ASTHMA

What is asthma

Asthma is a condition in which your airways narrow and swell and may produce extra mucus. This can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, a whistling sound (wheezing) when you breathe out and shortness of breath.

For some people, asthma is a minor nuisance. For others, it can be a major problem that interferes with daily activities and may lead to a life-threatening asthma attack.

Asthma can't be cured, but its symptoms can be controlled. Because asthma often changes over time, it's important that you work with your doctor to track your signs and symptoms and adjust your treatment as needed. 

Asthma, also called bronchial asthma, is a disease that affects your lungs. It’s a chronic (ongoing) condition, meaning it doesn’t go away and needs ongoing medical management.

Asthma affects more than 25 million people in the U.S. currently. This total includes more than 5 million children. Asthma can be life-threatening if you don’t get treatment.

Causes

Many factors have been linked to an increased risk of developing asthma, although it is often difficult to find a single, direct cause.

Asthma is more likely if other family members also have asthma – particularly a close relative, such as a parent or sibling.

Asthma is more likely in people who have other allergic conditions, such as eczema and rhinitis (hay fever).

Urbanization is associated with increased asthma prevalence, probably due to multiple lifestyle factors.

Events in early life affect the developing lungs and can increase the risk of asthma. These include low birth weight, prematurity, exposure to tobacco smoke and other sources of air pollution, as well as viral respiratory infections.

Exposure to a range of environmental allergens and irritants are also thought to increase the risk of asthma, including indoor and outdoor air pollution, house dust mites, moulds, and occupational exposure to chemicals, fumes or dust.

Children and adults who are overweight or obese are at a greater risk of asthma.

Risk factors 

A number of factors are thought to increase your chances of developing asthma. They include:

• Having a blood relative with asthma, such as a parent or sibling

• Having another allergic condition, such as atopic dermatitis — which causes red, itchy skin — or hay fever — which causes a runny nose, congestion and itchy eyes

• Being overweight

• Being a smoker

• Exposure to secondhand smoke

• Exposure to exhaust fumes or other types of pollution

• Exposure to occupational triggers, such as chemicals used in farming, hairdressing and manufacturing

Types 

Asthma is broken down into types based on the cause and the severity of symptoms. Healthcare providers identify asthma as:

1. Intermittent: This type of asthma comes and goes so you can feel normal in between asthma flares.

2. Persistent: Persistent asthma means you have symptoms much of the time. Symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe. Healthcare providers base asthma severity on how often you have symptoms. They also consider how well you can do things during an attack.

Asthma has multiple causes:

• Allergic: Some people’s allergies can cause an asthma attack. Allergens include things like molds, pollens and pet dander.

• Non-allergic: Outside factors can cause asthma to flare up. Exercise, stress, illness and weather may cause a flare.

Asthma can also be:

1. Adult-onset: This type of asthma starts after the age of 18.

2. Pediatric: Also called childhood asthma, this type of asthma often begins before the age of 5, and can occur in infants and toddlers. Children may outgrow asthma. You should make sure that you discuss it with your provider before you decide whether your child needs to have an inhaler available in case, they have an asthma attack. Your child’s healthcare provider can help you understand the risks.

In addition, there are these types of asthma:

1. Exercise-induced asthma: This type is triggered by exercise and is also called exercise-induced bronchospasm.

2. Occupational asthma: This type of asthma happens primarily to people who work around irritating substances.

3. Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS): This type happens when you have both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Both diseases make it difficult to breathe.

Symptoms

People with asthma usually have obvious symptoms. These signs and symptoms resemble many respiratory infections:

• Chest tightness, pain or pressure.

• Coughing (especially at night).

• Shortness of breath.

• Wheezing.

• With asthma, you may not have all of these symptoms with every flare. You can have different symptoms and signs at different times with chronic asthma. Also, symptoms can change between asthma attacks.

Homoeopathic treatment for asthma

Homoeopathy is a very effective mode of treatment for problems like asthma. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. 

Homoeopathy aim is not only to treat disease but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several remedies are available to treat disease that can be selected on the basis of cause, sensations and modalities of the complaints. 

Here are few medicines in homoeopathic for asthma:

• Arsenic album

• Ipecacuanha

• Pulsatilla

• Spongia tosta

• Carbo vegetabilis

• Chamomilla

• Natrum sulphuricum

• Nux vomica

• Aconitum

• Natrum sulph

• SAMBUCUS

• Aralia Racemosa

• Antimonium Tartaricum

• Adrenalinum

• Bromium

• Eriodictyon Californicum

• Eucalyptus globulus

• Trifolium pratense

• Phosphorus

• Chamomilla

• BLATTA ORIENTALIS

• CASSIA SOPHERA

• Aspidosperma

• JUSTICIA ADHATODA

• Medorrhinum

• BOERHAAVIA DIFFUSA

None of these medicines should be taken without professional advice. 

For individualized remedy selection and treatment, contact BRAHMA MADHURYA HOMOEOPATHY CLINIC - +91-7057579595 or www.brahmamadhurya.com