Guide To Asthma (Adults)
Your throat closes up, your chest tightens, and you feel like you're breathing through a straw. Next may come coughing spells, wheezing, difficulty breathing, thick mucus, anxiety, and panic. That's an asthma attack, and even if you've never had the chronic inflammatory condition that causes it, one can hit at any age.
Why asthma happens When you have asthma, your airways and lungs overreact to dust, pollen, mold, and other pollutants. When irritated, your breathing passages swell and the adjacent muscles constrict, causing you to cough, wheeze, or feel like you can't draw a breath. Your chances of developing asthma are higher if a close relative has it or you have a history of sensitivity to environmental irritants. "People who had allergies as kids often develop asthma," says Karin Sloan, MD, a pulmonologist at Boston University School of Medicine
How To Solve ãdül† Asthma: The Newest Developments
Leukotriene-receptor antagonists (LTRAs) Good news for people who don't like inhalers: These nonsteroidal prescription ***** can control mild asthma as well as steroid inhalers, a 2011 University of East Anglia study found. LTRAs block the action of immune-system compounds called leukotrienes that create inflammation in air passages.
Biofeedback and prayer... "Stress is a common trigger," says Randy Horwitz, MD, PhD, medical director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. Being upset may raise your heart rate and spark the release of inflammation-causing chemicals, but biofeedback and prayer can reduce your pulse, helping keep your airways calm.
Herbs... There's new evidence that an ancient Chinese herbal remedy may relieve asthma. When 226 people with asthma took kampo, an herbal treatment that includes gardenia fruit, licorice root, and cinnamon bark, in a Japanese preliminary trial, more than 90% reported improved symptoms after 16 days.
Vitamins... Asthmatics in a small study who took 1 g of vitamin C daily for 16 weeks could lower their corticosteroid dosage without worsening symptoms. And a large US clinical trial is investigating whether a combination of vitamin D and corticosteroids can stop attacks.
Fish Oil...An early stage study of 16 patients with exercise-induced asthma found that those who took fish oil capsules (3.2 g of EPA and 2 g of DHA) daily had improved lung function and used inhalers 30% less often.
Natural Ways To Alleviate Asthma
Avoiding trigger foods... "Certain foods and additives—red wine, for example, or MSG—can kick off an asthma attack by starting an inflammatory response in sensitive people," Dr. Horwitz says. Common culprits include eggs, fish, nuts, and sulfite preservatives (found in red wine but also in baked goods, snacks, and restaurant salads).
Pycnogenol... This antioxidant derived from the bark of evergreen trees in southern France may ease asthma by blocking leukotrienes. In a small study, 22 asthma patients who took 200 mg a day for several weeks had lower levels of leukotrienes in their blood and fewer symptoms than those who took a placebo.
Magnesium... This mineral is used in emergency rooms to help relax tight airway muscles during asthma attacks, and it can be taken as an everyday supplement to stave off flare-ups. Ask your doctor to recommend a dosage, since it can cause stomach upset.
Cleaning House Common Household Pollutants... like dust mites, animal dander, and mold can wage war on your lungs if you have asthma. Identify your enemies via a skin-prick test that measures how much allergens affect you, and remove them: Get rid of dust catchers, don't let furry pets in the bedroom, and fix leaking *****.
Taking care everywhere. It's tougher to asthma-proof the world outside your home.
Knowing peak-flow rates A peak-flow meter is key for keeping tabs on how you're doing and for spotting and fending off attacks in the early stages. When you exhale into this OTC device, it measures how quickly air travels out of your lungs—a good sign of how well controlled your asthma is. "It's important to assess what your baseline number is," says Jennifer McCallister, MD, a pulmonary disease specialist at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. "Log your results twice a day when you feel well." If you're at 80% or more of that baseline, you're in good shape.Albuterol inhaler Called the rescue inhaler, this is the treatment of choice when you're in the throes of an attack. The inhaled prescription medication relaxes tightened muscles in the breathing passages so air flows through more easily. It starts working within 15 minutes and, for many asthmatics, stops an attack in its tracks. Side effects can include nervousness or increased heart rate. For safety, Dr. McCallister recommends always having a rescue inhaler at hand, even if you think an attack isn't likely.
Corticosteroid Inhaler Albuterol... may be the most dependable choice in an emergency, but prescription corticosteroids dispensed via inhaler keep asthma in check over the long haul. Their anti-inflammatory properties blunt the immune system's overactive response to incoming allergens and help keep airways from constricting. That halts an impending attack before it can build momentum. Doctors typically advise patients to use inhalers once or twice a day depending on the specific medication, but a new study suggests that less frequent use may work just as well for controlling mild asthma; check with your doctor.
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