Asthma Again!

This week being Allergy week, for good reason, with the bulk of Hay fever sufferers now getting symptoms, I thought it would be appropriate to look at Asthma.
Asthma is an allergic disorder characterized by spasm of the bronchi ( the airway tubes ), swelling of the mucous lining of the lungs, and excessive production of a thick, viscous mucous. The major concern with asthma is that it can lead to respiratory failure – the inability to breathe.
The Asthma society of Ireland reckons that 470.000 people in Ireland suffer with Asthma at some time in their lives. To mark world Asthma day, the Asthma society of Ireland have launched a new booklet called “Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis” which can be downloaded from their website.
The rates of Asthma and allergic Rhinitis (hay fever) are rising rapidly, despite all the advances in medicine. The reason? No one knows for sure, but a number of factors seem to play a big factor in the rise of allergies. Increased stress, increased sugar consumption, poor nutritional diets, increased environmental chemicals, food additives and environments that are too clean (sterile).
Asthma is usually divided into two major categories; Extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic or Atopic Asthma is considered an allergic condition. Intrinsic Asthma is not associated with allergy but with a reaction to such factors such as toxic chemicals, cold air, exercise, infection and emotional upset. But both types end up with the same respiratory symptoms – breathlessness and chest tightness.
What we eat can affect Asthma. Dairy products have a tendency to produce excess mucus in the lungs, as well as, in certain individuals, an allergic reaction. Therefore, it is wise for all asthma sufferers to avoid milk and other dairy products. Sugar is very defermental to your immune systems. So avoid fizzy drinks, white bread, biscuits and cakes. Population studies have shown that children who eat fish more than once a week have one-third the risk of getting asthma as children who not eat fish regularly. Taking fish oil http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/30244/Eskimo-3-Fish-Oil-Lemon-Flavour-210ml/ supplements should help asthmatic children ease their symptoms.
Vitamin C http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/11240/Solgar-Ester-C-Plus-Tabs-1000mg-Vitamin-C-90-Tablets/ is especially important to the health of the lungs, as it is the major antioxidant present in the lining of the airway surfaces. Vitamin C intake is directly linked with occurrence of Asthma. The higher the Vitamin C levels in any population the lower the Asthma levels. Therefore it seems that eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and/or taking a vitamin C supplement will help Asthma sufferers. Take 1-2 grams of vitamin C http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/11240/Solgar-Ester-C-Plus-Tabs-1000mg-Vitamin-C-90-Tablets/ per day if you suffer either Asthma or hay fever.
Herbal remedies for the treatment of both Asthma and hay fever are really good, at getting at the root of the problem. I was just reading an article in “Positive Health” about a man with a severe allergy to cats, which grew worse as he got older. He was given Reishi Extract (Ganoderma lucidum) for 2 month, which to his surprise stopped his allergy to cats, despite exposure to a large number of cats while on holidays. I have seen in my practice and on the shop floor many cases of Asthma and hay fever getting better through the use of these mushrooms, Reishi http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/15361/Reishi-90-capsules/and Cordyceps http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/12463/Mrl-cordyceps-90tabs/, which have been used for over 2.000 years in the treatment of imbalances of the immune system.
In Japan, Reishi in clinical trials of 2.000 cases of allergy related chronic bronchitis has success rates of over 60% with 97% overall improvement – truly a magic mushroom.