Asthma
Fifty years ago asthma was comparatively rare and caused a handful of deaths every year. Today, despite, or possibly because of, a wide variety of drug treatments, the numbers have soared. About six percent of children in the U.S. suffer from serious asthma. Three percent of sufferers will die from the disease.
The symptoms, which often appear in early childhood, are wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and difficult in breathing. During an asthma attack, the airways of the lungs narrow because their walls go into spasm. Breathing is often made even harder because the airways can also become blocked with thick plugs of sputum.
The attacks happen because the airways are especially sensitive and so the spasms can be triggered off by all sorts of irritants that are harmless to most people – pollen, house-dust mite, cat hairs, and even cold air. In many cases this seems to be an allergic response because sufferers have a high level of the white blood cells which are involved in an allergic reaction. Also, asthma patients often suffer from other allergic diseases such as eczema or hay fever.
In non-allergic cases the culprits include certain types of drugs (for example beta-blockers, aspirin and its relatives such as ibuprofen) and the fumes produced by some industries such as vinyl manufacture. An extraordinary range of activities is said to make asthma worse, including colds, laughing, talking too much, stress, and passive smoking.
Doctors faced with a wheezy cough that seems to vary with the seasons and be affected by pets or certain chemicals would probably diagnose asthma and confirm it with a test that measures the volume of air breathed out. If this is not as large as it should be then the patient is given a drug to relax the air passages (the bronchioles) and the test is repeated. An improvement indicates asthma.
THE ORTHODOX APPROACH
Patients are advised to avoid all the things that might trigger an attack – house mites, etc – and a few seem to be helped by allergy injections, but for the majority treatment consists of inhaling two different types of drugs – bronchodilators to relax the constricted airways and steroids to reduce inflammation.
The emphasis is on catching sufferers early – a recent program, for instance, has been targeting schoolchildren. However, drug side effects can be severe – increased sensitivity and shaking hands from the dilators, and decreased resistance to infection, stomach problems and osteoporosis from steroids – and despite huge resources allocated to research, orthodox treatment has presided over an enormous increase in mortality, morbidity and incidence of the disease.
THE HALE APPROACH
Asthma is a life-threatening condition which can develop very rapidly. The diagnosis of asthma is currently on the increase and physicians are very quick to label children especially with this condition, when in fact the problem is no more than a wheeze. But true asthma is particularly aggressive in younger people and children, and all asthmatics should be under the care of a physician, if not a hospital specialist. Once life-saving drug treatment has been established and is available to the patient or his or her parents, complementary treatments can be utilized safely and with great efficacy. Please note the following as differentiating signs for a serious attack:
1 An inability to move.
2 A persisting pallor or blueness of the skin and lips
3 Obviously, an inability to inhale or a respiratory rate (the number of breaths) greater than 30 per minute.
4 A pulse or cardiac rate of greater than 120, persisting for more than five minutes when at rest.
Any of these signs should alert the asthmatic to the need for drug treatment or to call your physician.
Our experience at the Hale Clinic has shown the great results of the Buteyko breathing system in preventing asthma attacks – up to a 92 percent success rate in one research study. The advantage is that, once trained, the patient has a tool to prevent further attacks occurring. However, it does involve a lifelong commitment to changing your pattern of breathing. If it is difficult to find a Buteyko practitioner in your area, the following treatments can be helpful.
Nutritional therapy has helped eradicate asthma completely in some cases but not in others. These approaches may also involve a restricted diet for most of the patient’s life, whereas with Buteyko you can return to eating what you like after the completion of the treatment. Homeopathy, Ayurveda, acupuncture, and herbalism can all be effective in treating asthma.
If attacks have a strong psychological basis – if, for example, you notice that they come on after periods of stress or emotional outburst – it may be advisable to choose homeopathy or psychotherapy, or hypnotherapy. If using other techniques you get rid of the asthma but the underlying emotional cause remains, it may subsequently manifest itself in another disease pattern.
ACUPUNCTURE/CHINESE HERBS
Acupuncture classifies asthma into three types. The most common is a physical type known as “overheating mixed with damp”. The second stems from a deficiency in kidney and lung energy – in Chinese medicine the lungs are just bellows controlled by the kidneys. The third is “windy cold” and is caused by living in a cold environment, so cold drinks and raw food should be avoided.
Treatment, which normally takes eight sessions, involves needles in the relevant meridians as well as the use of about ten herbs, including balloon flower root, lepidum fee, and bitter almond. More about acupuncture...
HOMEOPATHY
If the attacks are caused by an allergy, the patient may be given a homeopathic dose of the trigger, such as cats’ hair. What is prescribed for an acute attack depends very much on the individual case but here are some examples:
• For an attack that comes on between midnight and 2 am, when the patient is very anxious, restless and chilly and feels better sitting up – Arsenicum.
• For an attack which involves small amounts of phlegm, nausea, and the chest feels as if there is a heavy weight on it – Ipecac.
• For an attack between 2 and 4am when the person gets up and sits with face on knees and looks pale and tired – Kali carb.
• For an attack that makes the patient feel exhausted, with mucus in the lungs that cannot be coughed up and pale, clammy skin – Antimonium tart. More about homeopathy...
NUTRITION/ALLERGY TREATMENT
Some cases of asthma, especially in children, can clear up when certain foods are removed from the diet. Eggs, fish, shellfish and nuts are most commonly linked to an immediate reaction, while the following are likely to have a delayed effect: milk, chocolate, wheat, citrus fruit, and colourings, especially tartrazine (orange), sunset yellow, amaranth, and coccine (both red). One study found that 80 percent of asthmatic children had low stomach acid; this has to be corrected or fresh allergies may develop. Buteyko treatment can also be helpful here, by correcting acid/alkaline balance in the body.
Eliminating all animal products from the diet – no meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products – has also proved effective. This is because many asthmatics have an imbalance in their fatty acid metabolism which makes them produce more leukotrines – the body chemical involved in the sort of inflammatory reactions found in the airways. The point is that leukotrines are made from arachidonic acid, which n turn is only found in animal products.
The vitamins B6, B12, C and E have all been found to be useful, as have the minerals selenium and magnesium. More about nutrition... More about allergy testing...
AYURVEDA
According to the Ayurvedic system, he body is controlled by three forces or doshas. Asthma is the result of an excess of Kapha (the dosha which controls the lymph system) in the lungs, although Vata (responsible for the central nervous system) can also be involved. Using diet, lifestyle changes and massage, the doshas are brought into balance again.
A full course of treatment, which includes Ayurvedic oral preparations, may take from three months to two years, with a session once a month. More about ayurveda...
HERBALISM
Ephedra has long been used in treating asthma, hay fever and colds, and the alkaloid ephedrine is often found in prescription drugs for asthma. The plant has other anti-inflammatory ingredients, but can be damaging if used for along time because it weakens the adrenal gland. Consequently ephedra is usually given together with liquorice, which strengthens the gland. Liquorice has another beneficial effect, which is that it increases the time and anti-inflammatory hormone coritsol stays active in the body, while at the same time reducing its side-effects.
Another anti-inflammatory herb is Chinese skullcap. Its effect is similar to that of aspirin, but while aspirin has been lined with asthma attacks, Chinese skullcap has no adverse effects. Angelica has been found to be effective in cases where there is an allergic reaction to pollen, dust, etc, by reducing the amount of allergic antibodies in the blood. More about herbalism...
HYPNOSIS
According to hypnotherapists, the problem asthmatics often have is that they can’t get their breath out. The underlying psychological message is that some thought or feeling is not being expressed. Under hypnosis patients can be helped to discover what the events are that have led to these feelings and then to let them out. Once they have been expressed, the asthma improves and often clears up completely.
One hypnotherapist says that once an asthmatic’s symptoms occur, conditions can worsen through expectation and repetition. Through hypnosis, the patient can be assured that his need not necessarily be the case, and that by reducing anxiety and tension attacks can be controlled and drug usage contained to the prescribed level. More about hypnotherapy...
SUPPORTIVE TREATMENTS
Healing
Healing relieves stress and calms the patient down. Then it is easier to reduce or stop the inflammation by going into the lung area of the aura and dilating the airways to allow freer breathing.
Alexander Technique
This postural therapy brings the body into better alignment, reducing tension in the thoracic area and making breathing easier. After a course of treatment, which may consist of as many as 20 or 30 sessions, taken once or twice a week, you should know enough about the techniques to practice them yourself and incorporate them into your daily life.
Reflexology
For asthma sufferers, this entails working on the balls of the feet, which are linked to the chest, lungs and shoulders.
Osteopathy
This can help a lot by gently releasing the tense ribcage and the soft tissue dysfunction of the pleural dome, diaphragm, and thoracic cavity, as well as concentrating on the respiratory centres and the nervous system in general. Osteopathy is normally a long-term treatment, but with children the results can be seen very quickly. In most cases the frequency and intensity of the attacks are significantly reduced. Parents and partners can be taught how to do massage as well.
Chi Kung
A number of the 1,500 special exercises are relevant here, depending on the individual. These slow patients down so they can begin to listen to their own pulse, learning to concentrate their chi (intrinsic) energy and sending it to the affected areas. The exercises help to open up the lung meridian, alleviating and preventing symptoms.
Remedial Yoga
One effect of an asthma attack is that tension, a spasm, occurs within the muscles of the chest. This tightening adds to the sense of shortness of breath, disrupting breathing rhythm. Yoga teaches us to relax and extend the muscles of the chest, helping breathing to relax. Within the lungs, yogic breathing helps bring a healthy flow of air and circulation to the lungs, encouraging the healing of inflammation. This results in us developing a deeper, more relaxed rhythm of breathing, and a sense of confidence in our breathing is restored.
Aromatherapy
The treatment aims to relax the patient and reduce the histamine reaction, using antispasmodic oils such as lavender. Advice will also be given on lifestyle changes and diet. Massage concentrates on the neck, chest, and abdomen, making use of acupressure points.
SELF-CARE
Aromatherapy
Marjoram has a soothing fortifying and warming effect and is very good for use in steam inhalation. Other helpful oils are amber, cedar wood, eucalyptus and peppermint.
Indian Medicine
As a breathing exercise, breathe in for two counts and out for three. Repeat ten times.
Pressure points press between the big toe and the next, on the under side rather than the top, for thirty seconds (below). Repeat on the other foot. There is a spot, known as lung 7, on the inside of the wrist in the crease just below the thumb, pressing it for thirty seconds during an acute attack brings relief.
Yoga postures there are specific yoga postures that can help, but what is best varies from individual to individual. One generally helpful one is the cobra (left) – lie face downwards on the ground and raise the head, shoulders and chest.
Diet: avoid mucus-forming foods such as milk and cheese.
Light Therapy
Full-spectrum light can kill off dust mites, so exposing the bedding to it can be an effective way of getting rid of them. As a regular treatment for the patient it can dilate the blood vessels and so promote healing, through an increase in blood circulation, as well as having a general relaxing effect so vital to asthma sufferers.
TIPS
• Keep your bed dust free
• Practice shallow breathing