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.

Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is on the rise. Many factors are involved in antibiotic resistance. Evolution plays a role, any organism, bacteria included, naturally includes variants with unusual traits – in this case, the ability to withstand an antibiotic attack on a microbe. When a person takes an antibiotic, the drug kills the defenseless bacteria, leaving behind those that resist it. These bacteria then multiply, increasing their numbers a million fold in a day, becoming the predominant micro-organism.
Though bacterial antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon, social factors also contribute to the problem. These factors include increased infection, coupled with inappropriate antibiotic use.
More people are contracting infections for example; sinusitis among adults is on the rise, as are ear infections in children.
Between 1985 and 1992 it was found that nearly double the amount of prescriptions were prescribed for both these conditions in the USA. This along with wide spread use of antibiotics in livestock leads to increased antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotics were initially developed in the 1940’s and their discovery was hailed as one of the biggest breakthrough in medical history. It must be remembered that millions died commonly of simple infections before their discovery.
So what can we do? Increasing our immunity to infection must be the first step. Using herbs like Astragalushttp://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/44624/Astragalus-Tincture-215ml/ , Reishi mushrooms http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/15361/Reishi-90-capsules/ or Cordyceps http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/search.aspwill help our body’s resist infection. Along with lifestyle changes like eating a whole food diet reducing sugar and eating plenty of fruit and vegetables.
A common sense approach is needed in treating common infections. Let the body fight the infection with the help of common herbs and rest, which allows the body to build up its natural resistance.
Up to 50% of all infections in children are respiratory by nature. Upper respiratory tract infections such as colds, flu and snotty noses are viral so antibiotics have no part to play in their treatment. Even if the discharge from the nose is; yellowish or greenish, swabs consistently show no bacterial growth. Anti – viral treatments include Echinacea root tincture http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/43317/Echinacea-Tincture-215ml/, Plantain juice http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/40314/Salus-Plantain-Plant-Juice-200ml/ and vitamin C http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/11207/Quest-Vitamin-C-1000mg-Timed-Release-60-Tablets/ and Zinc http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/38846/Lifeplan-Zinc-Gluconate-10mg-100-Tablets/. Echinacea is best taken as a liquid extract or tincture. In liquid form, it is more easy absorbed into the blood stream and it works better I find than either tablets or capsules. Echinacea is generally recognized as being one of the safest remedies. It is effective against a wide range of microbes including many viruses, bacteria and fungi. It can be used to treat most types of infection.
Plantain juice works like an antibiotic. It can be used to treat sinusitis, chest infections, ear infections and urinary tract infections. It also works to decongest nasal passages by helping the mucus membranes work better and therefore very useful in blocked sinuses. Plantain contains a chemical called Aucubin which acts like an antibiotic without any bacterial resistance occurring due to naturally occurring variation. Plantain has been used through out the world from China to Europe for the last 3,000 years at least. It is a very safe and gentle herb to use and can be taken by very young children for most infections, without side – effects. Combining Echinacea root tincture and Plantain juice is very effective treatment for most common infections.

Allergies-Hayfever

Every spring we see many people enduring weeks of sneezing and sniffing as the hay fever season sets in.
What’s more, more and more people seem to be falling prey to hay fever. It seems that up to 12% of the population now gets hay fever here in Ireland. The hay fever season is also getting longer too.
Sniffing and sneezing are the most common symptoms, but for some the problem can be worse – itching eyes, nose and throat are often experienced, while chronic tiredness, poor appetite, nausea and headaches are also reported by hay fever sufferers.
Hay fever is an allergy, an overreaction of an immune system to a particular substance in the environment. It is not known exactly what causes the immune system to react so strongly, but the number of allergic responses is definitely on the rise, indicating environmental and lifestyle causes. There is now a theory that our over – clean lifestyle may be a cause to the increased allergy in children. Studies which follow children health and the environment that they live in, had found that children that live on farms are less likely to suffer hay fever than children from cities with little or no contact with animals.
Hay fever is arguably the most common allergy in Ireland, with up to 1 in 4, 11 – 21 year olds experiencing symptoms. Pollinating trees and flowers irritate the mucus membranes in early spring, and freshly cut grasses and weeds tend to be more of a summer problem.
Symptoms can be worse when our immune system is not working well. Eating a diet of refined carbohydrates (white bread, cakes, biscuits and sugar), saturated fats (animal fats), transfatty acids, artificial flavorings and colorants, with little or no fruit and vegetables – a common diet of to-days children will simply not supply the nutrients that our body and immune system needs to work optimally. Also today, we are exposed to a host of environmental toxins, pollutants, irritants and potential allergens that were not in existence even 20 years ago.
This combination of poor diet and continual onslaught to our immune systems from today’s environment is laying the basis for weakened immunity.
So what can be done? If you suffer from hay fever, its best to start early in the season, so that, our immune system is working well before the allergens start flying.
Begin treatment with a short, cleansing juice fast, with drinks made from chlorophyll – rich green and leafy vegetables to help purify the blood. Avoid fatty meats and processed dairy products which are mucus forming. Stop sugar if possible, eliminating sugar from the diet, including natural sugar from concentrated fruit juices goes a long way towards helping normalize the immune system.
Herbs that can normalize, or strengthen our immune systems should be taken before the hay fever season starts for best results, but if it’s already started they will give excellent results.
Two herbs which I have found very useful in treating allergies are Reishi mushrooms http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/15361/Reishi-90-capsules/and Astragalus http://www.thenaturalway.ie/store/product/44624/Astragalus-Tincture-215ml/.
Astragalus has been used by the Chinese for thousands of years to treat allergies and weakened immunity. It can be taken by anyone, it has very few side – effects and can be taken over a very long time without any side – effects. It is very useful for children with allergies.
Reishi mushrooms also have a long history of use by both the Chinese and Japanese. It has a great reputation for preventing cancer and normalizing ones immune system. It is very effective in preventing allergies such as hay fever or chronic sinusitis.