Asthma; Overview and Naturopathic protocols

What is asthma?

According to Asthma.co.uk Asthma is a very common long-term lung condition. It affects the airways that carry air in and out of your lungs. In the UK, 5.4 million people have asthma. That's one in every 12 adults and one in every 11 children. And in the US approximately 25 million Americans have asthma.

Asthma is a lung disorder characterised by narrowing of the airways, the tubes which carry air into the lungs, that are inflamed and constricted, causing shortness of breath, wheezing and cough. An asthma attack occurs when the lining of your airways swells and the muscles around them tighten. Mucus then fills the airways, further reducing the amount of air that can pass through, which leads to wheezing, coughing and tightness of the chest.

Common Asthma symptoms include;

Coughing

Tightness or pains in the chest

Wheezing

Shortness of breath

Rapid breathing

Recurrent infections

Fatigue

Blue lips

Agitation

What causes Asthma?

According to Dr. Govind Desai MD. The causes of asthma are unknown, but it is most probably due to either genetic or environmental factors. Certain factors are known to trigger asthmatic symptoms they are:

• Allergens like dust mites, pets, animal dander, pollen, moulds, cigarette smoke, chemical pollutants, and cold air

• Sinusitis

• Extreme emotional responses and physical exercise (EIB)

• Medications like aspirin, beta-blockers or NSAIDs

• Gastro oesophageal reflux disease

• Other factors like dietary insufficiencies in vitamins C and E, and omega-3 fatty acids

• Foods with sulphites and preservatives may also trigger symptoms

Few factors are associated with the development of asthma, they include:

• Motherhood at a young age

• Poor maternal nutrition

• Lack of breastfeeding

• Premature birth

• Low birth weight

• Smoking

• Overweight

A research paper titled `Pathophysiology of Asthma` by Sinyor. B, Perez. L 2022 states;

Airway hyper-responsiveness is a crucial feature of asthma; this is an exaggerated bronchoconstrictor response, usually to different stimuli. There is a variety of mechanisms leading to airway hyperresponsiveness. Some explanations are due to increased histamine from mast cells or increase airway smooth muscle mass.

Research has shown that asthma was closely related to the total IgE serum level. Enhanced IgE response to environmental factors such as house dust, mites, animal allergens, mould, farm animals, have contributed to sensitize asthma exacerbating its symptoms and attributing to increased airway reactivity.

Naturopathic Approach to Asthma

Firstly we need to lower inflammatory and hyper-responsive burden on the body. The way to achieve this would be to remove as many of the triggers in a patient`s environment and lifestyle as possible. So things such as dust, mould, pollen, mites, animals, smoking, air pollution, stress, chemicals, air fresheners, perfumes, scented candles, and so on should be removed.

Secondly we need to look at the diet, a diet high in processed foods, cows milk products, refined sugars, peanuts, refined vegetable oils, and refined wheat products will all cause inflammatory reactions which will add to the burden on the body. As these foods raise levels of the inflammatory markers IgE, Histamine, Leukotriene C4 and Tryptase.

Traditional Herbal Medicine used for Asthma;

Herbal medicine has a long history of treating Asthma, here are a few examples of herbs which may help. Always check with a healthcare professional before taking any herbs or supplements.

Albizzia, Bacial Skullcap, Elecampane, Euphorbia, Ginger, Ginkgo, Grindelia, Hyssop, Nettle leaf, Sundew and Violet Leaf. I have found these herbs to be the most effective with patients.

Other supplements which are also beneficial

Turmeric, NAC, Quercetin, Omega 3 fatty acids, Magnesium, Vitamin C, D and E.

Balancing the Gut Microbiome is also very important, take a dairy free probiotic.

Other considerations

Tai Chi, Chi Gong, Yoga, Papworth breathing technique and Buteyko breathing technique (BBT) all have there benefits.

If Asthma is treated holistically a patient has a far better chance of living an improved quality of life. Our state of health is our responsibility and by being proactive we can improve our overall health and well-being.

If you would like a personalised programme to help you improve your symptoms and find a lasting cure, please contact us: salubriouslife.contact@gmail.com