Asthma: To Breathe or Not to Breathe?

DISEASE PREVENTION & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE / WRITTEN BY DR. SANJAY MOHAN RAM, ND

Asthma is a chronic disease that makes it hard to breathe. Asthma cannot be cured, but it can be managed. With proper treatment, people with asthma can lead normal, active lives. If you have asthma, your airways are very sensitive to allergens. When you are around certain things, your hypersensitive airways can become red and swollen or become “twitchy” and go into spasm. Your airways get inflamed inside and fill up with mucus. The swelling and mucus make your airways narrower, making it is harder for the air to pass through.

What causes Asthma?

If your family members have allergic diseases like asthma, hay fever or eczema, there is a higher chance that you will have asthma. Some research shows that people who live near major highways and other polluted places are more likely to get asthma. Also, kids who grow up in a home with mould or dust may be more likely to get asthma. People who work in certain types of jobs can get asthma from materials they work with. Exercise can be a trigger for people when their asthma is not well controlled. However, this does not mean that people with asthma should avoid exercising. As long as your asthma is under control, exercising is recommended to keep your lungs and body in good shape. Pregnant women are breathing for two. When asthma is controlled, women with asthma have no more complications during pregnancy and giving birth than women who do not have asthma. However, uncontrolled asthma during pregnancy can lead to serious maternal and fetal complications.

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Asthma

Different people have different signs and symptoms of asthma. These signs and symptoms can change over time or depending on the situation. People with asthma often experience wheezing, chest tightness, coughing, and shortness of breath. In adults and older children, diagnosis can be made with spirometry or a peak flow meter, which is used to measure the daily variation in airway restriction and any reversibility of airway restriction following inhaled bronchodilator medication.

Treatment of Asthma

The most effective treatment for asthma is identifying triggers, such as cigarette smoke, pets, food or medication, and eliminating exposure to them. If trigger avoidance is insufficient, medical treatment is recommended. Medical treatments used depend on the severity of illness and the frequency of symptoms. Most asthma medications work by relaxing bronchospasm (bronchodilators) or reducing inflammation (corticosteroids). In the treatment of asthma, inhaled medications are generally preferred over medication taken orally.

In Naturopathic medicine, there are several common treatments for asthma.

The first treatment can include nebulised (inhaled) glutathione. Glutathione is a potent antioxidant and immune system modulator. It improves the antioxidant concentration in the respiratory tract and thus helps prevent damage to lung tissue. It also improves respiratory function by helping to increase total lung capacity (i.e. the volume of air able to be taken in by the lungs).

Studies have found that heavy metal chelation might also be an option as mercury is often an exacerbating factor in allergic and autoimmune diseases, including lupus, contact dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies and asthma. Mercury induces inflammatory mediators in the body, while decreasing magnesium, which is a necessary muscle relaxant for asthmatic patients.

Since environmental allergens can trigger an asthma attack, desensitization of inhalant allergies via sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), is another treatment option. Already widely in use in Europe, further studies are now taking place in the United States. In the past, allergy desensitization was administered via intramuscular injections. However, it can now be given in a tablet form under the tongue, whereby the tablet is allowed to dissolve for one to two minutes, and is then swallowed. This treatment can be utilized for any environmental allergen.

Far-infrared sauna treatments can reduce the total body toxin load by improving lymph circulation which is often at the core of many health problems. It improves micro-circulation by exerting strong rotational and vibrational effects at a molecular level, and it enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the body’s soft tissue areas. Finally, it can enhance white blood cell function, thereby increasing the body’s immune response. Elimination of foreign pathogens and cellular waste products is improved, which reduces potential triggers for an asthmatic attack.

Other in-office treatment procedures for asthma can include intravenous (IV) magnesium to promote airway relaxation, Myer’s injections to support the adrenals and buffer the antibody response, and IV vitamin C (15 or more grams) treatments to help clear the allergens.

Oral supplementation often includes high potency EPA fish oil, probiotics, and high potency vitamin/mineral replacement among other things. Researchers suggest that Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), one of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil, has anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is the most obvious characteristic of airway constriction, so it is easy to see why this might be beneficial in asthma. Moreover, a very recent study from Japan and Sydney, Australia, suggests that long-term fish oil supplementation may reduce asthma severity. Probiotics promote healthy intestinal barriers and immune reactions; a lack of probiotics in infants may prevent proper immune maturation, thereby leading to allergies. People with asthma can also benefit from probiotics because these digestive aids not only reduce the incidence of food reactions and a “leaky gut”, but they also help to regulate the immune system.

Asthma can be a frightening condition. However, naturopathic medicine offers a wide range of preventative measures as well as effective treatment options that work to cause dilation of the airways and reduce inflammation.