Oct 14
2007

Go to any grade school or high school sporting event! ake a peek at the sideline bench and note how many inhalers you see. Did you know that the number one reason children miss school is asthma? Why the explosion of asthma and respiratory problems in children?

4 Reasons Respiratory Problems are on the Rise!

1) Couch Potato Generation kids weigh more, exercise less and spend more time indoors.
2) Too much antibiotic use – Immune systems never get much opportunity to fight infections, and then react abnormally to airborne contaminants.
3) Air Pollution Pollution does not cause asthma but can be a trigger for an attack. Cars and factories now have stricter controls on emissions but the problem is still there.
4) Indoor Air Pollution 20 years ago no one ever heard of Indoor Pollution! Since the Energy Crisis in the 70s, buildings became more energy efficient. This meant all pollutants became trapped inside. Many of the items we furnish our home and school with are outgassing contaminants continually. Carpeting, curtains, cleaning products, particle board furniture and more! With people spending 90-% of their days indoors, this becomes a problem!

4 Things You Can Do To Protect Your Kids from Allergy & Asthma Reactions!

1) Watch for days when pollen counts are high and restrict vigorous exercise on hot days.
2) Avoid Wood Stoves and fireplaces in the home and NEVER allow smoking in the home of an asthmatic.
3) Keep pets out of the bedrooms.
4) Make sure kitchen, bathrooms, and basement are well ventilated to cut down on mold in humidity.
5) Put pillows and mattresses in allergen-impermeable covers to cut down exposure to dust mites.
6) Use non-toxic cleaning products and avoid perfumes and scented products.
7) A filter-less air purifier is highly recommended since a filter can only capture a small portion of allergens.

About the Author

To learn more about products for a healthier indoor environment, please visit my website at www.myhealthysolutions.com or register here for my bi-weekly issue of The Achoo Reviewan online newsletter to help you and your family with allergies and asthma.

Deborah Mumm has been an Indoor Environmental Consultant for 7 years. She has helped hundreds of people with her tips and healthy products. http://www.myhealthysolutions.com

Written By: Deborah Mumm

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Oct 8
2007

What is an allergy?

An allergy is a super-sensitivity to a substance that is not harmful to most other people. These substances are called allergens. The common allergens include pollen, mould, dust mites, cockroaches and pet dander. Some people also have food allergies. Some people have symptoms with strong chemical fumes, odours (including perfumes, fragrances in household cleaners and detergents), smoke and air pollution. These compounds are chemical irritants and not true allergens. The common symptoms of allergy include hay fever, asthma, eczema or food reactions.

How do I know if I have allergies?

Hay fever is the most common allergy problem in Canada. The typical symptoms of hay fever are sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes, a dry cough and itching. Asthma is a lung condition which can lead to shortness of breath, wheezing or coughing. Eczema is a skin condition which often involves a dry itchy rash. True food allergy reactions can include hives, itchiness, shortness of breath, throat tightness, lightheadedness or stomach pain after eating the food allergen. Allergies can be a serious medical condition and you should consult your doctor if you suspect you have them. A doctor may recommend allergy scratch tests (a type of skin testing in which suspected allergens are applied to the skin, scratched and observed for a reaction in 15 minutes). Skin tests should always be done under the supervision of a qualified physician with an expertise in allergy.

How are allergies treated?

The first step in an effective allergy treatment plan is to make some simple lifestyle changes that will limit your exposure to allergens. I would suggest having allergy scratch tests done before any major lifestyle changes are made. After the allergy scratch tests you will know the likely causes of the allergy symptoms. One can avoid pollen by keeping windows closed and air conditioning on during the high-pollen seasons. Most of the mould that causes allergies is from the outdoors. Therefore, keeping the windows closed is helpful. If you notice mould in the house it should be cleaned with diluted bleach. The best ways of avoiding dust mites are to purchase proper dust mite proof pillows and mattress covers, remove carpet from the bedroom, wash the bedding in hot water and to keep the humidity around 40 percent. Vacuuming and duct cleaning are actually not very effective at removing dust mites. The only way to remove pet allergens completely from the home is to keep the pet outdoors or to give the pet away. By keeping pets out of the bedroom, washing pets weekly and removing carpets from the bedroom, you can decrease your total pet allergen exposure. If you have a true food allergy, that food should be completely avoided.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about which medications would help you manage your allergy symptoms. Antihistamines are the most common medications used to treat hay fever. Antihistamines block the action of histamine released by the immune system and are effective at reducing sneezing, runny nose and itchy, watery eyes. They are particularly effective at relieving the symptoms of seasonal hay fever and should be taken as soon as an allergy attack develops. You may also need a decongestant to reduce nasal congestion. Some antihistamines can cause side effects such as drowsiness and they should be avoided if you have to drive, work or perform tasks that require you to be alert. There are several websites offering good information on allergies, for example, visit www.claritin.ca.

About The Author

Dr. Harold Kim is an allergy specialist based in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario.

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

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Oct 2
2007

Native to Africa, Aloe Vera is also known as “lily of the desert”, the “plant of immortality”, and the “medicine plant”. The name was derived from the Arabic alloeh meaning “bitter” because of the bitter liquid found in the leaves. Recorded use of Aloe Vera in treating burns, infections and parasites goes back as far as the Egyptians in about 1500 B.C. There are over 500 species of aloe growing worldwide. Ancient Greeks, Arabs and Spaniards have used the plant throughout the millennia. African hunters still rub the gel on their bodies as a deodorant/anti-perspirant.

Advance Research of Aloe Vera

Extensive research since the 1930′s has shown the clear gel produces dramatic benefits by putting up a protective layer over affected areas, speeding up the healing rate. The root of the aloe plant has also been used as a treatment for colic. As a food supplement, Aloe Vera is said to facilitate digestion, aid in blood and lymphatic circulation, and enhance the function of the liver, kidneys and gall bladder. Liquid health treatments using Aloe Vera and other herbs have proven beneficial for the relief of colitis and peptic ulcers. The oral administration of an extract of Aloe Vera for 6 months produced good results in the treatment of asthma. The exception was the fact that the extract was not effective in patients dependent on corticosteroids. The results of experimental studies in rats and mice suggest that Aloe Vera may be effective, both topically and internally, in the treatment of diabetic leg ulcers, as well as exhibiting blood sugar-lowering effect in both normal and chemical induced diabetic mice. Aloe Vera has shown great promise as an anti-bacterial and anti-viral substance. Acemannan, present in Aloe Vera , has shown encouraging results in the early treatment of the AIDS virus.

Uses of Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is used today for the treatment the same conditions it has traditionally been used for. Those conditions include constipation as well as minor cuts and burns. In India, Aloe Vera was also used as a remedy for intestinal infections and suppressed menses.Aloe Vera is remedy for; Wounds, Ulcers, Burns, Asthma, Diabetes.

Aloe Vera Include:

The aloe vera plant is about 96% water. The rest of it contains active ingredients, such as essential oil, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, enzymes and glycoproteins. The constituents that produce the cathartic laxative effects of aloe latex are known as anthraquinone glycosides. Aloe Vera contains at least three anti-inflammatory fatty acids that are helpful for the stomach, small intestine and colon. Aloe Vera naturally alkalizes digestive juices to prevent over acidity – a common cause of indigestion. Acemannan is a newly discovered compound in aloe vera, which is being studied for its ability to strengthen the body’s natural resistance. Results have indicated acemannan can boost the immune system.

About the author:

Written By: Jacob Wood

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Sep 29
2007

At first reading, there isn’t much extremely shocking in this report. But with a little research, in my opinion it becomes alarming.

This information comes from the Asthma Society of Canada:

“Doctors define asthma as a ‘chronic inflammatory disease of the airways’ . It is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions affecting Canadians. Asthma can be diagnosed at any age, but often starts in childhood. Its prevalence in Canada has been increasing over the last 20 years and it is estimated that currently over 3 million Canadians have asthma.

“The three strongest risk factors for developing asthma are family history, exposure in infancy to high levels of antigens such as house dust mites, and exposure to tobacco smoke and/or chemical irritants.

“We’re all pretty familiar with allergic triggers of asthmatic symptoms, such as mould, animal dander, pollen, dust mites, etc., but perhaps less familiar with non-allergic triggers such as certain drugs, chemicals, fumes and odours, respiratory viral infections, certain weather conditions, strenuous physical exercise, tobacco smoke, and air pollution.

“Urbanization appears to be correlated with an increase in asthma. The nature of the risk is unclear because studies have not taken into account indoor allergens although these have been identified as significant risk factors.

“Experts are struggling to understand why prevalence rates world-wide are, on average, rising by 50% every decade.”

Alarming? Yes. Why?

First of all, the report was updated in April of 2005, yet most of the footnoted references are from the mid to late 90′s. So the report is about “Canadians” in general; children are still not identified as a unique segment of the population, their needs, habits and susceptibilities are not taken into special consideration, even though the studies all concur that asthma often starts in childhood.

Next, approximately 3 million Canadians have asthma. You have to put that into the context of how many Canadians there are, which in the year 2000 was about 31 million, with an annual growth rate of approximately 1%. So about 9.6% of all Canadians have asthma. Almost one out of 10. If one out of 10 Canadians were in a wheelchair, or wearing a cast, we would take notice. Alarming, since we treat it so casually. It’s a chronic disease, which means lifelong constant management and medication.

The world’s current (overall as well as natural) growth rate is about 1.3% per year, while prevalence rates of asthma world-wide are, on average, rising by 50% every decade. So asthma is occuring over 3 times more than can be attributed to population growth. These are rough figures, just to give us an idea of what we’re looking at.

And this is only about asthma. It isn’t about illness from chemical poisoning, or deaths from poisoning, or lung cancer, or…

So it’s time to take steps to prevent asthma and other chronic environmental illnesses and diseases. At the very least, search for and buy the least toxic cleansers for household use. Get educated! Then, store all chemicals safely and securely away from children and pets.

Don’t allow smoking in your home, and be aware of and avoid air pollution, both inside and out. Air out your home completely three times a day. Did you know that cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 chemical agents, including over 60 carcinogens? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute of Environmental Health Science’s National Toxicology Program, and the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have all classified secondhand smoke as a known human carcinogen–a category reserved for agents for which there is sufficient scientific evidence that they cause cancer.

The U.S. EPA has estimated that exposure to secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers and is responsible for up to 300,000 cases of lower respiratory tract infections in children up to 18 months of age in the United States each year. If you have to smoke, just dig your own grave, don’t drag others with you!

So, become aware and clean up your home environment.

About the author:

Kathryn Beach is a writer and wellness businesswoman at home in Nova Scotia, Canada. Find out more about the healing properties of tea tree oil at Learn About the Tea Tree Oil Phenomenon!

Written By: Kathryn Beach

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Sep 26
2007

Did you know that the indoor air is at least six times more contaminated than the outdoor air? Unfortunately, you cannot clean the outdoor air but what you can do is to improve the quality of the indoor air. The only device that could help you do this is an air purifier. It eliminates the indoor air from various contaminants, such as simple dust, volatile gases, pollen, pet dander and dust mites. More sophisticated air cleaning devices can even rid of dangerous bacteria and viruses leaving your house a healthy place to live at.

You might be asking yourself why you should waste your money on an air purifier. And you would be surprised what indoor air contaminants do to your health. They irritate your respiratory system and with time may cause a lot of disorders. So, buying an air purifier that would clean the indoor air of your house is not a waste of money. On the contrary, preventing serious health disorders from occurring can actually save your money and time.

Those, who suffer from allergies or asthma and other respiratory diseases, know how poor indoor air quality affects their health. Indoor air pollutants may aggravate the symptoms of these diseases. It is not true that closing all the windows and doors helps the indoor air keeping clean and healthy. All the contaminants from the outdoor are brought to your home by heating and cooling systems. All of these contaminants accumulate in your living environment putting you and your family in danger. The only way to change that is to buy a residential air purifier.

A lot of trials have been made in order to find out whether air purifiers can reduce health effects or not. The trials have showed that the use of air purifiers definitely reduces certain health effects. These include minor effects, such as eye and lung irritation. In addition, air cleaning devices may reduce the risk for some serious disorders, such as cancer and decreased lung function. Those who cannot bear the tobacco smoke in their living environment should also consider buying an air purifier. Most air purifiers eliminate cigarette smoke from the indoor air, reducing not only disgusting smell but also serious health effects.

Children are extremely sensitive to airborne pollutants therefore those, who care about their children’s health, should seriously consider using an air purifier in their environment. Pet danders, pollen, volatile organic compounds, cigarette smoke are only few mentioned contaminants that may affect children’s health and cause serious illnesses. Since children are exposed to dangerous airborne compounds from the early childhood, they may get serious diseases, such as asthma, various allergies, lung irritation and even lung cancer in the end.

Anyone who cares to breathe the air that is clean, healthy, and free of various pollutants and allergens should buy an air purifier for their homes. It may be either portable or non-portable, depending on the area coverage. Especially those, who are extremely sensitive to the indoor air pollution, should consider having an air purification system. Such are asthma sufferers, people who have allergies, children, youth and the elderly people. Poor quality of the indoor air affects these people the most. In the end, it is of course your individual decision you have to make on the use of air purifiers. Most health organizations recommend people to use air purification systems to improve their indoor air quality. There are various factors one should consider before making one’s decision on an air purifier. But what really matters the most is what you cannot see or feel – the indoor air quality. You shouldn’t take it for granted.

Use of this article is permitted as long as there are clickable links back to us at: The best air purifiers and all credits are given to the author.

About the author:

Written By: Diana Valo

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Sep 23
2007

Asthma is an inflammatory condition where your bronchiales constrict causing breathing difficulties. Your bronchioles become inflamed for a variety of physical, emotional and environmental reasons. It is not contagious so, you cannot catch it from another person.

But what is the real cause asthma? Why do some people develop asthma and why is asthma more common in the western world?

Inheriting Asthma

However, you can inherit the asthma tendency from your parents, although people with asthma should not worry about their future children on this score.

Studies show that children whose parents smoke are twice as likely to develop asthma as children of non-smoking parents. Also, children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy tend to be born with smaller airways, which greatly increases their chances of developing the disease.

The “westernised” environment and lifestyle in developed countries has a lot to do with the chances of whether a person will develop asthma or not.

Many people believe air pollution has something to do with asthma, although the evidence, at this stage, is surprisingly very weak.

Allergies

Causes of asthma include allergies to house dust mites, cats, dogs, and moulds.

Childhood infections and exposure to substances from bacteria in a dirty environment seem to protect against allergies, and this seems to be the main reason why richer populations have more allergic disease.

So the causes of asthma are complicated. They include genetics, exposure to chemical irritants and pollution, a low immune system, emotional or mental problems, allergies to certain foods.

Almost all asthma in young people is cause by allergies. This means that if you have asthma you probably have inherited genes which make it possible for you to get asthma. Add to this, allergy-producing things in your environment, such as house dust mites, cats, or dog and your asthma get worse.. The allergies and the genes are the causes for developing asthma, because if either of them were not present you would not developed asthma.

But, what about colds, exercise, laughter, or tobacco smoke, which are asthma triggers?

You can’t cure your asthma by not doing exercise, or by not laughing. Quite simply, these are not causes of asthma, though they can be causes of an attack.

The type of interior house paint can apparently make asthma worse. Glossy oil paints used for home decorating can bring on asthma attacks. The good news is that emulsion paints don’t seem to do this.

Polyurethane paints, usually recognisable because they come in two packs which need to be mixed together before use, can cause occupational asthma in people who use them regularly. However, they probably cause no great risk in people with asthma who use them infrequently. As always, when using chemicals and paints, it is surely a good idea to ventilate the area well during and after use.

Emotional issues

Now, deep seated emotionally issue can be the cause of asthma. When emotion is embedded into the body, it has to express itself in a way that its electrical charge can be released. This release happens over and over as outside situations trigger the memory.

The way an embedded emotion issue choses to express itself is by the path of least resistance. If your heart is weak, the emotional issue will pound your heart. If your joints are weak, it will pound your joints. If your bronchia or lungs are weak, it will pound them and eventually weaken those more, leading you to asthma or other respiratory diseases.

Early on everyone should be aware of their family illness history. This is something that is seldom considered. If it were, you could take preventative measures if you knew you were prone to asthma. Choosing the right foods and keeping specific body organs or systems strong, with the right nutrients early on, would definitely prevent you from having to suffer with asthma as you became older.

About the author:

Rudy Silva is a Natural Nutritionist. To discover more about using natural remedies for asthma go to: http://www.asthmatreatments.info

Written By: Rudy Silva

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Sep 20
2007

Air Purifiers are all the rage now, everybody has them and everybody sells them. There are Ionic Air Purifiers, regular filter Purifiers and HEPA filter purifiers.

the Journal of the American Medical Association now suggests that the air pollution existing today in the US raises the risk of lung disease to a point where more than half of the US population is breathing unhealthy amounts of air pollution.

More than 50 million Americans seem to be suffering from allergies and more than 20 million battle asthma.

There is such a thing as Sick Building Syndrome, a worldwide phenomenon, when chemical substances used in office construction such as glue, insulating materials, cardboard, and fiberglass are steadily released into the atmosphere from electronic equipment, carpeting, furniture and fittings.

That is why the air inside buildings or residential structures may be many times more polluted than the air outside, according to the EPA.

Because of all these reasons Air Purifiers have become very important. The different types of air purifiers include mechanical purifiers, electronic air purifying systems, hybrid purifiers and gas phase purifiers. Most of these systems remove particles and harmful toxins from the indoor air.

The HEPA Filter is a High Efficiency Particulate Arrested Filter designed to remove 99.97% of all airborne pollutants 0.3 microns or larger from the air that passes through the filter ( including tobacco smoke, household dust and pollen).

There are also filtering technologies that operate by using ozonation. The most popular air purifier on the market today uses ozone. These purifiers actually produce ozone which is an irritant that can worsen asthma and decrease lung function.

The removal of particles from the air is what is measured when the efficiency rate is trying to be achieved.

The fraction of particles that is removed from the indoor air being measured is what determines the amount of efficiency an air purifier possesses.

Air cleaners using mechanical filters or electronic technology can perform particle removal. Mechanical home air purifiers are units that can draw the indoor air through a metal or fibrous filter that is designed to trap the particles.

Because filters have different size pores they are able to catch these particles. is able to catch these particles with its different sized pores. Different types of filters may be pleated , square, round, with different levels of efficiency.

Mechanical filters in general are very efficient in eliminating contaminants from the air as long as they are cleaned regularly. There are 3 diferent types of electronic purifiers:

Electrostatic purifiers pull air into a chamber and charge the particles electrically. The air is then let through wafers which are negative ion generators, give particles a charge and cause them to stick to the nearest solid object.

These purifiers are not as effective as the other electronic or mechanical purifiers because they do not eliminate particles but move them to another location.

Ionizers do the same thing but create ozone which in itself may be bad for your health. Ozone is a lung irritant produced by ion generators and some other electronic air cleaners and ozone generators.

While indirect ozone production is of concern, there is even greater concern with the direct, and purposeful introduction of a lung irritant into indoor air. There is no difference, despite some marketers’ claims, between ozone in smog outdoors and ozone produced by these devices. Repeated exposure to ozone pollution may cause permanent damage to the lungs.

Hybrid air cleaners use both mechanical filters and electronic technology in order to clean the air of particles. Ozone emissions may be present from the use of electrostatic air purifiers and negative ion generators. High levels of ozone may be harmful but cleaning the units as specified by the manufacturer may mitigate the possible bad effects of ozone to some extent.

Efficient Air Purifiers can cost anywhere from $500 to $1500 for a single room and a System to clean a whole house can easily run into the thousands of dollars.

About the author:

Frank Hague is very interested in air purifiers as you can see at: http://www.air-purifiers-now.info and http://www.youwillquit.com

Written By: Frank Hague

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Trackback  •  Posted in Asthma  


Sep 17
2007

Asthma (pronounced AZ-muh) is a chronic (long term) inflammatory disease that makes the bronchial airways particularly sensitive to irritants such as air pollution. It affects people of all ages causing breathing difficulties, shortness of breath and wheezing.

It is the leading chronic illness in children and is becoming increasingly common in the developed world and is now the most common chronic condition in the west.

Asthma sufferers are often described as “being allergic to modern life” as air pollution, processed foods and centrally heated, double-glazed houses (an ideal breeding ground for house dust mites) are thought to be major contributing factors.

Asthma can affect anyone, at any age, anywhere and about one in eight children and one in thirteen adults have asthma in the western world, and rates are on the increase.

Although there is no cure, it can be controlled or managed in most patients so that they have only minimal and infrequent symptoms and can live an active life.

Asthma attacks Asthma suffererers have extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways that narrow due to a mixture of factors. The muscles around the air passages in the lungs can contract and at the same time the airway lining can become inflamed and swell. This results in narrowing the airways that can get further blocked by the secretion of excess mucus.

This is described as an asthma attack with symptoms including a feeling of tightness in the chest, a wheezing or whistling noise when breathing, coughing, breathlessness and difficulty breathing.

This feeling of fighting for every breath is one that some asthmatics describe as being a sensation similar to drowning.

Asthma attacks vary not only between patients but for the same patient from a slight tightness or breathlessness to a severe attack when the airways can close so much that not enough oxygen reaches the vital organs causing a life threatening medical emergency.

Managing the disease If you have asthma, then learning to self-manage it becomes an important part of your life. This may mean restricting exposure to things that trigger your attacks and taking medicines as directed by your doctor.

By controlling your asthma every day, you can prevent serious symptoms and take part in all normal activities and reduce the time lost at school or work.

Anyone with asthma should seek long term medical help as a doctor will not only prescribe the necessary medication but also monitor its effectiveness.

This is important as asthma is a chronic or long term illness and the effectiveness of medication can decrease over time and symptoms can return.

Drugs that resemble natural hormones help fight asthma. Adrenaline (epinephrine in the USA) based drugs act as relievers to provide almost instant relief from symptoms and hydrocortisone (a steroid) is the base for longer term drugs that try and reduce the sensitivity of an asthmatics airways, thereby reducing the chances of an attack.

Asthma can change progressively during the lifetime of a patient affecting them in very different ways.

Some patients suffer acute episodes but then enjoy long periods with few symptoms.

Others may have childhood asthma and then grow out of it only for it to return in later life.

At a Glance … What is Asthma All About?

* Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that makes airways (bronchial tubes) particularly sensitive to irritants such as pollution, and this is characterized by difficulty in breathing.

* If untreated, asthma can be a life-threatening disease.

* Asthma affects people of all ages and is the leading chronic illness of children.

* While asthma cannot be cured it can be controlled, reducing the frequency and severity of attacks.

* If you have asthma, managing it is an important part of your life as taking medicines and reducing contact with things that bother you can cut down time lost at work or school.

About the author:

Do you, a spouse or a child, have asthma? Learn more, including the treatments available at Asthma-Explained.com

Written By: Mike Herman

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Sep 14
2007

Most asthma sufferers are familiar with the inhalers and oral remedies prescribed by their doctors for the treatment of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath that accompany an asthmatic episode. While these medicines are typically effective in the treatment of the condition, there are people who may prefer a more natural approach to asthma relief, for a variety of reasons. Some people want more natural remedies.

Any drug introduced to the body has the potential for unpleasant side effects; short term reactions such as nausea and long term concerns such as potential permanent damage from steroids used to decrease inflammation in the lung tissues. There has been ongoing controversy in the medical community regarding the safety and advisability of steroid use. While these can be life-saving, there is concern that the steroids may cause irreversible damage such as muscle weakness and bone loss. To minimize the frequency of use, the asthma sufferer can make some dietary and lifestyle changes to help reduce the likelihood of an asthma attack.

The best “natural” defense against an asthmatic episode is to avoid known triggers. People with sensitivity to tobacco smoke should obviously stay away from it; and if your trigger is cat dander, you’ll just have to avoid petting the kittens in the pet store – no matter how adorable. Stay indoors on “high pollen” days if that is your trigger and always try to keep stress levels down. Using common sense is the first step toward lowering frequency of asthmatic episodes.

Asthma sufferers can also make healthy changes to their diets which can minimize asthma symptoms. Beyond avoiding known dietary triggers such as food allergies, nutritional supplements in the form of necessary vitamins and minerals can go a long way toward minimizing asthma attacks. Nutritional deficiencies make for a weakened system that isn’t able to effectively fight unexpected environmental triggers. Asthmatics need to exercise care even when using natural supplements. Make sure supplements are hypo-allergenic so as not to react to those! The need for certain vitamins and minerals may be greater among asthma sufferers than the average person as the condition itself tends to contribute to certain deficiencies. A good multi-vitamin is recommended to compensate for these deficiencies and make for a healthier body, better equipped to ward off reactions. Asthmatics also tend to have very low magnesium levels – a mineral that helps relax bronchial tubes – so a supplemental dose may be advisable. Finally, Vitamin C is believed to improve bronchial functioning.

More and more people are turning to herbal remedies to find relief from asthma symptoms. While most herbal supplements are not evaluated or endorsed by the Food and Drug Administration, there have been reports of success among those who have used them. Tylophora indica, used in Auyervedic medicine in India, has been getting a lot of positive attention thanks to its anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, some individuals treated with the herb, Boswellia, reported a reduced number of asthma attacks. Butterbur is another promising herb shown to be as effective as traditional antihistamines in initial studies. As conclusive studies have not been done on most herbal remedies, the asthma sufferer is advised to be cautious when experimenting with these.

While it is possible to relieve symptoms of asthma, and reduce the likelihood of an asthma attack by avoiding known triggers, making lifestyle and dietary changes, and using certain herbal remedies, it is imperative to listen to your healthcare provider. Discuss vitamin and herbal supplements with your physician, and keep him informed of any changes you make and improvements you notice in your condition. The journey to a healthier life begins with a healthy amount of care and old-fashioned common sense.

About the author:

Gray Rollins is a featured writer for AsthmaDocs.com. To learn more about natural asthma remedies and asthma treatments, please visit our site.

Written By: Gray Rollins

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Sep 11
2007

It’s nice to be able to breathe–that’s something we take for granted sometimes. However, for almost two hundred years scientists, researchers, doctors, and businesses have worked diligently to allow people the every day luxury of breathing. Today with almost ten million asthma suffers alone, air purifiers are offering allergy sufferers, firefighters, soldiers, coal miners, hospital workers, PC manufacturers, factory workers, etc. the opportunity to breathe easier with an absolute plethora of products. Air purifiers and air cleaners have evolved by leaps and bounds from the original “inhalers” and “lung protectors” of the early days and continue to evolve to meet the constant need to breathe.

In the early 1800′s, John and Charles Dean developed a mask for firefighters that allowed them to charge into burning buildings without being overcome with smoke fumes. Along the same time, breathing masks for divers and coal miners were also being developed. In the early 1850′s, John Stenhouse developed a charcoal based filter which became the first gas mask. The original breathing masks and gas masks focused on filtering out specific enemies using an approach called High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA). The addition of charcoal to the filtration system was a huge advancement because the charcoal filtered multiple toxins.

World War II brought about one of the largest advancements in air filtration / purification history with the Manhattan Project. This project focused scientists and government funding on developing a breathing apparatus that would protect soldiers from which was later revealed to be the atomic bomb. That development prompted further advancements to combat chlorine gas, flame throwers, and mustard gas. A few years later the Ebola plague in Africa drew attention to the need for electronic generator air filters / purifiers. Corona Discharge Systems (CDS) used a spark to convert oxygen to ozone and allowed victims the gift of clean air to breathe.

Over the last twenty years the terms MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and ETS – Environmental Tobacco Smoke have become an integral part of air filtration / purification technology. Early filtration focused on toxic chemicals, noxious gas, and foul orders while more modern filtration devices focused on mold, viruses, bacteria. The need for the air purification devices has expanded over the years to include protection against fabric chemicals, perfumes, building materials, pesticides, dust mites, pollen, food odors, along with the plain ole’ desire for fresh air.

The 1980′s brought attention to the concept of a dust free environment. HEPA filters screen 99.7% of all 0.3 micron breathing offenders. Newer developments such as nebulizers for asthma patients and AHPCO ‘ Advanced Hydrated Photocatalytic Technical Quad Catalyst Ultraviolet Cells have helped bring filtration rates to 99.7% of all microns 0.1 and larger. The Hepa air cleaner now act as air purifiers using granular carbon filters, among many other types, to cleanse the air of as many unwanted pollutants as possible.

The number of applications has grown over the years, along with the technology and development of the indoor air purifier and filtration process. Thanks to almost two hundred years of research, the end result is the fulfillment of the simple desire to breathe.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richard Gazzo is a successful writer with info on the best air purifiers & air cleaners , home air purifiers. Find reviews and ratings on the ionic air purifier & the Sharper Image Ionic Breeze. http://www.home-air-purifiers-n-cleaners.com/

Written By: Chris Vorelli

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