How to Take Control of Your Asthma
Asthma attacks have increased at an alarming rate in the pass few years, especially in children. It is believed that toxins in the air we breath are one of the major causes. There is a higher percentage of people living in big cities who suffer from asthma than people living in rural areas. Another reason for the increase is food additives, toxins in the home from cleaning products, perfumes, pesticides and other chemically based products used around the home or at work.
It is very important that you eliminate all the chemically based products in your home with natural products. That includes your makeup, deodorants and perfumes. All these chemicals weaken the body's immune system and can worsen your asthma symptoms. Eating all natural foods instead of processed or refined foods will also be helpful.
Reduce or avoid dairy products as they can constrict the bronchial passageways. Dairy products can cause excess phlegm and mucus to be formed in the body making breathing even harder.
You may want to find out if you have any food allergies as they can be a cause of allergy attacks.
Symptoms
You will need the assistance of your family doctor to find out if your symptoms are caused by asthma and not something else. The symptoms of asthma are often different from person to person. They can also be similar to symptoms of different conditions such as other respiratory problems and in certain heart conditions. Here are the four major symptoms:
Shortness of breath -- especially with exertion and at night time.
Wheezing -- a whistling sound when breathing out.
Coughing -- the coughing can be chronic and is usually worse at night and early morning and may occur after exercising or when exposed to cold and dry air.
Chest tightness -- This may occur with or without the above symptoms.
Natural Remedies
Below you will find several natural remedies to help you control symptoms or maybe even eliminate them all together.
Boost Your Immune System --
Because asthma is an immune system disorder, boosting your immune system is an excellent way to reduce or eliminate your symptoms. Go to my Web page on Boosting Your Immune System. Below is an article about asthma and the immune system:
Asthma attacks found to be caused by suppressed immune system
Pycnogenol (Pine Tree Bark) --
There is an article that states that after three months on Pycnogenol some people have become symptom free and have been able to go off their inhalers. Pycnogenol is thought to be an anti-inflammatory and loaded with antioxidants. It reduces leukotrienes, chemicals involved in inflammation and tightening of the bronchia.
Magnesium --
Magnesium has been shown to have a beneficial influence on lung function. Deficiency of magnesium can cause asthmatic attacks and intravenous shots of magnesium have been shown to stop acute attacks. Because magnesium helps the body control muscle spasms, it is able to smooth the bronchial muscles so they don't contract and close off air.
BronchoSoothe & BioVent from Native Remedies --
BronchoSoothe is used at the first sign of an acute attack to relax and open up the airways to allow normal breathing. Triple Complex BronchoSoothe contains a combination of biochemic tissue salts. Placed under the tongue at the first signs of an attack, BronchoSoothe opens up the air passages, reduces bronchospasm and inflammation, soothes anxiety and allows easy and normal breathing to take place.
BioVent remedy is a unique combination of herbal and homeopathic ingredients. It controls and prevents attacks and assists with the management of chronic asthma. Used daily, it can improve respiratory functioning and health, reduce the incidence and severity of attacks and strengthen the immune system. Use BioVent Drops every day to:
Vitamin C --
Vitamin C may be helpful as it is a histamine blocker. In studies it has also been shown that people with asthma seem to be deficient in Vitamin C and that it might be a contributing factor.
Quercetin --
Quercetin is able to inhibit allergy and inflammatory responses by inhibiting the release of antibodies which elevate histamine levels. Because bioflavonoids take time to build up in the body, quercetin is more effective as a long term treatment and not as a treatment for immediate symptoms.
Additional Resources and Information:
Research Articles --
Journal of Medicinal Food: Pycnogenol® in the Management of Asthma
New Research on Pine Bark (Pycnogenol) and Childhood Asthma
Helpful Books --
The Allergy and Asthma Cure: A Complete Eight-Step Nutritional Program
Reversing Asthma: Breathe Easier with This Revolutionary New Program
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