3 Most Common Signs of an Asthma Attack and How to Recognize Them

When suffering from a disease like asthma it is highly important to understand the symptoms and the way they function. Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease with terrible manifestations from time to time, but which can be avoided if you can quickly recognize the common symptoms of an appending asthma attack.

Asthma has many causes to consider and is for many a lifelong battle. Many people whom have struggled with asthma for a longer period of time will know when an attack is imminent and know exactly what to do. However, if one has been recently diagnosed it will be impossible what symptoms will precede an attack. So, here are the 3 most common signs of an asthma attack.

The first warning sign is a tightness of the chest. The typical description of this feeling is something of a rubber-band around the lungs, closing the breathing passages.

Secondly, many times heavy wheezing will accompany the first sign. The bronchial tubes tighten and fluid begins to secrete causing a restriction to ones ability to breath correctly.

Lastly you may begin to breath in short rapid breaths. When this begins it is best to reach for an inhaler and stop the further onslaught of the attack.

The above listed warning signs are common to most asthma sufferers, but may happen in any order and at different times depending on the "trigger". Never expect a particular pattern as it may not repeat itself. The important thing is to recognize and know them all so you will be well prepared to stop the attack before it starts.

Allergic Bronchitis - Treatments That One Should Know

Allergic bronchitis is a type of asthma, which causes the obstruction of the airways when the bronchi or the air passages of the lungs become filled up with mucous during an asthma attack. Respiratory illnesses have significant effects on the lives of millions of people. It can be acute, when it is a short term illness and easily treatable. In allergic bronchitis, both asthma symptoms and allergies are present which can cause hay fever and allergic rhinitis. By far, the majority of cases of bronchitis stem from viral infections.

Allergic asthma also known as allergic bronchitis is different from non-allergic bronchitis, which is often linked to a severe cold or flu. This condition is triggered when the overly active immune system identifies harmless substances as dangerous and then releases antibodies to attack them as they enter the body. Most allergic bronchitis is mainly caused by an exposure to allergens, while there are conditions that can be considered as a non-allergic bronchitis which is caused by a virus or bacteria.

Symptoms of it may include runny nose, shortness of breath, red or swollen eyes, rashes, hyperventilation, tickling in throat, constant sneezing, tight chest, headache, nausea, coughing, and other allergy symptoms. This type of bronchitis is often worse at night. Chronic bronchitis is characterized by a persistent dry cough without other symptoms.

Treatment of mild to moderate types includes, taking anti-histamine medications and avoiding allergens that can stimulate the allergy. It may also be treated with antihistamine medications to reduce the allergic reaction. Consulting your doctor is also important. They usually conduct an examination or skin test where in allergens are inserted beneath the skin that will identify specific allergens that cause allergic bronchitis. Your doctor may also recommend you to an allergist, who specializes in this condition and can give you more advice in preventing the occurrence of it. This can be cured after 25-35 days of treatment.

There are some cases that a person can be so sensitive to allergens that blocked airways caused by severe swelling of the tissue in the airway can cause hospitalization or death and this is considered as a dangerous situation that needs immediate medical assistance. But fortunately in most cases allergic bronchitis is considered as a mild to moderate condition. Awareness of this particular condition is important.

Allergic bronchitis is manageable, however if you have this illness you must also be aware that it can be dangerous at times. It is important that you know how to deal with it whenever you are exposed to unexpected allergen, like taking medications with you at all times in case of emergency.

Why Do You Have Asthma?

Asthma is an inflammatory condition where your bronchioles 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 chooses 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 bronchi 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.

How Pool Salt Water Chlorinators Affect Asthma Attacks

If you have a child who struggles with asthma, you know that everything you do is ruled by their asthma. You constantly find yourself worrying about what will and won't trigger an asthma attack. Parents of asthmatic children find themselves wondering if they should allow their children to swim in swimming pools.

There is some evidence that the chlorine that is commonly used to keep the pool sanitized and the water really clean could actually trigger an asthma attack. Not only do many experts feel that chlorine can trigger breathing problems in individuals who already have asthma, some experts wonder if the reason that there are so many asthmatic swimmers could be because the chlorine causes some people to develop the respiratory condition.

In the past the only way your child could enjoy a cool dip in their swimming pool was if they were willing to risk an asthma attack. The good news is that it might now be possible for your asthmatic child to enjoy swimming in your swimming pool and not have to worry that they won't be able to breathe when they get out of the pool. The answer could come in the form of pool salt water chlorinators.

What pool salt water chlorinators do is eliminate the need for you to use chemicals to keep the water in your pool clean. When you take advantage of the pool salt water chlorinators the only additive that will be in your swimming pool will be salt. Unlike the chlorine, the salt should not trigger an asthma attack the next time your child goes swimming.

Your child isn't the only person who will enjoy swimming in your pool better after the pool salt water chlorinators have been added. You'll find that you also like the pool better. The chemicals you previously used have a tendency to dry out swimmers skin and hair. This won't happen when you are swimming in a pool that is treated with pool salt water chlorinators.

While the fact that you child will be able to enjoy a cool dip without having to wonder if they are going to be able to breathe or not is the best reason to make the change from pool cleaning chemicals to pool salt water chlorinators, it isn't the only reason.

Using pool salt water chlorinators is going to save you all kinds of money. Although you will have to add a bit of extra salt from time to time, you aren't going to have to ever purchase pool cleaning supplies every again. The pool salt water chlorinators do a better job of keeping your pool water sanitized which means that there will be less wear and tear on your filtration system which will save you even more money.

Basic Extrinsic Asthma And Intrinsic Asthma

Over the years, the medical profession has developed several ways of classifying asthma and of distinguishing one form of the disease from another. Let's take a look at some of these classifications now. Traditionally, doctors have separated asthma into two general categories, extrinsic asthma and intrinsic asthma, depending upon the types of stimuli that trigger episodes of the disease.

What is extrinsic asthma?

Asthma triggered by allergies is known as extrinsic asthma. It is also called allergic or atopic asthma. In this form of the disease, an asthma attack is clearly linked to the body's response to something inhaled or, occasionally, ingested. Substances to which the person is allergic are called allergens.

What sorts of things can be allergens?

The most common allergens are tree and grass pollen, mold, animal dander and dust mites.

Who develops extrinsic asthma?

Asthma that develops in childhood is likely to be extrinsic. More than 90 percent of asthmatic children under age 16 have allergies, as do 70 percent of asthmatic people ages 16 to 30, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases . Symptoms of extrinsic asthma often vary seasonally and occur intermittently. In more than half the cases of extrinsic asthma, there is usually a personal or family history of other allergies, such as hay fever and skin conditions.

What is intrinsic asthma?

Asthma that develops in people over the age of 30 is usually intrinsic or nonallergic asthma. As the names imply, this asthma is not allergy related.

What is it related to?

It is related to triggers such as respiratory infections, exercise, stress, inhalation of chemical irritants (such as cleaning fluids or fresh paint) and air pollution. While doctors believe that extrinsic asthma is caused by an overactive immune system, they do not yet understand the origins of intrinsic asthma.

Is it important to know which form of asthma I have?

Insofar it helps you understand your disease and suggests a path for medical treatment, yes. However, you should be aware that most people with asthma have both forms. For example, it is very common for someone with the extrinsic form of the disease to experience asthma attacks when she has a cold or the flu - both intrinsic triggers. Extrinsic and intrinsic are two terms that attempt to describe the source and trigger of the asthma. Other types of asthma have been named after the particular situations in which they occur, such as nocturnal asthma, seasonal asthma and exercise-induced asthma.

Nail Salon Air - 5 Harmful Chemicals Found in Nail Salon Air

Nail salons produce beautiful nails and toenails but the products used to produce these works of art can also produce harmful air. This is because many of the products used for manicures and pedicures contain volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) that evaporate into the air.

When these chemicals are inhaled, absorbed or ingested, the body depends on the liver to get rid of them. A liver that is constantly being bombarded with chemicals that it needs to remove becomes overtaxed, which opens the door to other health issues. So knowing which products contain which chemicals is crucial. Here are five harmful chemicals found in nail salon air and the products that contain them.

Acetone--This chemical is found in products that remove nail polish and fingernail glue. It is excellent at dissolving polishes and glues but is hard on skin and nails because it removes moisture. Inhaling large amounts of it can cause symptoms such as dizziness, headaches and even coma. Laboratory tests on animals have shown that it causes birth defects.

Benzoyl Peroxide--The powder form of this chemical is often added to artificial nails. Because of the peroxide it is a bleaching agent and can discolor clothing and hair quickly. Long periods of exposure to this chemical can cause irritation to the respiratory system as well as to eyes and skin, often in the form of a rash.

Butyl Acetate--This is one of the main ingredients used in making nail polish. It is clear in and color and smells fruity. Long term inhalation can cause symptoms such as headaches, watering or burning eyes, dry throat, and dizziness. Contact can cause skin irritation that usually presents as a rash.

Butyl Methacrylate--This chemical is used in the manufacturing of artificial fingernail products. Sanding of these artificial nails can produce dust that causes redness, itchiness, and generally irritates the eyes, nose, and throat. Symptoms include watering of the eyes--the body's way of trying to get rid of the irritants. These airborne particles can cause an asthma attack for those who are already asthmatic.

Acetonitrile--Many removers that are used to remove artificial nails are almost 100 percent Acetonitrile. This is chemical that has high toxicity and has been shown to cause serious defects in developing animals. The absorption rate through human skin is very fast, and it is suggested that you opt for other products that do not contain this ingredient.

The scary common denominator for all of these chemicals is that many are harmful and cause symptoms in many people even if they are exposed for only a short period of time. Choosing greener products and using a nail salon air purifier that can constantly remove these chemicals is a proactive and healthy way to make sure the air in your salon is as beautiful as the nails your salon produces.

Natural Help For Asthma Sufferers

People who suffer from asthma often describe this plight as "starving for air." Asthma is a lung disease that causes obstruction of the airways. During an asthma attack, spasms in the muscles surrounding the bronchi (small airways in the lungs) constrict, impeding the outward passage of stale air.

Typical symptoms of an asthma attack are:

* Coughing
* Wheezing
* A feeling of tightness in the chest
* Difficulty in breathing

The spasms that characterize the acute attack are not the cause of the disorder, but a result of chronic inflammation and hypersensitivity of the airways to certain stimuli.

If you have allergies an attack may be triggered, if a susceptible individual is exposed to an allergen or irritants.

Common asthma-provoking allergens include:

* Animal dander
* Chemicals
* Drugs
* Dust mites
* Environmental pollutants
* Feathers
* Food additives such as sulfites
* Fumes
* Mold
* Tobacco smoke

Other things that can bring on asthma attacks include adrenal disorders:

* Anxiety
* Changes in temperature
* Exercise
* Extremes of dryness or humidity
* Fear
* Laughing
* Low blood sugar
* Stress

A respiratory infection such as bronchitis may also be involved. Whatever the instigator, it causes the bronchial tubes to swell and become plugged with mucus. This inflammation further irritates the airways, resulting in even greater sensitivity; the attacks become more frequent and the inflammation more severe.

A predisposition to asthma may be hereditary.

In the last decade, the number of Americans with asthma has increased by one third. Today, asthma affects over 10 million people (3 million children and 7 million adults). Children under sixteen and adults over sixty-five are more likely than other people to suffer from asthma. Among children, the incidence of hospitalization for asthma has increased fivefold in the last 29 years; the rate for adults has doubled.

Use an elimination diet to see if certain foods aggravate the asthmatic condition. Common culprits include:

* Alfalfa
* Corn
* Peanuts
* Soy
* Eggs
* Beets
* Carrots
* Colas
* Cold beverages (which may cause bronchial spasm)
* Dairy products (including milk and ice cream)
* Fish
* Red meat (especially pork)
* Processed foods
* White flour

Avoid:

* Furry animals
* Food additives BHA and BHT
* FD&C Yellow No. 5 food dye
* Tobacco and other types of smoke
* The amino acid tryptophan

Support healthy lungs, maintain open air passages and easy breathing with this amazing product.

What to Do During an Asthma Attack

Asthma, or more specifically called as respiratory asthma, is a chronic disease that cannot be cured; however, its symptoms can be alleviated and prevented. During asthma attacks, there is a constriction or narrowing of the airways causing uneasiness in breathing. There is also stiffness in the muscles of the airway causing chest tightness and wheezing.

The wheezing sound heard when breathing is called asthma breathing. It is the characteristic sign of asthma. Other signs include uneasiness in breathing, chest tightness, coughing, fast breathing, and fast heart beats.

If you are an asthmatic or if you are the parent of children with asthma, here are some pieces of advice on what to do during an asthma attack:

Let your child leave the area where asthma triggers are visible or present. Some triggers include tobacco smoke, strong perfumes, pet animal hairs or dander, plants, and pollens.

Make sure that an asthma inhaler is always available; it will enable an asthmatic's constricted or narrowed airways to open. These inhalers are prescribed by doctors to those who are asthmatic for use during asthma attacks.

Calming down and sitting may help. If your clothing is too tight, loosen them. Asthma attacks could also be due to emotional stresses, so calming down tremendously helps.

Try taking one puff of your asthma inhaler every minute until the symptoms of asthma begin to disappear and your condition begins to improve.

Most asthma attacks usually disappear in five to eight minutes. If you notice no improvement in your body, call 911 or go to the hospital straight away.

Never stop puffing your asthma inhaler until the paramedics or any health care provider is within your reach.

Some home remedies of in preventing asthma attack include:

Eating foods which are a great source of Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 that can be found in eggs, dairy products, and meat. Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 are known to decrease the swelling of the lungs.

Eating foods high in Vitamin C. These boost the immune system, making the body fight well against infections and diseases.

Drinking a glass of warm milk with a teaspoon of turmeric powder before bedtime. This provides relief from frequent asthma attacks.

Taking gingko biloba, a medicinal herb shown to decrease the recurrence of asthma attacks

Having your chest and back massaged with a minimal amount of camphor oil mixed in mustard oil three times a week

Drinking licorice tea once a day

Taking salmon oils. However, as with everything else, the key is moderation. Eating salmon at least twice a week is advisable.

What Is An Asthma Attack And Why Can't I Breathe

Most of us at some time have experienced the sensation of allergies. Maybe all of a sudden your eyes begin to water and you have a runny or stuffy nose. This occurrence is quite common in the spring time as the flowers and trees begin to bloom. For many an asthma attack is quite common during this time. When the weather clears up and the sun begins to warm things up, many people like to go outside and work. They may begin mowing their lawns or in the case of farmers, begin cutting hay. This is a prime time for allergies and allergies are the number one cause for an asthma attack. This article will talk about an asthma attack. What brings them on and what happens during an attack.

An asthma attack happens when the airways become inflamed and a restriction of airflow occurs. The lungs are the organ in our body that filters the oxygen we breathe in. As we breathe in air, oxygen is filtered through the lungs and when we exhale, we release unwanted carbon dioxide from our bodies. This is necessary for the survival of our bodies, but during an asthma attack, the airways become inflamed and don't allow the oxygen to enter. At least not enough oxygen. The result will be wheezing and coughing and a tightness in the chest from lack of oxygen. An asthma attack can be a very scary experience.

Someone who suffers from an asthma attack can help avoid certain things in order to prevent the symptoms from happening. There are some common everyday things that can cause allergies to flare up. Dust and dust mites that are commonly found in the home can set off allergies so make sure you replace your vent filters often. Pollen that is found floating in the air, certain perfume smells found not only in perfumes, but in air fresheners as well, can also be a cause for an asthma attack. One of the most common culprits is smoke. You don't have to be a smoker or even be in the same room with someone who smokes for an asthma attack to happen. Smoke attaches itself to a persons hair or clothing and also on their hands, so just being around someone who has been around someone who smokes can cause a flare up of asthma.

There are some reasons for an asthma attack to happen that can be out of your control such as weather changes, or bronchial infections or viruses and even stress can cause an asthma attack. Asthma is very common and about 10% of the children today will experience asthma in their lifetime. An asthma attack is very serious, so make sure you seek medical help if you are an asthma sufferer.

Quinoa Nutritional Benefits

The quinoa is one plant that has been used in cooking in many cultures for many centuries. The seed is very popular for its nutrients. In the ancient times, it was a recommendation for the soldiers to consume the quinoa. This is because it was known for increasing the stamina of the people who consume it. Thus, warriors needed to have this advantage especially when they were under attack.

The quinoa also has a large advantage of containing a lot of protein. It is a complete protein in itself. This means that it contains all the amino acids in protein. An example would be lysine. This is an amino acid that helps in the repair body tissues. Many people having the problem of obesity can change from consuming meat and meat products as their source of proteins and change to taking quinoa. Quinoa has the ability to satisfy the human body's daily requirement of protein. Thus, by substituting meat with the quinoa, they are able to lose weight as the quinoa does not lead to weight gain. Thus, with the weight loss, they are able to remain healthy.

Quinoas have a couple of other health benefits and they include the following: One health benefit of the quinoa is that it is able to reduce hypertension and migraines. Quinoa is able to do this with the help of the nutrients magnesium and riboflavin that is found in them. The nutrients help reduce the tension in the blood vessels. They are able to do this by relaxing the vessels of the blood, in turn, reducing constriction. Reduction of tension consequently reduces the stress that the body feels when it is overworked. Thus, the body is able to work better. This reduces migraine attacks frequency.

Another health benefit of the quinoa is that it is able to reduce asthma. Asthma is a disease that results in difficulty in breathing and any tension in the body often makes it worse. The riboflavin and the magnesium found in the quinoa will help reduce the tension in the body. This, in turn, helps clear the air ways. This will help reduce the possibility of asthma attacks as it eases breathing. Children who are suffering from asthma should consume quinoa frequently to reduce their suffering. Other than clearing the air ways, quinoa provides asthmatic people with vitamin B that they lack in their system.

Quinoa also has the advantage of preventing the growth of gallstones. It is able to do this by aiding in the digestion process. The high amount of fiber found in the quinoa helps in the digestion process. The increased rate of digestion, in turn, reduces the amount of bile that is produced in the body which is the main cause of gallstones.

Lastly, quinoa helps in preventing heart disease. It does this through preventing the clogging of the veins and the arteries. The fat found in the quinoa is the good fat. This is because it has a low amount of cholesterol.

Thus, with all the health benefits of the quinoa, it is one good food that can be consumed regularly.

Where to Get a Quick Asthma Remedy

Every asthma patient and anyone who has an asthmatic in the family knows that learning the quick asthma remedy list is an essential. Not only will this help in coping and controlling the condition better, but it can also help a lot on emergencies.

You may also know that the most popular quick asthma remedy falls under the chemical prescription drugs, which usually comes in inhaler, tablet, or capsules form (for nebulizers). However, as these are comprised of chemical ingredients, not everybody exactly finds the thought of constantly taking a type of medication that will eventually weaken their teeth and bones and many other side effects attractive. This is why other more natural quick asthma remedy methods and recipes are now easily available that can even be found in your pantry which are also gaining more popularity as time goes by.

Some examples are the following:

1. Caffeine. Caffeine contains ingredients that can also be found in common quick relief asthma meds. Any caffeinated drink can give you the effect of the relaxation of bronchial muscles while breaking up the mucus in the airways, making it easier for you to breathe. Coffee is one of the well studied caffeinated drinks by doctors and experts.

2. Honey. Honey is one of the best food items that can be used in various quick asthma remedy recipes that can be made in your very own kitchen. It works because it has ingredients that serve as expectorant and relaxant that help in relaxing the muscles along the airways. Any asthmatic can take this during an attack by inhaling its aroma. You can also take ginger juice with a spoonful of honey, and you already have a cheap and very convenient quick asthma remedy.

3. Carrot juice. Can either be taken daily, or dropped into the nostril as quick relief; carrot juice is really one great quick asthma remedy. As carrot contains numerous other nutrients that prove to be beneficial for most asthma cases, taking it either regularly or as a quick cure can be a great and affordable way to deal with asthma.

4. Mustard oil with a drop of camphor. The warmth of camphor with the aroma of mustard oil helps in loosening the airways to improve breathing during asthma attacks, making it another ideal quick asthma remedy for those looking for natural ways for dealing with the condition.

5. Hot steam. The most accessible, safe, and probably the only free quick asthma remedy is the use of hot steam. Inhaling the steam can easily loosen up the air passages and soften the mucus, making it easier for the asthma patient to breathe. A bit more research can give you more ideas on different asthma relief.

Asthma Symptoms - Find Out All About the Common and Not So Common Ones

No matter what type of asthma you want to talk about, the asthma symptoms will pretty much be the same. The one exception is cough variant asthma which only has one symptom. So no matter what type of asthma you have, your major symptoms will be the same. What does change for everybody is how bad those symptoms will be during each asthma attack.

Asthma symptoms don't follow any specific rules and can be very unpredictable. For many people, they have to deal with their asthma symptoms almost every day. For reasons not totally understood, others might have their symptoms only show up every once in a great while.

No matter how often they show up, these are the four common asthma symptoms that most people have to deal with:

• Coughing - While your airways stay irritated, you will be doing a lot of coughing. Your cough is almost always accompanied by gunk or mucus.



• Wheezing - kind of a whistling sound that is more noticeable when you breathe out or exhale. Your airways have become much smaller so there is less room for air to go back and forth to your lungs.



• Tightness in the Chest - Your airways have muscles surrounding them and during an asthma attack these muscles put the squeeze on your airways. This tightness can even turn into pain.



• Shortness of Breath - Taking a normal breath is just not possible when your airways get so irritated.

Here are some lesser known asthma symptoms to keep an eye out for:

• Your Neck Muscles Getting Extremely Tight - this might be bad enough that you have trouble talking.



• Extreme Anxiety and Maybe Even a Feeling of Panic - not being able to breathe is usually more than enough to get us very anxious.



• Your Lips or Fingernails Turn Blue - this is letting you know that not enough oxygen is getting into your system. You are entering into a dangerous situation.

All of the above asthma symptoms start to show up once your airways have become sufficiently irritated. This is the way that your airways get even with you for being exposed to one of your asthma triggers. These symptoms sometimes show up very quickly. Other times they might slowly show up over a period of hours or even days. Either way, it means that you are having an asthma attack.

Some people are able to recognize early warning signs that they are about to have an asthma attack. Not everybody recognizes these early warning signs. But if you know to start looking for them, you might be able to determine a pattern for your attacks also. I have listed some of the more common ones below:

• You start to have unusual trouble sleeping.



• Your normal exercise routine becomes more difficult.



• Concentrating becomes a problem.



• Your breathing becomes more rapid.



• You notice that you are more anxious than normal.



• Your overall energy level had dropped.



• You notice that you are sighing for no reason.

Getting to know what is normal for you will help you to recognize when things begin to change. This might help you to be better prepared for when your asthma symptoms do show up.

How Altitude Affect Asthma

Asthma is a chronic condition where people have trouble breathing. These breathing problems are brought on by hyper-responsive airways, which become irritated during an asthma attack and constrict in response. This increases the resistance to airflow and allows less air to reach the lungs.

Some people who suffer from asthma will be affected by altitude, whether in an airplane or simply at a higher elevation. If you are in relatively good health and your asthma is under control, however, you shouldn't have any serious problems with altitude, provided the ascent is not too fast. In some cases, asthma medication may need to be adjusted to cope with the altitude change.

If the conditions are very cold, inhalers may not work properly because the pressurization can be affected. If this is the case, warm them somehow prior to using them.

One of the reasons that higher altitudes can aggravate asthma is because the air is quite often drier and colder. If your asthma is often triggered by cold, higher altitudes could contribute to that.

If the higher altitude is reached by climbing - say hiking up a mountain - the exercise may also trigger asthma for some people. This is not exactly due to altitude, but this can add to the problem when combined with the changes in air and temperature at higher altitudes.

Some people may find that higher altitudes can actually improve their asthma. If a person's asthma is triggered by dust mites, altitude may help because dust mites are not able to survive in the colder temperatures.

If you are flying somewhere that is at a higher elevation, keep in mind that you won't have a chance to acclimatize yourself for the change. If this is the case, you should discuss it with your doctor to be sure you are prepared.

Asthma Anger

Could it be that Asthma is anger that is socially acceptable? Too simple? No. In most cultures getting angry is frowned upon and the culture helps suppress us. Getting really angry is worse. Worst of all is getting really angry in public. Such shame, such humiliation. So wrong! Our clever and ever-pleasing unconscious mind may opt to have us show up with a physical problem that looks a lot like asthma so we don't have to suffer the embarrassment of displaying our anger publicly. Sound crazy? Read on.

Anger is hot, inconvenient, shunned and powerful. Rather than us getting inflamed, our unconscious minds can inflame another body part. The easiest one is our airways. We are running so hot and seemingly out of control in our emotions that the larger part of our mind (the unconscious) makes a decision to expand, inflame and thicken the breathing passages. Why? It very effectively stops us from being angry--because we're busy gasping for air! Instead we suffer a potentially life-threatening (but much more socially acceptable) event. We have an asthma attack. Wow. Let's file this under: "messed up"!

Do you recognize anger when you see it? Movies make it plain. Faces get red. Veins on foreheads pulse. There is cursing, shouting and wild action, right? Yes. That's one type of anger. That's it in expression.

Can you spot anger in suppression? This may take you a while to recognize it in yourself and those you love. Anger in suppression makes for short, shallow breathers. It makes for stuffed feelings and bloated bellies. It comes in the form of "the nicest people you could possibly meet suddenly losing it" one day. It comes from tight faces and hard jaws. It shows up in seething comments, venomous slurs and sharp, harsh laughter.

When I tell clients that the nicest people they know are probably the angriest they ALWAYS disagree, at least initially. Nice people never get angry. They get discomforts and disorders of the body INSTEAD of dealing with the anger that fuels them. Everything you thought was black might be white when it comes to your "nice" friends.

Are ALL nice people angry? No, of course not. Only those that pride themselves on "never getting angry" or "never having a harsh word about anyone". This is NOT what we were taught in school or society. If you watch angry folks (expressors) and "nice" folks (suppressors) it's quite an education. There is a middle way, however, that reaps the best of both polar extremes. Neither extreme nets any real gains but just prolongs the problem and the inevitable suffering. In a nutshell, stuffing anger or shouting it both prolong and promote difficult breathing and asthma attacks.

We CAN learn to let go of our anger before it becomes discomfort, disorder and eventually disease. It is a learned skill. No one in our culture teaches this to us as children. The easiest and fastest way to learn to let go is to observe angry feelings without acting on them...until they let go of you. It sounds easy. It's not at the beginning. It, like all good things, requires practice. It can be done and you can learn to do it on your own without any outside help.

Until that time you might want to use the powerful FREE TOOLS FOR ASTHMA on my website that are available to you without any strings at: http://www.huntershealingcalls.com/got-asthma.html. They are available to everyone.

Copyright 2011 by Rudy Hunter. All rights reserved.

Diet and Asthma - What Tutwiler Can Teach Us

No community in the United States has more people with more health problems than Tutwiler, Mississippi. A community of about 2,000 people situated at the crossroads of state highways 49 West and 49 East, Tutwiler sits surrounded by thousands of flat acres of genetically modified corn and soybeans, rice, and cotton. The treeless landscape of crops is broken only by the walls of razor wire around Tutwiler Women's Prison, the home of Mississippi's death row. The weather is dependably hot and humid much of the year, and if environmental contamination doesn't get you from the ground or the water, it will fall on you from the sky. Tutwiler deserves its reputation as the birthplace of the blues.

That's what happened to family treated by Tutwiler's only physician, Dr. Ann Brooks, who is also a Catholic nun in The Sisters of the Holy Names (SJNM). "There are a lot of factors here," Dr. Brooks said. "The factor of the overhead pesticide spraying. The household smoking. The household smoke from wood stoves. Cockroaches. Dust mites. Precipitous births of underweight babies with underdeveloped lungs. Lint from the cotton gin."

In our conversation in Tutwiler in April 2004, Dr. Brooks recalled treating one family whose house stood amid frequently treated farm fields. The entire family had asthma. Asthma episodes often are triggered by sudden anxiety or agitation, and on one occasion when a farm plane accidentally dumped a load of seed rice directly onto the tin roof of the family's house, "the entire family suffered asthma attacks," she said.

Another factor in the high rates of asthma in Tutwiler is the absence of food choices. There is no grocery store in Tutwiler, although one can buy fried chicken at the Shell station near the intersection of 49E and 49W, and chips at the Arco station at the north edge of town (at the time I visited the station, its only stove was out of order). There is a convenience store five miles (8 km) away, and a market about 20 miles (32 km) away in Clarksdale.

Interestingly, the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Clarksdale, run by Tutwiler resident Loretta Hill, serves a buffet of exceptionally fresh and delicious vegetables as well as its fried fare, but many residents of Tutwiler never travel that far away from home, because they do not own cars. The great benefit of Tutwiler to the rest of the world is that conditions are so bad that it is easy to see the greatest results from the smallest dietary change.

One of the questions being considered in nutritional research in Tutwiler is whether reducing consumption of salty foods (in this case, just reducing the amount of salt used to cook fried chicken) reduces incidence of asthma. For many years, scientists speculated that a high-salt diet might actually protect against asthma. There was ample evidence that high levels of sodium preserved in the bloodstream preserved catecholamines, that is, the stress hormones. These hormones aggravate heart problems but help keep the bronchial passageways open.

Researchers also found that, in the test tube, a low-sodium, low-pH environment greatly increased the activation of eosinophils into lung tissues. Eosinophils are the white blood cells that trigger asthmatic attacks.

If the concentration of sodium in the test tube medium was decreased just 25 percent, from 160 mEq to 120 mEq, eosinophil activity increased 1000 percent. If at the same time pH was lowered from 7.6 to 7.0, eosinophil activity increased 2000 percent. These results seemed to suggest that a high-salt diet, combined with an alkaline diet (a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in sugar and fat), could greatly reduce the activation of the white blood cells that cause asthma.

These findings, however, are an example of how lab results don't always apply to the human body. While the human body can operate with sodium levels as low as 120 mEq and as high as 160 mEq, both extremes are associated with serious, life-threatening illness. It is not normally possible to raise one's sodium levels high enough to have an effect on asthma.

Moreover, if the bloodstream concentration of sodium in a real, living human being could reach the levels the researchers believed would stop immune responses, the excess sodium would cause pH inside the cell to go down, not up. Excess sodium disables the proton pump that normalizes the acid-base level inside the cell.

What you can do about asthma? For asthma and other forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a good recommendation is a low-sodium (restricted salt), "alkaline" (low in sugars and fats), high-potassium (high in fruits and vegetables), diet with plenty of water, but it's important to tailor any diet plan for asthma to individual considerations. Let's start with the easiest.

Asthma and related conditions respond to the amount of water you drink. While nutritionists ordinarily recommend 8 cups (2 liters) of water a day for most conditions, for asthma 8 glasses (4 liters) of water every day is better.

Why drink water if you have asthma? Some of the medical literature suggests that dehydrated cells in the linings of the bronchial passageways are especially susceptible to inflammation and rupture by white blood cells. Proper hydration will not prevent asthma attacks not related to exercise, but it may greatly reduce their severity.

What about restricting salt? There is general agreement in the medical literature that people who have exercise-induced asthma benefit from sodium restriction. During heavy exercise, muscle cells burn glucose without oxygen. This causes a buildup of lactic acid, the "burn" from heavy exercise. Muscle cells get rid of the "burn" by exchanging protons and sodium. If they contain excessive amounts of sodium, they cannot get rich of the "burn." Distressed chest muscles may trigger an asthma attack.

If you have mild asthma and you do not regularly use an inhaler, you only need to restrict your consumption of salty foods if your asthma is worst when you exercise. If your asthma attacks seem just to come and go without any particular trigger, and you do not use medication, it is possible that avoiding excessive salt consumption, just not using salt at meals. This could reduce wheezing, mucus formation, and shortness of breath, even if you eat the same foods as the rest of your family.

On the other hand, if you do take steroids, limiting your sodium consumption to no more than 2,500 mg a day will help prevent side effects from your medications. Three other nutrients, however, are helpful to everyone who has asthma.

Magnesium relaxes muscles. Intravenous magnesium sulfate is part of standard treatment for severe asthma in the emergency room, and often begins to relieve symptoms as soon as it is administered. It is preferable, of course, to take magnesium before emergencies arise.

A large British study of dietary magnesium intake and asthma symptoms in 2,633 people found that asthmatics who had a greater dietary intake of magnesium had a significantly greater lung capacity and significantly less airway hyperreactivity. They could breathe deeper and their airways more relaxed.

It's important to remember that taking magnesium just for a few weeks will not reduce your need for an inhaler, because the body pools magnesium very slowly.

Can Air Pollution Really Cause Asthma?

If you are one that suffers from attacks due to the constant strain from air pollution, wouldn't you wonder if that may be the reason you suffer from asthma? Studies over the years have linked air pollution to many different illness and disease such as chronic fatigue to an array of respiratory illnesses. The problem with air pollution is at times it can be right at our front door. What I mean is when ozone drops down to very low levels it pushes the air pollution right down on top of us where we are forced to breath it in. This is a worst case scenario for someone that suffers from asthma.

What about the air pollution that your mom was breathing in before she was giving birth to you? How about the air pollution that your mother was breathing in? The average baby, right at this very moment is being born with over 200 known toxins and heavy metals in their blood. Doctors tested the umbilical cord blood for pollution and the findings were staggering. You know they say that asthma can be hereditary. What if it was passed down because of the accumulation of air pollution from generation to generation and when it got to you, you were already extremely vulnerable to its affects.

There are so many what ifs and so many claims on what has actually caused asthma in children and adults. The findings always seem to come up short. All the answers your doctor has are to put you on prescription drugs and an emergency inhaler. If you understand how these medications work you will see that they are designed to control your asthma symptoms, not let you overcome asthma. The reason why you may have asthma in the first place is all the air pollution your body has been exposed to. This exposure could have weakened your lungs to the point where they just broke down and up pops this horrible disease. I believe that if we remove this pollution from our bodies then it may have the power to combat even the ugliest of diseases.

So, does air pollution cause asthma? After the discussion in this article I can bet that you're wondering if it could be the reason you or a loved one has this disease. Once this disease overwhelms you there is little control. Unfortunately you search for ways to control your symptoms that you can live with and have a life close to normal as possible. But unfortunately when you only control something it always fights you for control. It is a constant battle, one that we want to win, but with the tools given to you by your doctor may not be the answer to your overcoming your disease.

How about options, at this point you don't really think you have any. We have a method that is a natural option, provided by Mother Nature herself to help us overcome illness and disease. This is a very simple solution that not many know about. Do you want to know about it? Once you discover the uniqueness of what Mother Nature has for you, you will want to share it with others because of the nature of the tool itself. It is a tool that gives your body a chance at freedom from disease, freedom from the pollution that at this very moment is trapped in your body causing you harm. Learn more about this so that you too may find freedom to live a normal life.

Top 5 Asthma Signs and Symptoms to Look Out For

Recognizing asthma signs and symptoms early on is crucial so that treatment and medical intervention can begin early, preventing the ailment from getting any worse and putting you in danger. The main problem with asthma symptoms is that, it can present itself in forms that would lead you to believe that it's more related to other conditions rather than asthma; thereby leading to self medication which leads nowhere and does nothing except maybe worsen the case. Here are some of the most common and misleading symptoms that asthma can present itself in:

Coughing that worsens during nighttime: Dry unproductive cough to be exact. If you experience coughing that tends to worsen during the night, that just comes and goes without warning, then you should think twice before chugging down that cough medication as it might be worsening your asthma.

Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea is a common disorder where there are one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. The pauses in breathing can usually last from a few seconds to minutes and can occur from about 5 to 30 times during the episode. Many people have led themselves to believe that this difficulty in breathing is more related to restlessness caused by insomnia rather than by asthma.

Lack of air: if you find yourself catching your breath after minimal or even without any activity, then its time to think about getting an expert opinion as to what it really is. Asthma when starting can be difficult to determine allowing people to miss most of its signs and giving it the chance to worsen. Shortness of breath is one of its most common and earliest warning signs, that's why it would be in your best interest to have it checked rather than wait for it to get worse.

Chronic fatigue: One of the most misleading signs of asthma. Since chronic fatigue is more related to stress, most people tend to miss this symptom until the first full blown asthma attack occurs. Although it is normal to feel tired after a hard days work, the chronic fatigue that asthma can bring is present even with sufficient rest and even without the presence of stress. If you often feel tired for no particular reason at all, get a second opinion immediately.

Changes in breathing pattern: one of the most telling yet difficult to determine asthma symptom as it can come and go without warning and the changes sometimes are so slight that most people would just tend to disregard it. As time goes on though, this symptom can worsen and contribute to asthma attacks when not given proper attention early on.

There are many other asthma signs and symptoms that you should probably take note of but if you feel either one or two of these symptoms frequently then it wouldn't be wise to wait for any other symptoms to show. Get yourself examined immediately so that something can be done early on.

How to Stop an Asthma Attack Without an Inhaler

You can learn some amazing tools to stop an asthma attack without an inhaler--as long as you have your inhaler filled and ready as your back-up. Your body can stop the attack with these suggestions. I'll teach you how right now!

As a sufferer of adult-onset asthma I know what it's like to be faced with the terrifying moment of not being able to breath. I nearly "checked out" six separate times. I'm going to teach you 5 powerful ways to stop an asthma attack without an inhaler--but be 100% certain you have an inhaler available and that it is full. Inhalers are not the enemy; they are life-saving tools that you should always use if or when these tools don't bring immediate & satisfactory relief. Remember, your inhaler can save your life. Use it if you need it!

Tip #1: Sit down. Too simple? No. It's crucial. It's much easier to breathe sitting than any other position. Sit down and stay seated until your breath is fully back under your control. The dishes will wait. Your schedule will wait. Your "to-do list" will wait. Think about it. If you're not around to do your dishes, your schedule or your "to-do list" then there's no point. Sit and stay seated. Breathing is much easier.

Tip #2: Drink some more clean, un-carbonated water. Your lungs run on water to pump air. That's right. Not enough water means not enough pumping of air. The water needs to be clean, flat (un-carbonated) with nothing else in it. Tea doesn't count, nor coffee, nor soup. Just water. Part of the reason you have asthma is due to a shortage of clean water in your system. Time to fill up!

Tip #3: Put a small pinch of salt on your tongue after two glasses of water and let it dissolve on your tongue. This strange recipe can be miraculous. The order is crucial. First drink two full (tall) glasses of water and then follow that with a small pinch of salt on the tongue. Think of it as salty candy and just let it dissolve. The ideal is good quality sea salt--but any salt will work. It can be a life-saving recipe for you.

Tip #4: Hold your middle finger while you're sitting down. Take your hand and wrap all the fingers around the middle (longest) finger of the other hand. No, it's not a "pull my finger" joke (though it may look like it!). It's a powerful energetic Mudra (secret hand-clasping technique for healing) that is thousands of years old and quite amazing. It doesn't matter whether you hold onto your left or right middle finger, just wrap all the fingers of one hand around the opposite middle finger and hold gently. No pulling, rubbing, squeezing or massaging is required. Just hold. Hold it until your breath FULLY normalizes. Sometimes that's 30 seconds, sometimes 4 to 6 minutes and sometimes (for folks like myself who managed to never use an inhaler--NOT something I recommend!) it's hours. Find out for yourself how reliable and powerful this is.

Tip #5: Do something SIMPLE with your terrified mind to pull down your anxiety. Not so easy. However, it's possible to use something so simple that your anxiety WILL drop. The simplest is to put your attention on objects in the room or place you find yourself in and trace curved lines with your eyes. What??? Look for objects in your environment that have curved edges (not straight lines) and trace those curves with your eyes. Good objects like lamps, vases and rounded table corners are everywhere. If that's too stressful to find, just imagine circles, spheres and curved lines in the air in front of you and trace those with your eyes. You'll be amazed at how this neurological "trick" pulls down anxious thoughts.

All 5 tips can (and should) be done together for best results. Sit. Drink 2 tall glasses of water. Pinch of salt dissolving on the tongue. Then hold your middle finger and trace curved lines with your eyes. Wait until your FULL breath is FULLY under your control before you slowly return to your life. With these simple steps you CAN return to your life, instead of checking out. We need you here!

You'll find all kinds of healing and anti-stress tools that are completely FREE on my website: http://www.HuntersHealingCalls.com. They are available to you 24/7 every day of the year. That means you can access them at 3 a.m. when your chest feels tight and you need some help. The audio tools were designed for exactly this purpose; to let me lead you through energetic processes to help you. Please be sure (as this article stresses) you have your inhaler nearby, you are seated, you've had your water + salt and you're holding your middle finger. You'll make tremendous progress not only when you're in trouble, but if you use these tools frequently (when you're not in the midst of an attack) you'll see remarkable progress with your breathing.

Warmest wishes and here's to your easy, gentle and un-encumbered breath!

Copyright 2011 by Rudy Hunter. All rights reserved.

Could an Apple or an Orange a Day Keep Allergies and Asthma Away?

When the British National Health Service looked for a way to reduce the incidence of allergies and asthma in Scotland, they found a surprising remedy: apples.

Just one apple a week significantly reduced the frequency of both allergies and asthma. A similar benefit was found from eating oranges. In a later study of London school children aged 5 to 10, drinking apple juice at least once a day wasn't found to prevent every single asthma attack, but it was found to reduce wheezing. And a Dutch study found that women who eat apples during pregnancy bear children at lower risk for allergies, asthma, and eczema.

The British experience and subsequent laboratory studies in Japan suggest that the reason an apple a day (or even an apple a week) may keep atopic conditions is check is due to the fruit's content of quercetin.

This antioxidant flavonoid compound blocks the action of an enzyme called hyalouronidase. Hyalouronidase is responsible for swelling in the nasal passages.

Hyalouronidase also breaks open tiny packets inside mast cells filled with histamine, the agent of allergic irritation. Getting quercetin in the diet blocks the action of the enzyme and keeps the irritant from being released.

Eating foods with this useful plant chemical is associated not only with lower risk of skin and lung reactions, but also with lower risk of lung cancer.

Not everyone everywhere, of course, has access to an apple a day. You can also benefit from:

• Grapefruit,


• Onions,


• Red wine,


• Black tea, and to a lesser extent


• Beans and


• Green leafy vegetables

There are, however, certain foods that can wipe out the protective effects of quercetin (and your allergy medications, too). These are foods that contain the amino acid histidine, which the human body can convert to histamine (the irritant chemical anti-histamines are designed to fight). The list includes:

• Soy protein isolates,


• Dried tofu,


• Bacon,


• Game meats (especially whale and seal, but also venison, boar, and antelope), and


• Powdered eggs, although

Almost any kind of fish or meat is high in histidine.

Some foods, like fresh tuna, develop especially high levels of irritant chemcials from the breakdown of histidine if they are not stored under adequate refrigeration. If your tuna steak tastes peppery even before it's been seasoned, it will cause especially intense inflammation (scombroid poisoning) and aggravate any other allergies you may have.

So an apple a day may keep the allergies away, and blinky tuna will make them worse. Try eating apples, oranges, grapefruit, onions, or leafy vegetables and drinking tea every day and see if your allergies don't get better.

Natural Cures For Panic And Anxiety Attacks

Did you know that panic and anxiety attacks can occur without any warning? For some people, a stressful or traumatic incident as a child can trigger a panic attack. However some people experience extreme anxiety and stress and due to this they are unable to think or function normally.

Natural cures and remedies can prove to be a more effective treatment for panic and anxiety attacks due to several reasons. First, all the side effects from a natural remedy are far greater than taking medication or prescription drugs. This method is less expensive and has great long term benefits for the sufferer, while not causing any dependency or addiction to the medication.

Several techniques can be used to reduce the intensity and the frequency of panic attacks, and these include:

Breathing Techniques

When a patient is suffering from a panic or anxiety attack and has difficulty breathing. He or she may be provided with a brown paper bag to reduce hyperventilation, however this usually makes the situation worse as the person may suffer from an asthma or heart attack due to the lack of oxygen in their bloodstream. In many cases, it seems to make a difference to the person who is suffering as it is due to the placebo effect - it is all in their mind. Instead he or she should breathe deeply, inhale and exhale until they are relaxed.

Exercise

A panic attack is an overexertion of the body's normal response to fear, stress or excitement. When faced with a life threatening or dangerous situation the body gears itself up for danger by producing large quantities of adrenalin for 'fight or flight'. This would have helped our cave dwelling ancestors to fight or run away from danger. If you suffer from panic and anxiety attacks try to take control and do some physical activity as this can help to ride of the panic or anxiety attack.

Herbal Medication

In addition to cognitive based therapy, exercise and breathing techniques combined can have a tremendous effect and it can be a very effective tool against panic attacks. Using herbal medication instead of prescription drugs can help to strengthen the body and make you feel better. For instance, certain herbs can help to make you feel more relaxed and peaceful. Chamomile can be used to relax the muscles and the nervous system. Lemon balm, a mild sedative, and oat straw can also be used to alleviate your symptoms. Taking lemon balm can help to combat stress and it helps you to relax. Oat straw can help your nervous system to get rid of symptoms that may trigger a panic attack.

Meditation

Did you know that meditation can help to reduce anxiety greatly and to live in the present moment more fully. There are many benefits to meditation as it can help to

decrease your heart rate and blood pressure, as well reduce muscular tension and provide relief from the brief respite of a panic attack. By learning to control your breathing, a sufferer can easily overcome the breathlessness that occurs during a panic or anxiety attack.

How to Beat and Control Asthma

After having my own son who was a chronic Asthma suffer when he was younger, and having the knowledge just how bad this condition can be I understand what a constant battle to breathe it can be. It's almost as thou you want to breathe for them. In my son's case the more he struggled to breathe, the more his temperature went up, which again caused other problems.

Often we would have to rush him to Hospital to be given life saving treatment, so when I began to look into this subject it bought back many frightening memories. The hours my Wife and myself have spent waiting in Hospitals listening to every breath he took, and thankfully there was always great Doctor's and Hospital staff to help, and understand what you and our son was going through.

It was quite an eye opener as we tried different things to combat different allergies, as along with the Asthma came Eczema as well. We already new about Dust Mites from our local Doctor, and the vacuum cleaner was always out day and night. Many things were tried like Goat's Milk, and it almost seemed so frustrating as the more things you tried the worse things seemed to get.

To a certain extent we were lucky that our local Doctor was a Chest Specialist, and he was always sympathetic to our son's condition. We learnt a lot in those days, and I guess were still learning now although my son is now an adult, and rarely suffers.

Having an interest in Alternative Medicine I came across a website that kept me enthralled for quite some time. Now I have to say at this point that some Medical articles, or some Medical website's can be quite boring, but this one was a breath of fresh air. (No pun intended) It was written by a Lady by the name of Karen Beattie who like my own son had serious Asthma problems. She tells how with the aid of clinical trials she has learnt to overcome the effects of Asthma without the aid of drugs. Also she explains how the same report can help sufferers of Sinus and Allergies.

All this helps her to lead a normal life, and also enables her to sleep better, and she claims that this will work with anyone who uses the report. I don't at this stage want to make this sound like an advert as Asthma is a serious thing, and should be treated with respect.

Over the years you learn all sorts of information like that of my Father who also was a sufferer. We lived out in the country with a lot of land, and at a certain time of year a weed would grow which caused to severe attacks. Our job then as a family was to pull out or cut down this weed, and then burn as much as we could to alleviate his problems.

For those who don't know anything about Asthma I'll give a brief description, although I have to say I'm no medical expert. In Asthma attacks the airways in the lungs are constricted which causes the sufferer to gasp for breath as most of the lungs are closed off for a normal air flow. Not having oxygen in the lungs tends to want to shut the body down. The attacks can be caused by all forms of allergies, and the most common is Dust Mites, or animals such as Cats or Dogs.

From my own point of view it's nice to know that there are alternatives as I shudder to think about the amounts of drugs my son has gad to take.

History and Diagnosis of Asthma

There is no universally accepted definition of asthma. The Concise Oxford Dictionary describes it as "a disease of respiration characterised by difficult breathing, cough etc.". Any good medical book will describe it in more technical terms but 'difficult breathing' is the part with which any asthma sufferer is familiar, even if it varies from mildly uncomfortable to life-threatening. Asthma is news now. There was a dramatic increase in the condition in the late twentieth century to the extent that an estimated 100 to 150 million people in the world are now affected by it, but it is not a recent phenomenon.

The term "asthma" is a Greek translation of gasping or panting, and the problem was treated as far back as 2000 BC by Chinese doctors with the herb Ma Huang. The first known recording of the symptoms was about 3,500 years ago in an ancient Egyptian manuscript called Ebers Papyrus. Throughout the ages, asthma has received varying degrees of attention; the symptoms and their accompanying anxiety have been described by many prominent historical figures, including the famous Greek physician, Hippocrates.

Over the centuries, there has been an assortment of different theories about the causes of asthma, and so an eclectic range of remedies has been advised, including horse riding, strong coffee, tobacco, faith healing, chloroform and even drinking the blood of owls in wine, as practised by the ancient Romans. Van Helmont who lived in the early part of the seventeenth century claimed that asthma was epilepsy of the lungs due to the sudden and unpredictable nature of an attack. Based on his own experience of asthma, English physician Thomas Willis said that "the blood boils", and that "there is scarce anything more sharp or terrible than the fits thereof".

It was not until the eighteenth century that Lavoisier provided the first real account of the functioning of the lungs, thereby providing the basis of modern-day understanding of the respiratory system. Prior to this, it was commonly believed that air was drawn into the lungs to cool the body. Lavoisier's contribution was that air is drawn in to be converted to energy by the metabolism, and that carbon dioxide and heat are produced as end products of the process. Lavoisier's work recognised that oxygen is essential to sustaining life.

Asthma now affects more people throughout the world, particularly in more developed countries, than at any other time in evolution. It inflicts greater economic and social damage in Western Europe than either TB or HIV, according to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) April 2002 report on the links between ill health in children and the deteriorating environment.

According to the 1998 International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), the countries with the highest twelve-month incidence of asthma were the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland followed by North, Central and South America. The same report found that the lowest rates were in centres in several Eastern European countries, followed by Indonesia, Greece, China, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, India and Ethiopia. Other studies show that the rate of asthma among rural Africans who migrate to cities and adopt a more 'western' urbanised lifestyle increases dramatically. According to the UCB Institute of Allergy in Belgium, the incidence of asthma in Western Europe has doubled in the last ten years.

In the Western world, asthma crosses all class, race, geography and gender boundaries. Although it causes persistent symptoms among seventy per cent of all people diagnosed with it, asthma causes only minor discomfort to the majority. In fact, some of the most influential people of our time in all walks of life were asthmatic, including Russian Tzar Peter the Great, actors Liza Minnelli, Jason Alexander and Elizabeth Taylor, revolutionary Che Guevara, and former US presidents John F Kennedy, Calvin Coolidge and Theodore Roosevelt. All these have lived life to the full or are still living it.

What are the symptoms?

The condition consists of inflammation, tightening and swelling of the airways in the respiratory system, resulting in obstruction of the flow of air to and from the lungs. The symptoms of asthma include breathlessness, wheezing, coughing and chest tightness. Sufferers may also have a blocked nose and hay fever, or rhinitis. The symptoms and their severity are peculiar to the individual, and they vary from season to season and according to the individual's susceptibility to a wide range of triggers.

An 'asthma attack' is the term used to describe an episode of breathing difficulty. In some cases, this may follow exposure to a specific trigger, such as dust, pollen, or certain foods. In other cases there appears to be no particular trigger. Some people have a cough and no wheeze, while others may have a wheeze and very little coughing, but each case is accompanied by some level of breathing difficulty. Symptoms may occur periodically, on a day-to-day or season-to-season basis, or they may be more or less continuous.
A 'trigger' is something that makes asthma worse. The most common triggers include (in alphabetical order): allergies; cigarette smoking (and cigarette smoke for non-smokers); colds and 'flu; cold air; dust mites; exercise under certain circumstances; moulds; noxious fumes; pollens; stress, and weather types such as fog and damp. In some instances an asthma attack may be triggered by a combination of catalysts. Anxiety can be caused by the variations on the asthma theme, particularly where a child is involved. Sometimes, there may be confusion between doctor and patient when a diagnosis is being made.

There is also a wide variety in the symptoms of asthma. The following is a list of those most commonly experienced by sufferers.

• Wheeze
This is a high pitched whistling sound produced when air is forced through narrowed airways. If you blow through a Biro pen when the ink refill is removed, the sound is similar.

• Breathlessness
This is the feeling of not being able to take in enough air. There is a need to breathe out while, at the same time, a compulsion to breathe in. If this symptom develops to an extreme level it can be frightening for the sufferer and very distressing for those close to him or her.

• Coughing
This may be either a repetitive dry cough or a cough with phlegm, often occurring during the night or early morning. Repetitive coughing can put a strain on the heart and drives sputum deeper into the lungs. Patients with this symptom may feel like they are on a conveyor belt: the more they cough, the more they feel the need to cough again.

• Chest tightness
Trapped air in the lungs generates a feeling that the chest is over inflated. This is often described as someone squeezing or sitting on one's chest.

• Frequent yawning
When asthma symptoms are at their worst, sleep is interrupted by difficult periods of breathing which contributes to tiredness.

Non-asthmatics can, of course, observe these symptoms, but they will not appreciate the feelings of tension, panic, uncertainty and helplessness which accompany them, particularly when the asthmatic struggles to breathe. If you are not an asthmatic, imagine trying to breathe while a pillow is being pressed firmly over your face. That feeling you imagine is the feeling someone with asthma has during an attack. In your case, the imaginary pillow can be easily removed to allow you to breathe effortlessly; for an asthmatic, the remedy is not so simple.

Given the variety of symptoms and their severity, diagnosing a condition that has no commonly accepted definition is not an exact science. Many asthma symptoms are also the symptoms of other conditions, such as chronic bronchitis or bronchiectasis, for example. Diagnosis has to take into account the chronic nature of asthma and the constriction of the airways due to inflammation by various cells and chemicals. Generally, diagnosis of asthma is based on the following factors.

• History of the patient
This includes establishing if the patient has experienced asthma symptoms while at rest, during exercise or after exposure to a known trigger.

• Lung function tests
The peak flow meter measures the maximum speed at which the patient can exhale air in one second. A person with asthma usually produces a lower reading, and, generally speaking, a more inconsistent range of results than a person who doesn't suffer from the condition. Spirometry measures both the speed and volume of air which is exhaled with each breath, thereby providing additional airway obstruction information.

• Effect of reliever or steroidal medication
In part, diagnosis of asthma is based on the effects of medication, and whether or not it leads to a temporary reversal of symptoms. Other conditions which demonstrate common asthma-type symptoms, such as emphysema, include irreversible airway obstruction.

• Provocation test
The patient inhales a broncho-constricting agent, such as histamine or methacholine. The airways of people with asthma are far more responsive to inhalation of these substances; agents like these will provoke more extensive narrowing of air passages in people with asthma.

• Skin tests to determine allergies
A number of common allergens are selected, such as dust mites, pollen or animal dander. One at a time, the allergens are placed on the forearm, and the skin is then gently pierced to allow the substances to penetrate. After fifteen minutes, the skin surrounding this spot may develop a small rash. While this test is not always conclusive, the presence of a rash and the size of the weal indicate an allergy to a specific substance.

• Chest x-ray
X-ray is used to rule out other respiratory diseases in a person who has the symptoms of severe chronic asthma. X-ray charts show irreversible damage to the airways, and this aids the diagnoses of other respiratory disorders.

Asthma Home Remedy - Honey and Ginger to Relieve Asthma

There are many different triggers and causes of asthma. And just as there are many triggers and causes, there are also many different remedies. Some of these asthma home remedies involve consuming different combinations of food ingredients. Two of the most beneficial ingredients are honey and ginger.

Let's take a look at some concoctions with honey and with ginger.

Honey as a Remedy

Honey is very good for asthma. Honey helps to thin the mucus in the body and helps get the mucus out of the respiratory system. As you probably already know, mucus accumulates in the breathing passages and blocks air flow in and out of the body. This can trigger or make an asthma attack worse.

You can either take the honey by mouth or you can just breathe in the honey if an attack is beginning.

Here are some mixtures (along with how often to take them) that combine honey with other ingredients:

* One teaspoon of honey with water every day.

* One teaspoon of warm water with one quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder twice a day.

* One teaspoon of honey with half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder once a day (either morning or night).

* One tablespoon of honey, one tablespoon of drumstick leaves juice, one teaspoon small onion juice, and half a teaspoon of asafetida. Mix all these things together and consume twice a day.

Ginger as a Remedy

Ginger is also very good for asthma. Ginger powder negates the effects of Platelet-Activating Factors. This means the ginger powder stops inflammation.

When mixed with certain other ingredients, it also acts as an expectorant. This means that it helps you cough-up and get rid of mucus in your respiratory system.

Here are a few mixtures with ginger in them:

* One teaspoon of ginger with one cup of fenugreek concoction once a day.

* Fresh ginger juice mixed with honey taken once a day.

* Half a tea spoon of fresh ginger, one teaspoon cumin seeds, a pinch of nutmeg, and a glass of water. Combine everything and bring to a boil. Then drink hot.

The Effectiveness of Honey and Ginger

The effectiveness of honey and ginger as an asthma home remedy has been proven over and over. However, just as everyone's asthma is triggered by something different, everyone's asthma is effectively treated a little differently. Therefore, you will need to test to see which one or ones work best for you.

Overall, honey and ginger are two of the most effective ingredients that you can add to any concoction. Honey helps rid the respiratory system of mucus while ginger helps stop inflammation and also helps get rid of mucus when mixed with certain other ingredients.

6 Natural Ways to Cure Asthma - Cure Asthma Remedies

Asthma is one of the sicknesses which take the breath away if it isn't forestalled in its 1st stage. Now a days man is leading a life in such a unhealthy environment that many new sicknesses are given a new way to enter into his body. He is also becoming unhealthy thanks to the stress of work he has and food which he intake. He is hooked on many bad obsessions like alcohol consumption, smoking, and intake of drugs only to keep his mind relaxed for few seconds. Due to this behavior he has become a body of many sicknesses

There are several different teas that are suggested to cure asthma naturally. They are not teas that come in tea bags, but are therapeutic teas that you would make in a tea pot.

- Chamomile is mostly found in tea form and is used as a natural treatment for asthma, many people say it assists them with their respiring. It is thought that chamomile has the authority to scale back the force of allergies on the body which can lower the issues that you're having with respiring that's caused by allergies.

This is a natural item that opens up the airways and it also serves to cut back panic and uneasiness. When you get anxious about your breathing, you are more inclined to worsen the symptoms of asthma. Taking something that decreases that stress can lessen the chances that you'll cave in to that panic and can help to reduce problems with asthma.

- Omega fatty acid: Is also used as a natural treatment for asthma, it help the ingestion of omega fatty acids as they'll help lessen the levels of arachidonic acid, Arachidonic acid may cause an asthma attack. This acid can be found in these type of foods: shellfish, egg yolks and beef

- Dry grapes: Eat the dry grapes covered with water for a night. This is the best natural cure for asthma, and can greatly increase breathing and air flow through the lungs.

- Garlic: This is a great and awfully useful choice for any type of asthma treatment you are seeking. The aggregate of boiled garlic and drinking milk gives good natural relief for asthma.

- Vitamin C: If you take 500mg of Vitamin C daily it helps with the swelling inside your body, also if taken everyday Vitamin C can improve your breathing.

- Avoiding yourself from dust is a must for asthma patients. Performing easy yoga exercises of breathing with the consult of your physician which helps you to keep away you from asthma attack in the future.

- Avoid sleeping with full stomach and don't taking heavy nibbles when you head off to bed. Keep yourself away from some of the food items which may cause you asthma. Have a practice of eating lots of fish as it decreases your asthma condition. Cultivate a habit of having exotic food like eating fresh veggies, fruits, intake of vitamins / mineral supplements which may keep you away from asthma.

Learn How You Can Control Your Asthma Effectively

If you suffer from asthma but want to live a full life, there are certain fundamental truths about the condition that you should learn more about. With the proper education and application of knowledge, you can deal with your condition effectively and efficiently. The following paragraphs of this article detail five such fundamentals.

You know that you should stop smoking or hopefully not start or start back up. But do you know why? Of course you are already aware that smoking causes cancer over time, but do you know what specific impact it has on an asthma sufferer? The effects are two-fold in nature. Most immediately, when you smoke, you are drawing in air that is full of smoke and not oxygen. An asthma attack is your body having difficulty getting oxygen, so deliberately skipping out on oxygen is only begging for an attack. In the longer term, smoking introduces thousands of chemical compounds and tar into your respiratory system, gunking things up and making it harder for you to breathe. This raises your chances of future attacks quite significantly. Quit now, not to avoid cancer, but just so you can keep breathing.

Medication is essential when you have asthma. Most every sufferer is prescribed an emergency inhaler with a compound within it. This compound relaxes tension within constricted air passages inside your body during an asthma attack. It is good to get in the habit of making sure you always carry your inhaler with you, but it is great to read the service schedule and maintenance directions. In as much as you would hate to forget to keep your spare tire inflated and find it flat when you need it on a dark night, you do not want to reach for your inhaler during an attack and discover it is not working.

As much as you should have your inhaler checked routinely for function, you also need to have your inhaler technique also checked for form. It is a good idea to just do this every time you see one of your doctors or medical team. People sometimes learn good posture as children but slouch later in life, and you can get equally casual in your inhaler use. Make sure your doctor is checking you out often so you stay on your toes about doing this right.

Something else your doctor may introduce you to in addition to your inhaler is a peak flow meter. You use this device to measure the air flow in and out of your lungs. Once programmed or set with your personal maximum rate, it can give you sudden readings measured in green, yellow and red. Green means you are largely okay, but yellow means you need to take your emergency medicine and red means both medicine and summoning medical help.

There is a long list of known asthma triggers. Not all of them will always apply to you, but you need to probably memorize the list. Absolutely avoid the situations that you know trigger your attacks, and be careful around known triggers that afflict others, as they could hit you too one day. Mindful attention and lifestyle changes can go a long way to preventing asthma attacks.

As was mentioned in the introduction, just being informed and educated on ways you can manage your asthma goes a long way towards keeping an active and happy life. Make sure that you keep all these ideas in mind, and you can be on your way to living a content life, even with asthma.

How to Identify Asthma Symptoms in Adults

One of the main reasons why asthma continues to be one of the top ailments that affects millions of people worldwide is the fact that anyone can possibly develop it at any point in time. Unlike other illnesses, asthma can manifest in a person even in their adulthood for a good couple of reasons.

Asthma symptoms in adults

This is why if you suspect of having asthma, even when you're already in your twenties, chances are you do have it. But before you get into a full panic mode, check yourself first for some signs of asthma symptoms in adults which are the following:

1. Shortness of breath.
2. Wheezing.
3. Coughing.
4. Sweating profusely.
5. Chest tightening and pain.
6. Rapid heart rate.

More adult asthma information

Asthma in adults, also known as adult-onset asthma, usually occurs in individuals in their 20's. Family history, among many other reasons can easily cause the development of this ailment, even though you've never really had an attack in your childhood.

Aside from your genes, another reason for the manifestation of asthma symptoms in adults is allergies. If you or your loved one with suspected adult-onset asthma is allergic to pet dander or pollens, then, there's a large chance that their allergies could escalate to asthma.

Obesity can also be another reason for developing the illness at a later stage. As being overweight can easily disrupt the proper functioning of the body, developing obesity in adulthood can really be the trigger for this type of asthma.

Now, once you notice any of these asthma symptoms in adults, you must seek medical help right away. A diagnosis can help you determine which type of adult-onset asthma it is that you have, so treatment can be properly applied to your condition. Depending on your asthma symptoms in adults, your case may be determined as mid intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent, or sever persistent asthma.

Asthma treatment

As soon as you get diagnosed of adult-onset asthma, treatment should be the number one priority for you to get. Some of the possible treatments you can get, depending, of course, on your diagnosis are the following:

1. Asthma action plan. Contrary to the popular belief, an action plan is now also being used as a treatment method even for asthma symptoms in adults. A plan like this will help you and your doctor better monitor your condition and apply the proper medications and treatments so you can better manage and control your asthma. And as the adult-onset asthma's number one characteristic is permanence, you should really take measures to better deal with it.

2. Have a healthier lifestyle. Living normally can be quite difficult for most individuals with asthma symptoms in adults, but it can be possibly achieved through living a healthy lifestyle. So, get involved in sports or just make time to exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet to help your body better cope with asthma.

Using Psyllium For Relieving Constipation

If you have asthma, do not take or use psyllium. Some people with asthma have had allergic reactions to psyllium and the powder from psyllium can cause an asthma attack.

Some you may be allergic to psyllium. If you are, you may become constipated or develop dark areas under your eyes.

Psyllium is the fiber part of seed husks from plantain. It is high in a soluble fiber that is called mucilage, so it absorbs water and becomes bulky. It contains almost no insoluble fiber, yet it acts like it has both soluble and insoluble fiber. Stomach enzymes do not easily breakdown psyllium, so it moves into your colon like insoluble fiber.

Psyllium fiber acts on your colon relieving constipation.

In your colon, psyllium activates peristaltic action and helps to clean your colon of any stagnation that has occurred there. By adding moisture to dry hard fecal matter, psyllium helps to move fecal matter through your colon. As psyllium seeds bulk up in your colon, they push against your colon walls stimulating peristaltic action. The soluble fiber in psyllium provides food for good bacteria, which helps them to multiple.

One added benefit of psyllium is its ability to pull toxins out of bowel pockets known as diverticuli.

Psyllium is a popular ingredient in many remedies on the market for relieving constipation. Choose a psyllium product that does not have sugar, maltodextrin, or artificial sweeteners. If possible, buy psyllium in bulk form from a health food store, which may offer it in bins. In this form, it is processed less and usually contains no additives.

If you have chronic constipation or constipation where you have blockage in the colon do not use psyllim seeds. Psyllim seeds provide more bulk to the colon and will just add to your chronic condition.

Here's how to use for relieving constipation.

For mild constipation, take 1 teaspoon in a glass of juice or warm water 3 times a day.

Work up to taking one teaspoon of psyllium by starting with ¼ teaspoon in a glass of water or juice. The next day take ½ teaspoon and so on until you are taking one teaspoon. Do the same when considering taking up to 2 teaspoons of psyllium.

Start by taking 1 teaspoon just before going to bed. After drinking your glass of psyllium seeds, follow this up each time with another 8 oz of clear distilled water.

For moderate constipation, take 2 teaspoons in a glass of juice or warm water daily. Start by taking 2 teaspoons at breakfast time.

It can take up to 3 days to get constipation relief and that depends on the dose you take.

Use psyllium seeds with care. Some cases have been found where psyllium seed parts have lodged in the colon wall, causing an irritation. When using excessive psyllium seeds, it is possible that it can deposit on your colon walls if you have deposited toxic waste there. This adds to the encrustation along your colon wall.

Continue to drink water during the day, up to 4-6 glasses a day, when using psyllium seeds. This helps push the seeds through your colon and not deposit along your colon walls. Remember the seeds bulk up and absorb water and you don't want them to cause constipation by bulking up and getting stuck in your colon.

Use psyllium seeds only long enough for relieving your constipation. Excessive use of psyllium can cause allergic reactions and can cause constipation if used incorrectly.

How Can I Treat Asthma With Home Remedies

Asthma is a respiratory disease and is very common. It attacks the bronchial tubes and the trachea that causes the airways to narrow and thus decreases the amount of air reaching the lungs. As a result of this breathing becomes difficult. Although asthma is generally found in younger children and young adults but it can attack to people of all ages. Some of the common symptoms of asthma are coughing, wheezing, tight chest and facing difficulty in breathing.

There are two types of asthma namely, allergic asthma and non-allergic asthma. Some of the common allergens that can cause asthma are chemicals, drugs, smoke, dust etc. Non-allergic asthma can be caused due to anxiety, dry or humid weather, fear of something etc. The rate at which asthma attacks have increased in recent years is really alarming and the sufferers in most of the cases are children. According to scientists asthma is directly related to the air we breathe and it is for this reason that a higher percentage of people living in big cities suffer from asthma than people in small cities. However it cannot be said that this is the only reason causing asthma and evidences suggest that genetic, food additives etc. could also cause asthma.

Most of the drugs can provide only temporary relief from asthma but some of the homemade remedies for asthma are really helpful. Given below are some of the very effective homemade remedies for asthma.

1. Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 can treat asthma efficiently as it decreases the inflammation in the lungs and thus makes breathing easier.

2. Vitamin C can increase the amount of oxygen reaching the lungs and reduces inflammation.

3. Ginkgo biloba is herb that contains ginkgolideB that is extremely useful since study show that it decreases the frequency of asthma attacks.

4. Make mullein oil in the form of tea and drink it, this will fight against respiratory congestion.

5. You can also use a powerful mixture of herbs called Shuan Huang Lian.

6. In case you're exercising triggers asthma attacks then you need to decrease the amount of salt in your diet. Along with this you need to take 2000 mg of Vitamin C an hour before you start your workout.

7. Eat salmon at least three times every week and take capsules made of salmon oil.

8. You can also use Pau d'arco that is an antibiotic as it helps in reducing inflammation.

Other effective home remedies you might want to consider:

o Take 3 tablespoons of a cranberries mash.

o Squeeze one lemon in a glass, add water to it and drink it with your meals.

o Take a teaspoon of ginger juice, mixed with honey and drink it. You should feel the relief right away.

o Garlic is very good for asthma attacks. Mix a garlic clove with a glass of milk. Boil it and drink it when it cools off.

o Drink fresh cabbage juice on a daily basis.

o For instant asthma relief drink a warm glass of milk.

o Drink a hot black coffee as hot as you can.

o Mix 2 teaspoon of grind Hilba in a glass of boiling water. To improve the taste a little bit you should add honey.

o Inhale the fumes of a boiling fennel oil.

Natural Asthma Treatments - Treat Your Asthma the Right Way

Treating asthma is no easy task, and because of that everyone is looking for natural asthma treatments. There are various different ways to treat asthma, it can be done naturally, by using medications, or even by using herbal treatments can be used to treat asthma.

Knowing your asthma is a very critical part of beginning natural asthma treatment. You need to know how your asthma reacts to certain things, and exactly what triggers your asthma. Once you figure that out, you should then start taking steps to natural asthma treatments.

Preservatives make it hard to breath, so get rid of the preservatives in your foods when you have asthma. Get rid of the preservatives and white flour, store bought bread, boxed food and most canned foods.

Doing this will allow you to get more airflow through your airways, and making it a lot easier to breathe. Simple things like just changing what you eat, can better your asthma very easily. Removing preservatives is one of the most effective natural asthma treatments, and doing so will improve your asthma.

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables such as apples, tomatoes, carrots, and leafy vegetables is some other natural asthma treatments used, they will aid you in fighting against an asthma attack.

Not only does eating fresh fruits and vegetables help you to protect against severe asthma attacks, but they will also decrease the dependence on medication.

Another popular treatment for asthma is Garlic. The strong odor of garlic cloves also contains chemicals that improve your blood circulation and decrease inflammation. Garlic can be eaten, and can be taken in capsules or liquids.

It is one of the most effective and inexpensive natural asthma treatments. The strong odor of garlic helps you to take deeper breaths, and making it easier for you to breathe.

Once you realize what causes your problems with asthma, decreasing the symptoms and lowering attacks are not as hard as one might think. You will then be able to avoid such things that will irritate your asthma, and be able to live without the worry of your asthma bothering you.

These are just some of the many natural asthma treatments that can be used to deal with your asthma, there are a lot more that is being used everyday.

How to Treat and Cure For Asthma Using 10 Minutes a Day

If you have asthma, you definitely fear the onset of another attack. You may feel panicked when an asthma attack begins because you may experience chest pain or tightness and shortness of breath. And perhaps, you may have heard of people dying because of a really bad asthma attack.

Aside from anti-asthma medications, do you know that you can do something to treat and cure for asthma?

Yes, there are ways on how to treat and cure asthma for 10 minutes a day. You just have to allocate 10 minutes of your time each day to do these breathing exercises. If you do these breathing exercises daily, you are assured of reduced or disappearance of asthma attacks.

One method on how to treat and cure for asthma is through the Pranayama breathing exercises. These exercises are the ones used in yoga. There are different breathing exercises under Pranayama. Examples of these breathing exercises are Naadi Shodhana, Dirga pranayama, Sit Cari, Ujjayi pranayama, and Kapalabhati pranayama.

Naadi Shodhana is a breathing exercise to treat and cure for asthma which is triggered by stress and emotional problems

1. Inhale. When you exhale, press your right thumb on your right nostril so you can exhale through your right nostril only.
2. With your right thumb on your right nostril, inhale.
3. Then exhale through your right nostril. This time, block your left nostril with your two right mid fingers.
4. Inhale through your right nostril while your left nostril is still blocked.
5. Repeat the cycle.

For asthma induced by cold air, one way to treat and cure for asthma is through the Pranayama breathing exercise known as Ujjayi pranayama. Here are the steps:

1. In a cross-legged position, deeply inhale and exhale through your mouth.
2. When you exhale, slightly constrict your throat. Try imagining fogging up a window or pair of glasses.
3. Then, inhale while constricting your throat. When you inhale, you will observe an ocean-like sound. This is where the Ujjayi came from.
4. When you are comfortable with doing steps 2 and 3, close your mouth as you inhale and exhale.
This way, you will be inhaling and exhaling through your nose. Do not forget to constrict your throat as you do this.
5. Continue doing step 4 for 10 minutes.

If you have not done yoga before, simply follow these steps to treat and cure for asthma. You may feel uncomfortable at the beginning but with daily practice, you will definitely get used to them. Remember that these breathing exercises have been established to considerably reduce the number of asthma attacks as well as the use of anti-asthma medications.

Start practicing your 10 minutes today and you will be asthma-free in no time!