Asthma

A Treatise of Asthma was written by Moses Maimonides, Rabbi, philosopher and medico. In this text, written over 1000 years ago, Maimonides clearly describes how asthma symptoms often start as a common cold during the wet months, with the patient coughing and gasping for air. Recommended treatments included seeking a dry climate, plenty of sleep, fluids, moderation of sexual activity, and chicken soup. Oy vey, Moses must have made his mother proud.

Asthma occurs when the airways, in reaction to a trigger, become inflamed and swollen. In response, cells lining the airways release sticky mucus and inflammatory substances such as histamine, causing the airways to constrict, reducing airflow. The wheezing sound common to asthma is created by air attempting to leave the narrowed airways, and coughing occurs when the lungs try to get rid of the aforementioned mucus. Not being able to breathe is frightening, and this fear makes the muscles around the chest, throat, neck and shoulders tense and tight, restricting airflow even more. Chronic asthmatics often have tight muscles in these areas, even when their breathing is normal.

Symptoms

• Coughing – with or without phlegm.
• Shortness of breath – often worse with activity or exercise.
• Wheezing.
• Tightness in the chest.

What causes it?

• An episode of asthma is often set off by an accumulation of several triggers. Like the straw that breaks the camel’s back, one little extra thing is enough to tip the balance. If you look after your asthma, you can probably tolerate a little of an allergic substance or trigger. However, if you are under stress or getting over a cold, that same trigger could cause an attack.

The following are some common triggers of asthma:

• Environmental triggers. Including pollen, animal dander (fur and other pet trimmings), cockroach droppings, cigarette smoke (children of smokers are more prone to asthma), household chemicals such as oven cleaners, change of season, mould, weather conditions, such as humidity, wind, cold air petrol fumes, some pets, dust mites, cockroach poo.
• Food allergies and sensitivities. Common food allergens in asthma include milk, chocolate, peanuts, wheat and citrus. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), sulphites (common in beer, wine and dried fruit), histamines (which occur in red wine, blue cheese and tuna), tartrazine (red food colouring number 102), salicylates, chocolate, and yeast.
• Exercise.
• Respiratory infections such as a cold, bronchitis or sinus.
• Sudden temperature or barometric changes.
• Back problems and poor posture may also trigger asthma. Pressure on the nerves that nourish the lungs may be affected by a stooped posture.
• As it is for so many conditions, stress is often a precursor for asthma.
• Even laughing and crying may initiate an attack.

What To Do

Asthma is potentially fatal, so don’t meddle with any prescribed medication. Cortisone, in particular, must be phased out slowly and under medical supervision. If it is stopped abruptly, asthma is very likely to rebound, with symptoms worse than ever.

The following natural therapies may be used in conjunction with conventional medical asthma treatment. Do not discontinue your medication before consulting with your practitioner, even if you show positive results from the interventions suggested below.

Diet

• Avoid known allergens and sensitivities. Foods to look out for include dairy, wheat, preservatives and colourings.
• Eat one onion a day, cooked or raw, red, white or brown. Onions are not only antibiotics, they reduce the viscosity of mucus, freeing the wheeze. Garlic shares similar properties with onions in the prevention and treatment of asthma. Eat liberally.
• Drink at least 2 litres of fluid daily, keeping that mucus from becoming too viscid and sticky, and preventing the airways from drying out.
• Fish contains the omega-3 fatty acid, EPA, which is particularly anti-inflammatory and good for asthma. Eat four to five servings of fish or seafood (canned, frozen or fresh) each week.
• Decrease salt. High levels can increase your reaction to histamine, an inflammatory substance released by the cells during asthma.
• A cup of strong black tea may stop an attack. The theophylline (one of a group of chemicals called xanthines) in tea is a bronchodilator; that is, it widens the airways, allowing more air in and out. Tea may relieve the temporary symptom of wheezing, but is not a long-term preventative treatment. A cup of strong black coffee may have a similar effect because of caffeine, another xanthine that dilates the bronchi.
• Chicken soup with the addition of plenty of garlic is just what Maimonides ordered.

Remedies

• Immune herbs. Asthma is often triggered by respiratory tract infections such as head colds, coughs and sinusitis. It pays to keep your immune system in tip-top shape. Herbs that improve the immune system can help with asthma, including astragalus, Siberian ginseng and echinacea. Some people fear taking echinacea if they have asthma; this is only the case if you are allergic to echinacea. An allergy to echinacea is actually quite rare, the symptoms are immediate and include a rash and wheezing. So if you are an asthmatic and have tried echinacea in the past with no reaction, you are extremely unlikely to be allergic to it and so can add it to your immune system repertoire. Herbs to take during a respiratory infection include thyme, golden seal, white horehound, elecampane, licorice and mullein. These herbs are also good to take in the longer term if your lungs have been weakened by years of asthma or previous infections such as pneumonia.
• Herbs that reduce the spasming of the airways include; grindelia, adhatoda, elecampane, elecampane and valerian. Use these if you are a chronic asthmatic.
• Vitamin A is important for the health of lung tissue. Take daily, or in the form of a cod liver oil capsule, which will also provide a little vitamin D and EPA.
• Vitamin D levels are often low in asthmatics, take a supplement of Vitamin D if so, and then maintain your Vitamin D levels with daily cod liver oil supplementation.
• Quercetin, a bioflavonoid help modulate the inflammatory nature of asthma. Take daily.
• Vitamin C has natural antihistamine powers. Take 500 mg daily and 1,000 mg of Vitamin C powder in water may abort an attack if imminent. Adjust the dose for children
• Magnesium supplementation is a must for anyone suffering from asthma. Magnesium relaxes the tiny breathing passages, and bronchioles, reversing any tendency for them to tighten. 200 mg, 2 to 3 times a day. For children, the tissue salt Mag phos may be sufficient.

Other

• Breathe through your nose, not your mouth. This will be easier if you keep your tongue positioned on the roof of your mouth, just behind the front teeth. Nose breathing is the way we were designed to breathe.
• Buteyko breathing is a proven technique for reducing symptoms and preventing asthma. It can be literally a life-saving course to take. Recommended for children over the age of 7. This study in the New Zealand Medical Journal showed a decrease in preventor (steroid) and reliever (bronchodilator) medication in the group that practised the Buteyko method. 
• Desensitisation. An extremely useful tool is desensitisation. The trigger allergen(s) is determined either by a blood test or skin prick test and a program of desensitising, using drops under the tongue or injections, is implemented for a number of months. Various doctors and natural practitioners specialise in this area.
• If your breathing becomes strained, try standing under a steaming, hot shower. The steam will help open the airways. Employing the same logic, if you are tight-chested during the night, place a humidifier beside your bed. They are available from most chemists. You could add a couple of drops of thyme, eucalyptus or lavender oil.
• If stress is a big trigger for you, it is imperative you learn some effective techniques for managing stress. Then use them! Whether it be meditation, yoga or embroidery, asthma is not a condition to be toyed with. Everyone who has experienced an asthma attack (including onlookers) knows how frightening it is. If you can possibly remain calm, best achieved by the breathing technique mentioned above, this will reduce the severity of the attack.
• Dust mites and moulds are very common asthma triggers. Here are some ideas for keeping them under control. If possible, have wooden floors or tiles instead of carpet, and remove heavy curtains. Dust mites love beds; use mattress and pillow cover protectors, and wash them every week. Vacuum your mattress every month or so and then spray with weak black tea to deactivate dust mites. Let the sun shine on your mattress and as much of the room as possible. Every month get someone else to scrub mouldy bathrooms with bleach and wipe them over with tea tree oil. If this task cannot be delegated, make sure you wear a mask. Wash shower curtains regularly, they are fervent collectors of mould. Let fresh, dry air and sunshine flood the house. If all else fails, move to a drier abode. If mould is a trigger, consider removing mould and yeast foods from your diet to see whether this relieves your asthma. (See also Candida.)
• Is your back out? If there is any problem with the thoracic or middle part of the back, this can affect the nerves that feed the lungs. A problem with the back can in turn cause or trigger your asthma. Go to a chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist for assessment.
• Activities that improve posture and strengthen the back, correcting asthmatic tendencies include yoga, pilates, the Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais
  method.
• Regular massage may help with particular attention to the shoulder, upper back and chest.
• In the emotional anatomy of the body, the lungs are the organs of grief. Asthma has been described by some as a ‘silent scream’ and may be an expression of feeling claustrophobic in relationships, often with family.