Asthma

Do you suffer from Asthma?

Asthma is a long-term respiratory condition caused by hypersensitivity (over-reacting to things) and inflammation (swelling and redness) of the airways.

Asthma is a complex condition involving immune system dysfunction and characterized by airway inflammation and hyper-reactivity.

Asthma is considered an allergic reaction but infections, psychological and emotional factors are frequently involved as well. The bronchial muscles go into spasm and there is increased mucous production by the mucous glands. This narrowing of the air passages, congested with mucus, makes breathing difficult. Air is easier to draw in than out and the air trapped in the lungs makes oxygenation more difficult. If the disease starts in early childhood, there is 20 – 30 per cent chance of spontaneous recovery.

Symptoms include a cough, wheezing, chest tightness and breathlessness, and can vary in severity from person to person.

Call triple zero (000) to seek immediate help if you or someone else has severe symptoms of asthma.

A trigger is anything that irritates the airways and brings on the symptoms of asthma. These differ from person to person, and people with asthma may have several triggers. Common triggers include house dust mites, animal fur, pollen, tobacco smoke, exercise, cold air and chest infections.(1)

Know the four steps of asthma first aid

It’s important for everyone in the community to know the four steps of asthma first aid.

To use asthma first aid:

1. Sit the person upright.
2. Give four puffs of blue or grey reliever puffer. (Check the date on the puffer)
3. Make sure you shake the puffer, put one puff into a spacer and get the person to take four breaths from the spacer.
4. If you don’t have a spacer simply give the person four puffs of their reliever directly by mouth.
5. Repeat this until the person has taken four puffs.
6. Remember: shake, one puff, four breaths.
7. Wait four minutes.
8. If there is no improvement, give four more separate puffs as in step 2. Remember: shake, one puff, four breaths.
9. If there is still no improvement, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.
10. Tell the operator that someone is having an asthma emergency.
11. Keep giving the person four separate puffs of reliever medication, taking four breaths for each puff, every four minutes until the ambulance arrives.
12. If you are not sure if someone is having an asthma attack, you can still use asthma reliever medication because it is unlikely to cause harm.

Call triple zero (000) immediately if the person is not breathing, if their asthma suddenly becomes worse, or if the person is having an asthma attack and there’s no blue or grey reliever available.

We use various naturopathic principles to treat the cause and look for the disharmony in your body and mind to bring your body back to balance. Please see below a brief treatment (Rx) protocol and reference guide, with choices to help improve your health and wellbeing. Click on the headings and links within for more treatment information.

Causes

Extrinsic or atopic asthma is mediated by the immune system while intrinsic asthma is mediated by environmental factors.

Environmental factors may include allergens, pollutants, respiratory infections, cold air, exercise, emotional stress or excitability.

Family history is a predisposing factor.

Aims of Treatment

Regulate immune function.

Strengthen airways and reduce hypersensitivity.

Reduce excessive mucous production and bronchospasm.

Treat any underlying causative or sustaining factors such as airway inflammation, allergy, respiratory infections, gastric reflux and sinusitis.