ASTHMA & HOW TO CONTROL IT
Copyleft: Jagannath Chatterjee
Asthma is a very painful condition that affects many children today. It can
continue up to adulthood and be a life long problem. Many medicines and
inhalers are now available but these offer only temporary relief. With time the
asthma aggravates as the patient gets weaker and weaker. Many doctors are
tempted to use steroids that have their own dangers.
What is asthma? It is more than the breathing difficulty that is obvious at the
surface. It is a mixture of nervous spasms and the narrowing down of the
respiratory channels due to swelling which makes it difficult for the patient
to breathe, both in and out. Sometimes it may have an effect on the heart,
commonly known as cardiac asthma. If inherited, asthma can be difficult to cure.
In asthma we see an affection of the nervous system as well as the allergy
part, the patient being sensitive to food or other substances. Doctors
have seen associated symptoms like the formation of gas in the stomach. Asthma
patients show high levels of stress, anxiety and irritation adding the
psycosomatic dimension. Asthma can be brought on by grief, shock and even
laughter.
How can we cure such a difficult condition?
I recommend a combination of yoga, ayurveda, naturopathy and homeopathy. But
before that we need to discuss certain important points.
1. Asthma patients may also suffer from eczema.
2. Vaccines have been known to cause allergies and subsequently asthma..
In fact, prior to vaccines, asthma was mostly hereditory and was seen along
with eczema. A research into prevalence of asthma and other respiratory
disorders before the small pox vaccine was given en masse will bring out the
role of vaccines in the asthma/chronic cold/pneumonia/ other respiratory
disorders epidemic that is seen in children and adoloscents today. The role of
pesticides and other harmful chemicals behind asthma and its complications is
slowly being recognised.
In cases where eczema and asthma coexist there should be no effort to suppress
the eczema with modern medicines and ointments, it will only aggravate the
condition. Children are better off not being vaccinated as asthma risk is very
small amongst the unvaccinated. Moreover colds in children are best treated
homeopathically so that they do not progress to pneumonia, bronchitis and
subsequently asthma.
Yoga is a very good option. It strengthens the chest and stomach muscles that
help the patient breathe easy. It also reduces stress and improves both the
nervous and the digestive system. It strengthens the immune system thus doing
away with the allergy. Often when the body gets strong with the yogic
exercises, the eczema suppressed earlier may show itself. As I have said
earlier this should be treated as a good sign and not be interefered with.
Naturopathy will stabilise the digestion system and strengthen immunity. It
helps with detoxification too. It has been observed that a proper vegetarian
diet, alkaline food, proper evacuation of bowels, and Vit C rich food immensely
helps patients.
For patients of chronic asthma a daily intake of Vit C 1500 mg daily (3 doses
of 500mg) is highly recommended in case of adults. This may bring on a
diarrhoea as a part of detoxification. The dose may be reduced to 1000mg if the
diarrhoea persists. At a time the body can only absord 500mg, hence the need to
spread the dose over the day. Children can be given amla juice as per the
advice of an ayurved/naturopath.
Ayurvedic preparations for asthma have to be chosen according to the body type
of the patient. A good doctor should be able to do this. Medicines have to be
taken for a long time and start showing results after around three to
six months. Triphala is a very good preparation in ayurveda that takes care of
both the cold as well as the digestion problems. Chawanaprash contains
clarified butter and must be taken with caution by those with a weak digestive
system. I personally took a preparation called Pankajkasturi for a long time.
Making tea of Ocimum (Tulsi) leaves, Zingiber (adrak), and golmorich
(pepper) and taking it every hour helps during an attack by loosening the
mucous. Chamomille leaves can be added to have a soothing effect.
Homeopathy has a wide range of medicines to treat asthma. There are different
remedies for controlling the acute attacks and then curing the chronic
tendency. Homeopathically asthma is a combination of the miasms Psora, Sycosis
and Tuberculosis. The nightly aggravation indicates a Syphillitic miasm as
well. This complex scenario requires very careful prescription.
Psoric patients are irritable and snap when talked to. Sycotic patients keep
their feelings to themselves and may not even communicate the symptoms, being
secretive in nature. The Tubercular are very difficult to treat as they have
the habit of travelling from one doctor to another and trying out whatever
remedies they hear of. Syphilitic patients have low levels of intelligence,
salivate a lot and have nightly aggravations.
Sycotic patients suffer more during the monsoon and Tubercular patients during
the winter.
For the acute symptoms remedies like Antim Tart, Ipecac, Carbo Veg, Blatta
Orientalis, Kali Bi, Aconite, Belladona, Aralia, Eriodyctyon etc offer relief
from the spasms and the cold. Remedies for the chronic condition can be
Tuberculinum, Medorrhinum, Thuja (asthma following vaccines) etc. As these are
very deep acting remedies the supervision of a good and experienced doctor is a
must.
Antim Tart helps if the patient has wheezing in the chest but is unable to
cough up the mucous. Ipecac helps with the spasms. Carbo Veg helps in oxygen
intake by the cells and relieves flatulence, Kali Bi is good for patients who
have stringy mucous coming out of the nose, Aralia for dry cough, choking
sensation, attack after first sleep, worse lying down. The remedy has to be
chosen considering the symptoms present. For acute conditions 30C is usually
the potency used.
Biochemically the important salts are Kali Phos, Magnesia Phos, Natrum Phos,
Natrum Mur, Kali Mur, Natrum Sulph and Calcarea Phos. Biocombination 2
contains most of these and can be taken regularly. Biochemic remedies are very
safe and patients can make good use of them.
Asthmatic patients must take very simple, plain food which is preferably vegan.
Taking even a glass of milk at night may create flatulence and make the
condition worse. A glass of lukewarm water at bed time and sipping lukewarm
water during attack helps. A combination of Kali Phos 6x (two tablets)
with Magnesium Phos 6x (two tablets) taken with a spoonful of warm water every
15 minutes will cut short an acute attack and induce sleep. If symptoms of
acute cold, bodyache etc are present one can try the same thing with 4 tablets
of Biocomibination 2.
For the associated cough and cold the use of the combination Justicia Q +
Occimum Sanctum Q + Zingiber Q works wonders. This can be taken early on in the
season when the patient experiences the attack to reduce the severety of
symptoms if and when the attacks begin. Regular intake of 4-5 fresh Ocimum
(Tulsi) leaves every morning helps strengthen resistance against colds.
The patients must take food very early in the evening, at least two hours
before sleep, and maybe even before sunset. They should not watch movies or
serials that can induce stress. Cold inducing fruits and food should not be
taken, specially at night.
Aconite and Belladona are the common anti-allergic remedies in homeopathy and
if taken soon enough will abort an attack. Some knowledge of homeopathy is
necessary to know whether the symptoms of these remedies are present.
For cardiac asthma a mixture of Rawolfia Serpentina Q + Cratageous Q +
Passiflora Q will help reduce the palpitations, strain on the heart, the anxiet
and induce sleep.
The attention should be on strengthening the mind,nervous system, digestive
system, the muscular system and the immune system. Echinacea is a immune
boosting herb. Vit C helps the digestive system, produces immunity against cold
and also reduces stress. Amla, a herb very rich in Vit C, and a part of the
Triphala preparation should be an important part of the diet of an asthmatic
patient.
Prayer and interest in simplifying ones mind and habits to alleviate stress
will have a soothing habit on the body in the long run. It will also be easy
for the holistic doctor to treat patients who know and realise the importance
of practicing ethics and morality in life to avoid and treat disease.
Asthma can be cured provided the doctor and patient form a symbiotic
relationship with the doctor learning from the patient and the latter having
faith upon the efforts of the doctor. The patient should try to know as much
about the disease and take a proactive stance to heal him/herself.
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[EMAIL PROTECTED]
jagchat01(at)yahoo.com
NB: I am not a doctor. I speak from experience. Readers may kindly enrich the
discussion with their own experience and knowledge. Please send your feedback
to the email address given. This article was originally written to help close
friends suffering from the condition.
“There is an unpleasant whiff of arrogance in the whole (vaccine-autism)
debate,” Horton says. “Can the public not be trusted with a controversial
hypothesis? The view that the public cannot interpret uncertainty indicates an
old-fashioned paternalism at work. The public is entitled to know as much as
possible.”
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