Till a few decades ago Asthma was considered a very serious global health problem which couldn’t be cured. Today though people of all ages in countries throughout the world are affected by this chronic airway disorder that, when uncontrolled, can limit our daily lives. Over the years, the world has witnessed the ability of Homeopathy to manage, control and in many cases cure it effectively.
What Is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. It causes recurring periods of: Wheezing, Chest tightness, Shortness of breath, and Coughing.
A Look into “Asthma”:
The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of your lungs. People who have asthma have inflamed airways. This makes the airways swollen and very sensitive. They tend to react strongly to certain substances that are breathed in. When the airways react, the muscles around them tighten. This causes the airways to narrow, and less air flows to your lungs. The swelling also can worsen, making the airways even narrower. Cells in the airways may make more mucus than normal. (Mucus is a sticky, thick liquid that can further narrow your airways.)
Figure A shows the location of the lungs and airways in the body. Figure B shows a cross-section of a normal airway. Figure C shows a cross-section of an airway during asthma symptoms.
This chain reaction can result in asthma symptoms. Symptoms can happen each time the airways are irritated.
What Causes Asthma Symptoms To Occur?
A number of things can bring about or worsen asthma symptoms:
- Allergens found in dust, animal fur, cockroaches, mould, and pollens from trees, grasses, and flowers.
- Irritants such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, chemicals or dust in the workplace, compounds in home décor products, and sprays.
- Certain medicines such as aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Viral upper respiratory infections such as colds/ runny nose.
- Sinus infections
- Reflux disease
- Psychological stress
- Exercise (physical activity)
Asthma is different for each person. Some of the factors listed may not affect you. Other factors that do affect you may not be on the list.
Information on Asthma – RISK FACTORS:- Studying the prevalence of asthma and related diseases such as eczema and hay fever have yielded important clues about some key risk factors.
- The strongest risk factor for developing asthma is a family history of atopic diseases; this increases the risk of hay fever up to 5times and risk of asthma by 3-4times!
- In children, between the ages of 3-14, a positive skin test for allergies and an increase in Immunoglobulin E increases the chance of having asthma
- In adults, the more allergens one reacts positively to in a skin test, the higher the odds of having asthma
- Studies which show that upper respiratory tract infections are protective against asthma risk also tend to show that lower respiratory tract infections conversely tend to increase the risk of asthma
- The incidence of asthma is highest among low-income populations [asthma deaths are most common in low to middle income countries]
- Asthma as a result of [or worsened by] workplace exposures is the world’s most commonly reported occupational respiratory disease
- Asthma appears to be more prevalent in athletes than in general population. There appears to be a relatively high incidence of asthma in sports such as cycling, mountain biking, and long- distance running, and a relatively lower incidence in weight lifting and diving
- Environmental tobacco smoke, especially maternal cigarette smoking, is associated with high risk of asthma prevalence and asthma morbidity, wheeze and respiratory infections.
- Poor air quality, from traffic pollution or high ozone levels, has been repeatedly associated with increased asthma morbidity
- Caesarean sections have been associated with asthma when compared with vaginal birth; a meta-analysis found a 20% increase in asthma prevalence in children delivered by caesarean section compared to who were not.
- Psychological stress has long been suspected of being an asthma trigger. Rather than stress directly causing the asthma symptoms, it is thought that stress modulates the immune system to increase the magnitude of the airway inflammatory response to allergens and irritants.
To know about the Role of Homeopathy in Asthma log onto http://homeopathy-tips.blogspot.com/2009/05/asthma.html
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