Apr 26
2007

Managing asthma is not something your doctor can do for you all by himself. Asthma self help is an important part of treating and managing your condition so that it doesn’t take over your entire life. Your doctor may prescribe both daily medication and medication to take in case of an acute asthma episode, but the task of minimizing risk of asthma attack and taking care of yourself on a daily basis is largely up to you and your family. Learning some key asthma self help tricks can help you keep your asthma under control so that it doesn’t interfere with your daily life.

Because asthma can be caused, triggered or worsened by so many things, there are many things that you can do to lessen the frequency and severity of the symptoms. Your doctor will offer important suggestions in addition to medication to help you manage your asthma. Think of those suggestions as a personalized asthma self help plan. A major part of asthma self help involves avoiding asthma triggers. Some ways that you can help yourself if you or someone in your family has asthma include:

1. The first and most important step in asthma self help is to follow your doctor’s orders. Don’t stop taking daily medication just because you feel better. If he’s prescribed daily peak flow measurements, be sure to follow instructions carefully and measure daily to monitor your condition.

2. If you smoke, quit. Whether the asthma sufferer is you or a child in your family, cigarette smoke is one of the most common asthma triggers known.

3. Keep the house dust-free – or as close to dust-free as possible. Dust is another common asthma trigger. Use a cylinder vacuum instead of an upright – preferably one that encloses the vacuum cleaner bag inside a solid canister to minimize pumping dust back into the air.

4. If you can, remove carpets and heavy draperies. They’re dust-catchers that easily breed dust mites. If you can’t remove them, vacuum them frequently using a canister vacuum cleaner.

5. Avoid using down feather pillows and comforters, and use a plastic cover on your mattress. Mattresses and pillows can harbor dust mites. The same goes for stuffed animals and other ‘soft’ decorations.

6. Cover your mouth and nose with a scarf in cold weather. Cold air is another common asthma trigger.

7. If your asthma is triggered by allergens, monitor the outside air quality daily. Avoid open fields and woodsy areas during peak pollen seasons, and take extra care when air quality is in danger ranges.

8. Mold is another common allergen that triggers asthma. Keeping mold down is another important part of asthma self help care. Dry wet laundry immediately, and wash and disinfect bathrooms and showers regularly. Remove houseplants, as mold grows in their soil.

9. Pet dander can also trigger asthma symptoms. If you can’t part with a pet because of emotional ties, at least keep it out of the bedroom to minimize your exposure to dander.

10. Be aware of any food or ingested allergies, and avoid foods, medications and drinks that cause allergic reactions.

About the author:

Visit Medopedia.com for more information on living with asthma and treatments for asthma.

Written By: Isabelle Boulay

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Apr 20
2007

Happy Birthday To Me :)

One of the more common forms of asthma is allergy induced asthma. When someone is exposed to an allergen – a substance to which their body is sensitive – they may produce ‘histamines’, which cause inflammation and irritation as they work to rid the body of the allergen. In the case of allergy induced asthma, the histamines go to work on the bronchial passages and lungs, making it difficult for the allergic person to breathe.

The incidence of allergy induced asthma has grown almost geometrically in recent years, and scientists aren’t quite sure why. They suspect that part of the reason may be the increased exposure of children to some common allergens. This seems to be borne out by population based studies – African-American and Hispanic children living in the inner city are far more likely to develop allergy induced asthma than Caucasian children in the same cities, and even those children are more likely to develop allergy induced asthma than suburban and rural children of the same socioeconomic level.

A number of reasons have been advanced for the disparity, but the most likely is simply that Black and Hispanic children are far more likely to live in the most crowded old neighborhoods of the city. Crowding is the biggest risk factor for the presence of common household pests like cockroaches and rodents, and cockroach parts and rodent droppings are two of the most common allergens in children with allergy induced asthma.

Diagnosing Allergy Induced Asthma

Doctors will diagnose asthma differently depending on the age of the patient. Children under five, for instance, may find it difficult to follow instructions for breathing capacity tests. Doctors will often use history, both the child’s and the family medical history, to help determine the possibility of asthma. Often, if asthma is suspected, the doctor will prescribe a bronchodilator. If it helps, the diagnosis is confirmed.

In older children and adults, doctors may perform a series of breathing capacity tests with a peak flow meter and a spirometer to help determine the extent of an asthma problem.

Generally, doctors don’t use allergy tests to diagnose asthma, but if there’s a reason to believe that a specific allergen is a problem, allergic dermatitis tests may be used to confirm or rule out possible allergens. Knowing that a specific substance or food is a problem can help you avoid it and reduce your risk of asthma attacks.

Treating Allergy Induced Asthma

The good news is that interventions to reduce exposure to allergens seems to be as effective a treatment for allergy induced asthma as corticosteroid inhalers. If your child has been diagnosed with allergy induced asthma, there are ways that you can help control your child’s symptoms. Besides using inhalers and nebulizers as directed by your doctor, you can also keep your home – and especially your child’s bedroom – as close to allergen free as possible. Mattress covers, pillow cases, air filters and pest control measures can reduce your child’s exposure to allergens that cause allergy induced asthma to worsen into acute stages.

About the author:

Visit Medopedia.com for more information on living with asthma and treatments for asthma

Written By: Isabelle Boulay

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Feb 7
2007

Eating fish reduces the risk of various diseases including heart disease, diabetes, childhood asthma and prostate cancer, among other.

Fish is a staple diet of most Asians. In China, the average person eats more than 20kg of seafood a year, three times that of the consumption of Americans. Fish is indeed an excellent food and is an important part of a healthy diet. It is low in saturated fat, high in protein and unsaturated fat and rich source of fatty acids. About half of the human body’s dry weight is made up of protein and that includes brain cells, muscle, skin, hair and nails.

Among the many types of edible fish, oily cold-water fish like tuna, salmon mackerel, sardines, anchovies, pilchards and cod are well known for their health-giving properties due to their high content of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids first came into prominence in the 1970s and researchers and nutritionists recommend eating two to three meals of fish a week to reduce the risk of diseases ranging from childhood asthma to prostate cancer.

Eating oily fish has been found to benefit the heart. It helps to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels and reduce blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids in the fatty tissue of the fish are also anti-inflammatory with anti-blood clotting actions. Fish oils may also reduce the risks and symptoms for other disorders including diabetes, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, some cancers, and mental decline.

There are many healthy ways to enjoy fish. You could steam, grill, stir-fry, poach or eat it raw like sushi. Fish with darker flesh such as sardines, mackerel, salmon, tuna and herring contain more omega-3 fatty acids than white fish. Besides fish, other seafood such as scallops, calamari, trout, sea perch and squid are also good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, albeit in smaller quantities.

While it is good to eat fish, it is also wise to avoid those high in mercury levels. Excess mercury affects the nervous system, causing numb or tingling fingers, lips and toes.

It delays walking in an infant and talking in children. It causes muscle and joint pain as well as an increased risk of heart attack. If you enjoy catching and eating your own fish, don’t fish in polluted water. Bottom feeder species, such as catfish, may ingest more pollutants. Smaller fish such as sardines and anchovies are specially recommended for consumption because they naturally contain oils that are lower in heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic and environmental toxins ( e.g. pesticides, dioxin and PCBs ) than larger predatory fish such as tuna and cod. Pregnant women, women planning pregnancy and children up to six years of age should choose carefully the type of fish they eat.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

www.medical-explorer.com

Written By: Anonymous

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Feb 4
2007

Asthma is a disease of the respiratory system, where the airways get obstructed due to muscle spasm and swelling within the airways which may be with or without secretions. Ayurvedic texts have it that wrong and unsuitable diet and subsequent digestive impurities are a potent cause for respiratory allergy leading to asthma. A combination of other allergic or non-allergic factors, including air pollution, vagaries of the weather, emotional stress and heredity predispositions, can also be responsible for the genesis of asthma in susceptible persons.

In recent years a number of scientific studies have come to the conclusion that certain foods and nutrients exacerbate asthmatic inflammation and bronchial hyperactivity while others reduce such pathology and promote easier breathing. Due to the advanced and effective emergency management of asthma available these days its reasons are often overlooked. But it is a fact that an asthmatic attack in the case of young patients is mostly precipitated by wrong food.

According to ayurveda, asthmatic reactions to food can vary widely as both the whole and the processed foods are known to precipitate such attack. Diet, the chemicals added to food items these days and individual susceptibility supported by seasonal discrepancies and other environmental factors are found to set off allergic reactions in the body. It is widely documented that several commonly used food items like milk, yoghurt, ice-cream and other dairy products cause coughing and wheezing in many asthmatics.

Any unsuitable food can lead to a respiratory spasm, or cause irritation or inflammation that will then overreact with environmental triggers like virus, pollens, smoke and dust. Apart from any ordinary fruit and vegetable, this may include even common foods like cereals such as wheat, rice and maize, poultry products and bakery items or eatables made of yeast.

Many modern foods consumed occasionally or as part of our daily diet have preservatives, flavors and colors which are considered as potential prompters of respiratory or other allergies.

It is seen that in some patients even an attack of hyperacidity sets into motion an episode of asthma. This factor highlights the ayurvedic dictum of maintenance of post- digestive purity also. Asthmatics are advised to choose a food that suits their digestion in perfect order. It is better to scan ones diet and evolve a food plan carefully as many times the reactions occur hours after a particular food has been eaten.

About the Author:

Lucy Nicholas also writes on Acne. More information http://www.natural-acne-treatments-reviews.com/

Written By: Lucy Nicholas

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Oct 28
2006

Did you know that the food you eat when you are ill can help your body to recover? Or succumb to the full-blown illness?

What foods should you AVOID?

And what should you be eating if you have a cold or colitis or cancer?

Learn more at: http://www.XTherapist.com about what diets you should be on — to increase your energy levels, alleviate your pain and speed your recovery.

Also find out:

* find out what to eat when you’re NOT sick.

* learn the ideal diet for your body to keep it in good health

* find out the truth about salt and sugar in your food

* discover that some “health food” you take is really junk food

* learn what vitamins you or your children should take and when

* find out how food allergies develop in your body & overcome it

* get important information on various common foods that most people don’t know about

The book also answers many QUESTIONS you might have about nutrition

* Should I be eating more carbohydrates or more proteins (Atkins diet)?

* Organic food, macrobiotic food, wholegrain food, vegetarian food. Which is BEST?

* What’s the most perfect food on earth? Is there such a hing as a “super food”?

* And what’s the worst food I can possibly consume. And why?

* Why pasteurized milk can provoke colds, ear infections, sinusitis, inflammations of the tonsils and lung infections in some children?

* How to cure your food allergy in 5 days?

* Which is better – butter or margarine? (One of these accelerates aging!)

* Which is best – white bread, whole wheat bread, rye bread?

* How can I lower my blood cholesterol?

* Why do so many children have crooked teeth and need an orthodontist? How can my kids avoid gum disease and tooth decay and have healthy teeth for life?

* Why are some babies born deficient even if the mother practices good nutrition during pregnancy?

* Why your first child will usually be healthier than your second?

* What’s the ONE thing you need to remove from your diet if you’re allergic to pollen, dust, animal danders that cause asthma, hay fever and sinusitis to see an improvement in your health?

About the author:

Discover the answers to all these questions and more at: http://www.XTherapist.com

Written By: Edwin John

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