a doctor's advice. Yoga should be viewed as an adjunct therapy for treating asthma. However, with regular practice and dedicated training, it is possible to lessen the amount of prescription drugs that are needed. This alternative treatment can allow an asthma sufferer to not be controlled by their condition and feel internal relaxation.

The following Yoga techniques are recommended for asthma.

Anuloma Viloma Pranayama

Pavanamuktasana

Bitilasana

Urdhva mukha svanasana

Ustrasana

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Warning: The following postures are contraindicated for asthma.

Paschimottanasana

Halasana

Janu Sirsasana

穢 Copyright 2011 - Aura Wellness Center - Publications Division

If asthma is getting you down, it's possible that increasing your levels of CoQ10 could benefit your breathing as well as your energy and endurance.

Coenzyme Q10 is a natural substance found in the mitochondria of every cell. Its primary function is to assist in the production of energy at the cellular level but it is also a powerful antioxidant capable of neutralizing free radicals, which are chemically unstable molecules formed when the cells interact with oxygen and other substances.

Free radicals scavenge and injure other cells, and the damage they do has been shown to play a large part in a whole host of diseases ranging from cardiovascular problems to metabolic disorders like diabetes and even age-related illnesses like Alzheimer's disease.

In asthma patients, free radical damage is believed to increase and exacerbate the chronic mucosal tissue inflammation characteristic of the disease. Though research on the link between CoQ10 and asthma is ongoing, preliminary findings appear to not only support this theory, but indicate that raising serum levels of the coenzyme could provide relief to asthma patients.

In numerous studies it has been found that blood levels of the coenzyme tend to be significantly lower in people with asthma. Researchers speculate that sub-optimal concentrations of CoQ10 may very well play a role in the severity of asthma. Small trials have indicated that supplemental dosage of the coenzyme improved the condition.

In addition, researchers have observed a link between low CoQ10 levels and the use of corticosteroid preparations commonly used to treat acute asthma attacks. In a recent open randomized crossover trial, CoQ10 was administered to 41 bronchial asthma patients in conjunction with corticosteroid inhalants for a period of 32 weeks. The results showed that the patients used the inhalants less when they were taking the coenzyme supplements.

Raising the serum levels of the coenzyme could also improve energy and endurance, both of which are commonly adversely effected by asthma. A recent Japanese study showed that as little as a week of regular 300 milligram supplements had a marked positive effect on physical ability during exercise, as well as on the amount of post-exercise fatigue experienced. It was also shown to greatly enhance oxygen utilization and reduce recovery time. 

If you have asthma and vigorous exercises prevents you from burning fat and calories, below are 6 lose weight tips that can help shed those unwanted pounds, fast. Dedication, hard work, and being consistent are the keys to reach your ideal weight goal. These 6 tips do not involve starvation or fad diets, which are bad for you in the long run.

Tip 1 - Drink water
Water is important to help lose weight fast. Water helps suppress your stomach by tricking to be full as well keeping you hydrated and prevent craving. Drinking water ice cold can burn as much as 100 calories a day. Hence, drink as much water as you can each day.

Tip 2 -Eat smaller portion
Try to eat 5-6 small meals per day instead of traditional 3 big meals. When you eat this many meal per day you will never feel hungry or crave for food. Don't forget about breakfast because it is the most important meal of the day.

Tip 3 - Include fiber to your meal
Having adequate fiber keep residues moving through your bowel. Fiber can be found in fruits and vegetables and typically low in calories, so you are reducing your calorie intake overall.

Tip 4 - Include good fats to your meal
Please note there are good fats and bad fats. Good fats provide essential fatty acids for normal reproduction and growth, and prevent blood clotting and lower the risk of heart disease. Fish oil is an example of good fat.

Tip 5 - Consume plenty of quality protein
Protein maintains muscle mass and it's important in the fat burning process.

Tip 6 - Carbohydrates
Some people believe carbohydrates are bad for you, but in fact, they can help you lose weight. Good carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and moderate in fat and calories, will result in weight loss.

The diagnosis of an asthma patient can depend on the symptoms presented, a detailed medical history, the physical examination done by the doctor and the laboratory tests done to confirm the diagnosis. For the most part the diagnosis of asthma can be fairly easy once the results come through; however, the diagnosis has an involved process before the eventual results are determined.

For asthmatic patients symptoms can include problems related to breathing such as difficulty taking a breathe, wheezy respiration, labored breathing during activities that require exertion, chest tightness and any obstruction of airflow. A true indicator for asthma can be seen when the person gasps for breath with a wheezy sound, which is a characteristic picture of asthma. In addition, having a detailed medical history that includes any history of allergy, family history of asthma, persistent coughs, cold and seasonal allergies can be contributing factors for asthmatic patient.

After the diagnosis process has begun laboratory tests are usually ordered to confirm that the patient has asthma and can include blood tests for ESR and eosinophil counts that could give indication of any allergic reaction or chest infection, as these are also contributory factors. The chest x-ray confirms the expansion of the lungs as well as any infections or other abnormalities in the lungs that can contribute to asthma. The groups of tests performed to diagnose asthma are Pulmonary Function Tests, otherwise known as Spirometry. In this test the degree and access of airflow obstruction is measured along with the confirmation of its severity. These are otherwise termed FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC. The assessment of the reversibility of asthma can also be done through these tests. Carrying out tests of allergen detection through skin sensitivity tests is also a form of testing. These tests are of prolonged duration by which time the person has a fully established asthma. Still, if the allergens detection is accurate and the person needs to stay away from certain allergic substances, then asthmatic attack is preventable.

One of the most experienced symptoms of asthma is a wheezing sound as air enters the respiratory system. Many other chest diseases can present the same types of breathing problems as asthma; hence an accurate diagnosis is very essential. Spirometry is the confirmatory lung test for asthma. Once the diagnosis is made, the options open to the patient vary in range from no prescription, for very mild cases of asthma, to a full course of asthmatic preventatives to help those patients who have a severe asthmatic problem.

Asthma is a kind of disease that does not choose its victims. It can either be young or old, rich or poor, or male or female. A significant number of people had been plagued with this disease. One of the most common medications of asthma is through the use of inhalers. There are inhalers that have drugs, which provide immediate relief but on a short-term basis, while there are those that are taken regularly, which prevents the onset of asthma symptoms. Whatever the type of inhaler you have been using, there are always several side effects of asthma medication. One of the commoner side effects of asthma is thrush. This is a yest infection that attacks the mouth and throat membrane lining. This infection usually manifests as white lesions found in the tongue and inside the mouth. Should the proper medication be not taken, it might lead to the spread of the infection into the various parts of the body.

An effective way to avoid getting thrush is through utilizing a spacer with the inhaler. One other common side effect of asthma medicines is coughing. While you're in a frenzy to inhale the medicine, you may develop cough and spasms. Then again, all you need is a spacer to address this issue. Practicing breathing exercises when consuming your medication. In children, the most prevalent side effect of asthma medication is a stunted growth. Although this may be the case, it has been proven that the child will grow up to be normal in the later part of his adulthood.

Sad to say, there is not much you can do about these effects. All you need to consider on is to keep your asthma attacks at bay. If there is no need for an emergency inhaler, the chances of taking medication is slimmer. As much as possible, try to avoid the triggers of the disease as well as the other symptoms of the condition. It doesn't matter what kind of asthma you have or what type of medication you're taking because these medications all have side effects. The three items mentioned above are just some of the most common side effects of asthma medication. These side effects can be reduced through undertaking non-medicated techniques to control asthma.

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, over 20 million Americans suffer asthma, and just in the Untied States, about 5,000 people die each year of asthma attacks. The incidence of asthma has been increasing for many years, even in regions that have achieved lower levels of pollution and better air quality.

Two studies supporting the idea that aspirin somehow protects against asthma has appeared in the medical literature. In 2006, an analysis of the Physician's Health Study found that men who took at least a baby aspirin every day had a 22 per cent lower risk of developing asthma in midlife, and the beneficial effect held even among smokers, men who were overweight, and the elderly.

In 2008, the Women's Health Study found that women who take at least a baby aspirin (100 mg) every day have a 10 per cent lower risk of developing asthma, and aspirin is beneficial without regard to smoking, obesity, vitamin consumption, or use of estrogen replacement.

Still, I wouldn't start taking an aspirin a day to keep asthma away. There are three main reasons.

First, neither the Physician's Health Study nor the Women's Health Study found that aspirin treated asthma. The anti-inflammatory effects of aspirin be strong enough to prevent the small changes in the plasticity of lung tissue that lead to bigger changes later, but aspirin probably isn't sufficiently anti-inflammatory to relieve an attack.

Secondly, and more importantly, about 3 to 5 per cent of people who have asthma are sensitive to aspirin. It's possible to have neither asthma nor aspirin sensitivity earlier in life and to develop both in adulthood.

Thirdly, and most importantly, some stages of the flu can be mistaken for asthma. Children with flu must never be given aspirin in order to prevent the potentially deadly Reye syndrome. From the standpoint of aspirin-sensitivity, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is the safer alternative.

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a lung disease. It causes problems to the breathing passage of our lungs also known as bronchioles. It is caused due to chronic, long term and ongoing inflammation of the lung passage. The lung passage also called airways of the affected person become very sensitive to the triggers.

The inflammation is caused or triggered due to various internal and external factors that fills the passage with mucus and also swells it. The muscles contract and narrow the passage making it difficult to breathe. This resistance of exhaling finally leads to symptoms of a typical asthma attack.

Since the disease causes obstruction to the air being exhaled, it is known as an obstructive lung disease. The medical term for this is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also known as COPD. COPD includes other diseases as well.

Asthma is a disease that you shall have to live with during your everyday life and there is possibility of being exposed to the triggers. Asthma is a reversible disease unlike the other chronic lung diseases. Asthma cannot be ever totally cured but you may always keep it under control.

If the disease is diagnosed at the right time and the treatment is started right away then there is a better chance of controlling the disease. If there is a proper treatment then the attacks shall be lesser and not even very severe. If there is no treatment then the attacks will be so severe that it may even lead to death.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms include cough which may be accompanied with phlegm production, pulling in of the skin while breathing and shortness of breath which worsens with activity or exercise. Wheezing also is possible that begins suddenly, happens in episodes and gets worse with breathing and exercise.

What is the treatment?

Asthma is a chronic disease and the treatment shall go on for a long time. For some it may extend forever and the best way is to live to take proper care with the help of right consultation. The goal of the treatment is to prevent the syndrome and to avoid the attacks.

In the treatment the medications used are inhalants instead of oral medications like liquid or tablet. Inhaled medications work directly on the surface and muscles of the airway where the problem initiates. The side effects are very few as the absorption in the rest of the body is minimal.

The medicines are beta-2, agonists, anticholinergics and corticosteroids. Oral medications are aminophyline, beta-2 agonists and antagonists. Adrenaline is one of the medications used for the medication of asthma but it has side-effects.

Is there a cure?

Asthma has no cure but symptoms can improve over time. With the right medical treatment and self management people suffering from asthma can lead a perfectly normal life.

What are the possible complications?

The complications attached with asthma are of a severe nature. They may include persistent cough, breathing troubles that may require assistance in the form of ventilators, lack of sleep because of nighttime symptoms, decrease in the ability to take part in activities like exercises and permanent alterations in lung functions. In severe cases it may also result in death.

In 2009, an estimated 17.5 million adults in the United States suffered from asthma. Most of us have heard of this common medical condition, but what exactly is it?

What is asthma?

The body has a system of tubes called airways to carry air from our mouth/nose to our lungs. The largest of these is our trachea (known as windpipe). This then splits into two bronchi which then split into a network of tiny bronchioles. This network of bronchioles delivers air to the tiny sacs where gas exchange takes place (known as alveoli).

Asthma is an inflammatory condition affected the smallest airways - the bronchioles. These tiny tubes can become inflamed and secrete excessive amounts of mucous causing severe difficulty in breathing. This is known as an asthma attack. The cause of asthma is thought to be a combination of environmental and genetic factors.

An asthma attack is normally triggered by something, whether it be an allergen (e.g: pollen, dust, vehicle emissions, soot etc.) or an environmental condition such as cold air. Normally, an asthma attack is characterised by the following symptoms:

• A wheezing sounds when breathing


• Difficulty in breathing


• Unable to complete a full sentence


• Hyperventilation


• Anxiety and panic


• Reducing levels of consciousness

Remember not all of these signs and symptoms may be obvious.

The casualty may wear a bracelet on their wrist/ankle/neck with details of their asthma. Also, they may carry their medication with them.

First aid for an asthma attack

Step 1: Sit the casualty down in the position they find most comfortable for their breathing. Normally the best position is sitting upright. Do not lie the casualty down as this will make breathing more difficult for them.

Step 2: Find their medication, which is normally an inhaler (possibly with a spacer device) containing a drug such as Salbutamol.

Step 3: Assist the casualty to use their medication. They should know how many doses to take and how to use the inhaler.

Step 4: Provide reassurance and help calm the person's breathing if they are hyperventilating.

If the medication does not have any effect, the casualty starts to become drowsy/exhausted or if they have forgotten their medication then you should call an emergency ambulance immediately. If the casualty becomes unconscious, then open their airway by tilting their head back and check for normal breathing. If they are breathing then roll them onto their side to protect their airway. If they are not breathing then commence Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Asthma attacks can appear frightening but you should make every effort to remain calm and in-control of the situation.