Asthma is derived from the ancient Greek word azein, which means to "breathe hard". During normal breathing, the bands of muscle that surround the airways are relaxed, and air moves freely. But in people prone to asthma, exposure to various substance makes the bands of muscle surrounding the airways tighten, and even though air moves in relatively easy, it becomes difficult to breathe it out. Less air causes a person to feel short of breath, and the air moving through the tightened airways causes a whistling sound known as wheezing, which is one of the main symptoms of this disease.
Some of the common asthma triggers are:
- Dust
- Moulds
Pollen
- Air pollution
- Cigarette smoke
- Strong perfumes
- Changes in temperature, humidity and especially exposure to cold air
- Respiratory infections like bronchitis, common cold, flu
- Emotional upsets
- In addition to wheezing, the other common symptoms of asthma are breathlessness, which worsens on exertion and coughing.
Different types of asthma :
There are 5 common types of asthma
Allergic asthma:
Also known as type 1 asthma, this type is commonly seen in children. In this form, asthma occurs mainly as a reaction to the inhaled allergens described above. Naturally, this type of asthma is commonly seen with other allergic disorders like allergic rhinitis, and eczema of the skin.
Exercise induced asthma:
Exercise-induced asthma refers to asthma symptoms that are triggered by exercise or physical activity. The symptoms are usually noticed during or shortly after exercise. Exercising outdoors in the winters is the most common setting in which exercise induced asthma occurs.
Nocturnal asthma:
This refers to the type of asthma, where the symptoms get worse in the middle of the night, typically between 2 and 4 AM.
Stomach related asthma:
Very recent research has shown increasing evidence of a link between a particular stomach disorder called Gastro esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and asthma. In GERD, there is a reflux of the stomach contents, most of which is acid, into the food pipe, sometimes all the way back to the throat. It is believed that some of these contents are then aspirated into the lungs and trigger off an asthma attack. GERD-related asthma should always be considered in asthmatic patients, who report symptoms of acidity and flatulence.
Myths about asthma
Myth - Many people think they have asthma only when they have trouble breathing and the rest of the time they are free from asthma.
Fact - This sort of thinking is the single most important reason for poor patient compliance in asthmatics. It is important to understand that asthma has episodes of acute attack during which its symptoms of breathlessness, coughing and wheezing are seen. In between those attacks, the body still retains its asthmatic tendencies. Therefore to treat asthma, it is not only important to take medication during the attack, but even more important to take medication in between the attacks to provide effective long term control of this disease.
Myth - Children tend to outgrow asthma and do not require long term medication.
Fact - While it is true that a small percentage of children do outgrow asthma, latest studies have shown that this is valid in increasingly smaller and smaller percentage of cases. Many children show a reduction in their symptoms around between the ages of 5-7 years. However a lot of these then report recurrence by the age of 13. On the other hand, there is significant percentage of children, who experience bilitating.
Myth - If you are suffering from asthma, exertion is strictly to be avoided.
Fact -no reduction in their suffering with age. For such children, unless active medical intervention is done, asthma becomes very de
Did you know that Superman has asthma? It is true. Christopher Reeve, the actor who played Superman in the movies is a well-known asthmatic. Seriously speaking however, history has many examples of sportsmen and women who have been asthmatics and have at the same time excelled in their chosen area of sports. Track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee, swimmer Amy van Dyken, and basketball players Dominique Wilkens and Isaiah Thomas are but to name a few.
Meditation, contemplation, concentration, through controlled breath.
Myth- If you are asthmatic and pregnant, you can develop complications.
Fact - - On the contrary 30% women experience betterment in their symptoms during pregnancy. 30% report no change and 30% get slightly more breathless. Controlled asthma has no bearing on the development of baby in the mother's womb. However asthma is known to be hereditary. If a single parent has asthma, the child stands a 30% chance of developing it. If both parents have asthma, the risk goes up to 75%. But this is something that can be anticipated and taken well care of.
How can one detect the presence of asthma in a child?
In children, detection of asthma can sometimes be difficult, as a child is not able to convey to the parents the feeling of breathlessness. If there is history of allergies/asthma in the family, look out for the following indications of asthma in your child.
- Wheezing - a whistling sound that is heard when breathing out. It can be sometimes heard by putting your ear against the child's chest.
- Persistent coughing, especially if combined with wheezing.
- Fits of coughing or difficulty in breathing during or after play.
- Wheezing, coughing, or difficult breathing that wakes the child from sleep.
Treatment of asthma at Cosmic Cure N Care Clinic
Either you control asthma, or asthma controls you. The principles of treatment are similar to principles of treatment of allergic rhinitis, because both are primarily caused by allergies. At Cosmic Cure N Care Clinic, we treat asthma from the root rather than suppressing its symptoms. If the cause is psychogenic, we administer homeopathic medicines that can alter the emotional response to stressful situations. After taking our homeopathic treatment, a majority of our patients have observed a decrease in the intensity duration and frequency of acute attacks and dependency on bronchodilators and sprays.