Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Stopping an Asthma Attack in Its Tracks


In the U.S. there are over ten million people who are asthma sufferers, and many physicians regard asthma as an epidemic because it so widespread.

Exposure to noxious chemicals in the air and environmental pollution are usually held responsible for contributing to this disease. There is an increase in the number of people dying from asthma, mostly because the warning signs are being ignored.

During an asthma attack, the airways in the lungs will begin to swell and develop mucus secretions, and will eventually spasm. It becomes harder to breath as the airways become narrower. Breathlessness, coughing, wheezing, congestion, a dry mouth, fever and pain are all symptoms that can appear during an asthma attack.

An attack can be caused by almost anything. Upper respiratory infections, overexertion, poor nutrition, and stress are frequent causes, and allergies are the most typical trigger of an asthma attack.

Many attacks are a result of contact with irritants like pollen, gas odors, smoke, and exhaust fumes. Attacks can also be caused by foods like chocolate, dairy products, corn and peanuts. They can also be induced when you take antibiotics, tranquilizers or hormone therapy.

There are a number of herbal, mineral and vitamin supplements that can be used for the treatment of asthma. Vitamin B is the most significant of these. Not only can it decrease the severity of an attack but it preserves the biochemical equilibrium in your body.

If you use vitamins A and E in concert they collaborate to defend your lungs from pollution. As well, big dosages of Vitamin C are highly successful in combating asthma.

Another effective treatment for improving breathing and assisting with bronchial responses is gingko biloba. Odorless garlic is also a good alternative. The anti-inflammatory properties of this supplement decrease the risk of an asthma attack.

If you think you might have asthma, see your doctor right away to get tested. Until then, eat a diet high in protein with lots of vegetables and fruits and steer clear of known triggers.

An asthma attack can be a stressful experience, however there are always ways to defend against it and keep it from negatively impacting your life. If your doctor diagnoses you with asthma, ask questions and seek advice on what you ought to be doing.

It's possible to avert an asthma attack, so there is no reason for it to keep you from the activities you enjoy. It can usually be contained even if it does slow you down for a while.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Do You Suffer From 'Mental Asthma'?


Here's an analogy for you to think about today: the patient who suffers from the medical condition known as asthma. What's going on here is this: although there is an abundance of oxygen in the air all around us, someone with asthma, during an asthmatic attack, experiences oxygen lack. They find it difficult to breathe in enough air. This is because their airways are abnormally narrow (for various reasons which I won't go into here).

The result is that this patient is ill. An acute attack of asthma can be really frightening for the one suffering from it, for it is a life-threatening condition.

Notice that although there is more than enough air to go round, the person with asthma still can't get enough into his/her body to meet physiological needs. The problem lies with the patient, *not* with the supply of air..

How does this relate to health, wealth and happiness? What's this got to do with success?

Think about it: there is more than enough of anything you could ever wish for, and just like the air you breathe, it's all around you but invisible. Abundance is the natural state of affairs.

In addition, if you don't suffer from 'mental asthma', you can convert the intangible, invisible supply around you into its physical, visible, tangible version of what you want.

The supply of all you need to live like a king today is unlimited. How much you receive (and therefore manifest) in your life depends on how patent your 'mental airways' are.

If you suffer from lack of anything in your life - health, wealth or happiness for example - the problem is not with the Source of all things (God, 'the Universe'). No, for everywhere you look, you find evidence that the very nature of things is abundance.

The problem therefore lies with you, if you are not experiencing abundance in any aspect of your life.You are very likely suffering from 'mental asthma' - your mental airways are too narrow to fully receive all that is freely available to you as part of God's creation.

You may have heard of this condition being referred to as 'limiting beliefs'.

If you hold limiting beliefs in any area of your life, that part suffers from lack of abundance. Limiting beliefs narrow your 'mental airways' and lead to 'mental asthma', a serious condition. Therefore you need to seek the cure for this condition, for it is as life threatening, if not more so, than its medical counterpart.

The treatment of asthma, the medical condition, involves giving drugs that widen the patient's airways. With more patent breath pipes, the person easily breathes in as much oxygen as they need to function properly.

The treatment of 'mental asthma' involves giving you 'drugs' that 'widen your mental airways'. This can be done in various ways, such as reading mind-expanding books, listening to positively charged audios, bombarding your mind with images and thoughts of abundant health, wealth and happiness. The aim of all this is to get you to habitually think thoughts that allow the abundance around you to easily flow through you.

And believe me, for a condition as chronic as 'mental asthma', you need mega-doses of this stuff if you are to (totally reprogram your mind and) experience abundance in your life.

How to Fight Asthma Naturally


Fighting asthma naturally sounds difficult, but what if it was so easy that you didn't have to change one thing in your daily activities? Would that be of interest to you? Fighting asthma for most can be a very long harsh battle and unfortunately many are stuck on prescription drugs and inhalers that only manage your symptoms, never giving you a way out. There is a way out and it's so simple that the young and old are finding it life changing. A method that helps your body overcome asthma right at the root cause of the illness itself.

What do you think causes asthma in the first place? We here believe that asthma is caused by environmental pollutants that enter the body as we breathe, eat or drink. They go into the lungs where they disrupt the precious balance that is needed for proper breathing functions. In order to fight the good fight against asthma, you must first understand your enemy. You know all too well what an asthma attack is like, but how do you bring it to an end completely? Have you ever been out on a really bad pollution day and found it impossible to breathe? What if it truly is the cause of your asthma?

Understanding that asthma can be beaten in battle, it starts from the inside out where these environmental pollutions hide and wait. Toxins do their best to break the balance, leaving you helpless to breathe and eventually causing attacks that could end up being fatal. It doesn't have to be this way; there is a newly discovered method that is changing lives every single day. It's showing people that they don't have to lay down and just put up with the disease. You can actually eliminate it completely from your body and your life. This is how it's done.

When environmental pollutants enter your system, they are forcibly absorbed by your body into fat cells and tissues because our bodies are so overwhelmed with pollutants. It is now impossible for your body to eliminate them naturally. With this ever growing problem that is only increasing every year instead of dissipating, it is time to take action to rid yourself of these dangerous pollutants and give your body the tool it needs to overcome disease all on its own. Your body is the only cure in this world and it can overcome anything if you provide it with the right tools. Prescription drugs and inhalers are not the right tools, all they do is manage your symptoms so you have to keep coming back for more and more till the side effects drive you insane.

Or you can try something that has zero side effects and has changed people's lives so dramatically, like my 6-year old son who was diagnosed with asthma at the age of 4 and is 6 now and completely symptom free. His prescription drugs and inhaler lay on a shelf collecting dust. I keep them as a reminder that if you provide your body with the right tools, anything is possible. So, if you have been looking for something that could help you eliminate your asthma and give you a future of unencumbered breathing, then I leave it to you to follow this path we have showed you to healing. You are only clicks away.

Singular Asthma Medication


Asthma is an illness caused by airway inflammation. When Asthmas patients are exposed to allergies the airway inflammation gets aggravated causing the airway to narrow and increasing the mucus causing difficulty in breathing. Singular asthma controls and prevents asthma symptoms. Here is a list of early asthma symptoms that will give you warning signs.

Runny nose, chest tightness, feeling tired, headache, change in the color of mucus, and itchy throat. If neglected it could turn in a serious asthma attack. To prevent asthma attacks follow you asthma schedule plan religiously by following all the prescribed medications. Stay off from allergies causing triggers. Identify the asthma symptom that triggers off the attack. This way you will able to lead a normal and healthy life.

Singular Asthma is a prescribed drug which is used to thwart asthma and other nasal allergies that are caused due to runny or stuffy nose and also due to exercising. It is obtainable in the form of granules and tablets. Granules are generally given to babies. It is dissolved either in rice water, carrot juice, mother's milk or formula milk and poured into the babies' mouth. Singular asthma is taken daily before exercising. These tablets block the receptors of leukotriene thus preventing allergy attacks.

This medication can be consumed either before meals or after meals. One has to take this medication at a particular time of the day daily to maintain a steady blood level. It has to be taken according to the doctors' prescription for best results.

Stomach pain, tooth pain and flu are some of the side effects that are caused due to taking singular asthma tablets. Studies show that people who take this drug are less prone to asthma attacks as compared to those who do not take it. It is a harmless and effective way of treating even 12 month old toddlers. If taken a couple of hours before exercising this medication has helped in preventing asthma induced attacks.

The dosage recommended for each patient will differs according to their age, medical background and other medications. Singular tablets are stored in a cool place at room temperature.

Do not replace singulars for inhalers. Continue with the other asthma medicines that have been prescribed. Singular prevents asthma attacks; it does not relieve asthma attacks.

Singular Asthma medication belongs to corticosteroids family. The generic name of singular is montelkast sodium. Although singular asthma medication has side-effects it is not serious enough to list as a black box warning.

Asthma Allergy - What Triggers Your Wheezing?


Asthma allergy is fairly common and afflicts people of all ages including children. If you have this medical condition, you are probably looking for remedies for allergies or ways to ease your symptoms, which can be frightening at times. Asthma is an inflammation and tightening of the airways and that can make it difficult to breathe.

Most people with asthma allergy usually have extended periods where they are symptom free, interrupted by flare-ups of wheezing. An attack can last for days or just a few hours. Other people must contend with their symptoms of wheezing and shortness of breath on a daily basis.

Identifying the triggers for your asthma allergy is important to preventing an attack. Your doctor may give you allergy tests so you can uncover the culprit. Common triggers include cigarette smoke, pollen, mold, pet dander, dust, foods, chemicals, cold weather, stress, infections, and even exercise.

Once you know what might set off an episode of wheezing, you can take steps to avoid it. For example, if cold weather is a trigger, you can attempt to stay indoors as much as possible during the winter and cover your mouth with a scarf if you do go out. If you are allergic to particular foods, you know to avoid them to prevent wheezing.

Controlling asthma allergies usually isn't as simple as avoiding triggers though. Many times you don't know what causes an attack. Your doctor may also prescribe medication that can help. There are two types of drugs your doctor might give you. One of them is quick acting and intended for use during an asthma attack. The other is long acting and is taken to help prevent an attack from happening.

Generally, people with mild asthma allergy take the quick relief medicines whenever they are needed. People who battle the symptoms of asthma on a constant basis use the longer acting drugs. Sometimes an attack is so severe that you might have to go to the hospital for stronger medications delivered through an IV. You may be given oxygen in the hospital as well so you can breathe easier.

Sometimes, you can have advance warning an attack is on the way, if you regularly use a peak flow meter device. This is a small instrument your doctor can give you to use at home, that measures how fast you can blow air out of your lungs. When the readings drop, it is a sign of inflammation and restriction of the airways even though you might not be having symptoms yet. Taking medication at that time may reverse the attack before it gets too bad.

Asthma allergy can become serious if not properly treated. The symptoms and progression of the condition varies among individuals. Some children seem to grow out of it when they get older while others don't. Although there is no cure, the condition can be successfully managed in most cases. The success of your treatment depends upon your commitment to taking your medications or using appropriate remedies for allergies, as advised and avoiding known triggers.

Asthma Relief - Dealing With Bronchial Asthma


The bronchial asthma refers to the reversible airway obstruction which is caused by an inflammation of the airways. In susceptible individuals this inflammation causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing, particularly at night and early morning.

Acute bronchial asthma in adults
The application of the guidelines on the treatment of acute bronchial asthma assumes you have been diagnosed with asthma after excluding other differential diagnosis in pathological situations such as:

1. COPD exacerbation;
2. congestive heart failure;
3. pulmonary embolism;
4. mechanical obstruction of the airways;
5. laryngeal dysfunction.

The asthma exacerbations (acute asthma) are a marked, often progressive worsening of asthma symptoms and bronchial obstruction, which appear in the space of hours or even days and can last up to weeks. The goals of treatment of asthma attack are:

1. The answer to the bronchial asthma as soon as possible.
2. Plan for preventing future recurrences.

The severe asthma attack is a potentially fatal situation. Therefore, once diagnosed, treatment should be started as soon as possible. The therapy differs depending on the severity of the crisis and therefore it is necessary to advance a rapid assessment of severity, which is essential for detecting a range of symptoms and signs, and some objective parameters of respiratory function and oxygenation status of the patient. The assessment of respiratory function by measuring the PEF (peak expiratory flow) is easy to perform and can be made by the patient at home. The management of asthma attack should include:

1. Early intervention: It is important that the patient be educated to recognize the severity of asthma in early action at home and seek medical attention when necessary.

2. Appropriate drug treatment: The cornerstone of treatment of asthma attack are as follows:-

o Repeated administration of rapid acting beta2-agonists
o Early introduction of systemic corticosteroids
o Correction of hypoxemia

3. Monitoring the patient's condition and response to treatment. Monitoring must be done through assessment of symptoms and objective parameters (repeated measurement of lung function).

Home treatment of asthma attack
The home treatment is possible for the less severe asthma attacks, defined by level of symptoms and possibly as a reduction of PEF below 20%, presence of nocturnal awakenings, and increased use of beta2-agonist bronchodilators in the short duration of action.

Action Plan
Each patient must have a written action plan based on symptoms and possibly also on the measurement of PEF, which determines how to recognize signs of deterioration and to assess the severity of the crisis, when to modify or improve the treatment and require specialist care when appropriate. This allows you to initiate appropriate treatment for early signs of deterioration with a greater chance of success.

Pharmacotherapy
The first use of drugs are fast acting beta2-agonists: salbutamol spray 2-4 puffs (200-400 mcg) every 20 minutes for the first time with a spacer (or salbutamol 100/150 micrograms / kg max 5 mg in 2 - 3 ml of saline via nebulizer). At constant dose, the use of a pressurized aerosol with spacer (if the patient is able to use it) is able to achieve the same improvement as with the nebulizer.

After the first hour, the dose of rapid-acting beta2-agonist depends on the severity of the crisis: 2-4 puffs every 3-4 hours for one or two days in severe asthma and in the most serious crises it can take 6-10 puffs every 1-2 hours.

If the patient improves rapidly and if the PEF values increased to above 80% predicted or personal best and improvement persists for at least 3-4 hours, no other therapy is needed. Otherwise, you may want to add oral corticosteroids for 4 to 5 days to expedite the resolution of the crisis. It is a careful patient monitoring and prompt delivery to the hospital in case of no response.

Directions for immediate hospitalization
The patient should be hospitalized if:

1. Patient is at high risk for fatal asthma.
2. The exacerbation is severe (the patient has significant symptoms, does not improve after the first dose of medication, PEF is below 60% predicted or personal best after treatment with beta2-agonists).
3. The response to beta2-agonists is not quick or sustained for at least 3 hours.
4. There is no improvement after 6 hours of treatment with systemic corticosteroids.
5. There is further deterioration.

Asthma - Bronchodilators - Anti-Inflammatory - Diagnosis


Asthma

Asthma is a disease of chronic inflammatory airways, which results in reducing or even blocking the flow of air. Its pathophysiology is related to interaction between genetic and environmental factors that manifest as attacks of breathlessness due to swelling of the lining bronchial, the overproduction of mucus in the airways and smooth muscle contraction of the airways, with consequent reduction of its diameter (bronchospasm).

Crises are characterized by various symptoms such as dyspnea, cough and wheezing, especially at night. The narrowing of the airways is usually reversible but in patients with chronic asthma, the inflammation can determine airflow obstruction to airflow. Pathologic features include the presence of inflammatory cells in the airways plasma exudation, edema, muscle hypertrophy, mucus plugs and desquamation of the epithelium. The diagnosis is mainly clinical and treatment consists of educational measures, drugs that improve the airflow in asthma and anti-inflammatory, mainly based on steroids.

Signs and symptoms

Characteristically the disease, symptoms appear cyclically with periods of worsening. Among the main symptoms are: a cough that may or may not be accompanied by some sputum (phlegm), shortness of breath with pain or burning in the chest and a wheezing (wheezing). In most cases there is no sputum or have the type "egg".

Symptoms can occur at any time of day, but tend to predominate in the morning or evening. Asthma is the leading cause of chronic cough in children and is among the leading causes of chronic cough in adults.

Classification

According to the standards of the crises and tests, asthma can be classified in: Intermittent asthma, mild persistent asthma, moderate persistent asthma, severe persistent asthma.

Intermittent Asthma: symptoms less than once a week; bouts of short duration (light); sporadic nocturnal symptoms (no more than twice a month); pulmonary function tests normal in the period between attacks.

Mild persistent asthma: symptoms at least once a week, but less than once a day; presence of nocturnal symptoms more than twice a month, but less than once a week; pulmonary function tests normal in the period between attacks.

Moderate Persistent Asthma: daily symptoms; crises can affect daily activities and sleep; presence of nocturnal symptoms at least once a week; pulmonary function tests: peak expiratory flow (PEF) or forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV ¹)> 60% and 60% of expected

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is made based on signs and symptoms that occur repetitively and are referred to by the patient. On physical examination, the doctor may find wheezing in the lungs, especially in exacerbation of the disease. However, not all wheezing is due to asthma, may also be caused by other diseases. However, in individuals who are out of crisis, the physical examination may be completely normal.

There are additional tests that may help physicians, among them are: chest X-rays, blood tests and skin (to see if the patient is allergic) and spirometry to identify and quantify the obstruction to airflow. Bronchial provocation test with pro-inflammatory substances, eg histamine, methacholine.

Asthma patients can also take home a device that measures the peak flow of air is important to monitor the course of the disease. Exacerbations of asthma, peak flow is reduced.

Treatment Note:  If you need help, consult a health professional. The information contained herein does not have the character of advice.

To treat asthma, a person must have some care for the environment, especially in his home and at work, in addition to using the medication and keep regular appointments. Drugs can be divided into two classes: relief and maintenance.

Bronchodilators

Mainly used as medications for relief cut an asthma attack. An inhaler typical bronchodilator.

The bronchodilator is a medicine, as its name says, it dilates the bronchi (airways) when asthma is out of breath, wheezing or coughing. There bronchodilators called beta2-agonists - have a short effect and other effects prolonged (lasting up to 12h). The effect of short often used as needed. If the person is well, without symptoms, do not need to use them. Now those of prolonged effects tend to be used continuously, every 12 hours, and are indicated for specific cases of asthma. In addition to beta2-agonists, other bronchodilators such as anticholinergics theophyllines and may be used.

Anti-Inflammatory

Used mainly to avoid and prevent crises (maintenance).

The inhaled corticosteroids are currently the best approach to combat inflammation and are used in almost all asthmatics. Are not only used by patients with mild intermittent asthma (which have sporadic symptoms). Such drugs are used in order to prevent exacerbations of the disease or at least minimize them and increase disease-free survival between one crisis and another. Anti-inflammatory drugs should be used continuously (every day), since that fight chronic inflammation of the bronchial mucosa, which is the substrate for subsequent events.

There are other treatment options, such as cromolyn sodium (commonly used in small children), the nedocromil, ketotifen and leukotrienes. The latter is relatively new and can be used in specific cases of asthma or associated with steroids.

Both bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs can be used in several ways: by nebulization dose inhaler ( "spray" or "puffer") dry powder inhalers (via Turbuhaler, Rotahaler, Diskhaler or capsules for inhalation) -> are different (and practical) devices for inhalation; compressed; syrup.

Physicians prefer the use of medications for nebulization, metered dose inhaler or dry powder of being more effective and cause fewer side effects.