Asthma treatment

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Allergy Asthma

 


 

  Jeannie Crabtree

Have you ever walked into a room and your breathing became difficult, you
started wheezing and looked for the closest door for escape? It is called
Allergy Asthma.

Allergy asthma can be caused by the exposure to allergens in the

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Are you breathing properly?

 


 

  David Kane

Copyright 2005 David Kane

Most people become lousy at breathing. Our bodies are naturally designed
to breathe properly, but we tend to override this advantage with bad
breathing habits. Your shoulders should not lift. Your chest should not
stiffen. Your stomach should not push out as you exhale. If you breathe
in more than sixteen times a minute your breathing is too rapid and too
shallow.

The rib cage and the diaphragm are the main parts of the body involved in
inhaling and exhaling. You can feel your rib cage, but you are probably
unaware of your diaphragm. The diaphragm is a thick layer of muscle
between the lungs and the intestines. When you breathe in it contracts,
pulling downward on the chest cavity and pressing down on the stomach and
intestines. When you exhale it relaxes.

Do you use your diaphragm correctly when you breathe? Try this exercise
to find out. Lie on your back with your right hand resting on your upper
chest, and your left hand on your abdomen. Relax for a while until your
breathing becomes normal then notice what your hands are doing. When you
breathe in your left hand should rise and your right hand should remain
fairly still.

Breathing is also important because it can produce a calming effect when
we feel anxious. Deep breathing is accepted as a way to calm nerves in
many situations. Even professionals use the technique before stepping on
stage or standing up for a speech.
Try the following next time you feel yourself becoming tense.

Breathe in for a count of one, and then breathe out for a count of one.

Breathe in for a count of two, and then out for a count of two.

Breathe in for a count of three, and then out for a count of three.

Continue until you are breathing in for a count of twelve, and out for a
count of twelve. Keep the counting at a constant rhythm. If you cannot
comfortably reach twelve do not strain yourself to reach this figure.
Inhale and exhale for as long as you find comfortable and do not hold
your breath to complete the count. During this exercise focus on how your
body expands and relaxes as you breathe in and out. More oxygen will
reach your brain as you do the exercise, making your mind sharper and
making you feel refreshed and relaxed.

Most of us could improve our breathing but our tendency to breathe too
rapidly and too shallow becomes exaggerated when a person suffers an
asthma attack. If you suffer from asthma try to resist the urge to gasp
for breath during an attack, and focus on remaining calm and breathing
out as fully as you can. Your inhale will follow naturally. Also
concentrate on breathing slowly. This is much easier to do if you
practiced when you were not having an attack.

Try the following exercises when you are feeling well. If you are healthy
they will improve your breathing technique. If you suffer from asthma
they will help you exhale correctly during an asthma attack.

1. Hum as you exhale slowly, trying to prolong the breath without
straining. Then repeat, but this time make a buzzing sound. Notice when
the sound changes and when you become breathless. Stop breathing for a
moment then breathe in gently. If you need to gasp for breath you are
trying too hard.

2. Breathe in, purse your lips then breathe out in a series of little
puffs. Work against the pressure of your lips and cheeks, contracting the
abdomen not the chest as you blow.

3. Blow out an imaginary candle. Again your abdomen not your chest should
contract as you blow. Your attempts to blow out the candle should be
fairly quiet. You should be breathing in naturally at the end of the
blow. Repeat as many times as is comfortable but stop if you begin to
feel breathless.

We take over ten thousand breaths a day, drawing in about half a liter of
air with each one. You can improve this essential act with just a few
simple exercises. Try the above and learn to breathe properly.

About the Author

David Kane is the author of ‘101 Top Tips for Asthma Relief’, which gives
more ways to control asthma. This and other resources designed to help
asthma sufferers monitor and control their condition are available at
www.asthma-relieftips

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Are you breathing properly?

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Asthma and Allergies – What You Need To Know

 


 

  Sacha Rigson

It has been calculated that approximately 60% of all asthma cases are
caused by allergies. No cure yet exists for asthma but with treatment
asthma attacks can be greatly reduced in both frequency and severity and
the asthma sufferers general health can be much like that of a normal
person.

Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways. When
exposed to the allergen, allergic asthma sufferers experience an attack.
During an asthma attack, the airways become blocked or narrowed, causing
shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness.

Sypmtomatically allergic asthma is the same as normal asthma, it is the
cause of the attacks that differ. So it is important to correctly
diagnose the allergen which is causing the attacks. Once this has been
done the patient can organise their life in such a way as to avoid
contact with the allergen.

Oftentimes allergic asthma can be caused by multiple allergens, this can
complicate diagnosing the allergens causing attacks. Some of these
allergens will only be present in the atmosphere occasionally or
seasonally (such as pollen from plants).

If allergic asthma and the allergen are not identified correctly, medical
treatment might not help much, if at all, in neutralizing the influence
of the allergen. What is more, about 50 percent of adults and over 80
percent of children are allergic to something in their environment, i.e.
to something they are exposed all the time.

There are many possible allergens which can afflict asthma sufferers,
however there is a relatively small set of common allergens which can be
identified by skin or blood tests such as pollen, dust, mold, chemicals,
trees and other plant life, insects, etc. There are some other possible
causes for asthma attacks such as cold air, exercise, viral infections
and tobacco smoke.

Certain allergens are impossible to avoid without severely changing your
day to day life (such as air pollution), in this case all that can be
done is to limit your exposure to the allergen.

If you are encountering the allergen at

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Asthma: Exercise for Life!

 


 

  Scott Larson

It is estimated that 17 million people in America have asthma, with 5
million being under the age of 18. Asthma, which is Greek for “to pant”,
is a chronic lung disease that triggers episodes of coughing, wheezing
and shortness of breath which is caused by an inflammation of the lungs
that result in the airways to narrow. It can take place at any age, and
appears to have a genetic link. Although its symptoms are controllable,
it is not thought to be curable.

Triggers for asthma can vary from one person to the other and may include
allergens (dust, smoke, molds, pollens, and animal dander), chemical
agents (cleaning products, perfumes, etc.), emotional stress and
exercise. The best way to halt asthma attacks is to prevent them in the
first place. Simple steps include controlling and managing house dust
mites, animal related allergens, tobacco smoke, cockroach allergen, mold
and other fungal spores and pollens, smoke from wood burning stoves,
colds and viral respiratory infection, and physical activity or exercise
induced asthma (EIA).

It was once thought that physical activity should be discouraged if you
had asthma, but today this is not the case. With the appropriate
precautions, exercise is not only considered safe, but it is frequently
promoted as part of a sound respiratory therapeutic program. There are
many ways to help avoid exercise induced asthma. If you have asthma,
check with your doctor before you begin an exercise program and get a
complete physical with a review of your current medicine therapy.

Some guidelines:

* Warm up with 10 minutes or so of low intensity walking and gentle
stretching and before your workout.

* Avoid exercising in cold, dry air or in areas where air pollution or
allergens are high. If you must exercise in a cold environment use a
scarf or face mask to trap the warm moist air and prevent cold dry air
from penetrating deep into your lungs.

* After exercise, be sure to include a 10 to 15 minute cool down period.

* Asthma attacks place significant stress on the body. Fatigue is
common, making it even more difficult to breath. This is why a gradual
progression with exercise is important. Developing cardiorespiratory
fitness will make you feel less fatigued and will help lung function.

* Different types of exercise may effect symptoms of asthma. For
example, outdoor running is often worse than indoor running on a
treadmill. To improve cardiorespiratory fitness, begin with 20 (or
less) of low intensity aerobic activity 3 times per week, eventually
building to five. Exercise in 10 minute intervals with a short rest in
between. Use a cross training method applying different exercise
modalities (i.e. treadmill, bike, rower). Swimming rarely causes EIA
due to the warm moist air (however swimming in chlorinated pools may be
a trigger for some).

* Exercise intensity is also related to EIA and should be kept at a
moderate level. You should be able to talk in short sentences
throughout your workout.

* Long duration exercise causes more exercise induced asthma then
shorter bouts. Sports that promote stop and go activities such as
tennis, volleyball & resistance training may cause less EIA in some
individuals.

* Keep your exercise up beat by making the most of your workouts, and
avoid becoming bored or stressed, pick activities that you enjoy and
can do.

* If a medication is prescribed you can use it before exercise and
monitor peak air flow with a peak flow meter. Your inhaler can be used
during exercise also if symptoms arise. Talk to your doctor about how
to use your inhaler with exercise. If notwithstanding your efforts,
symptoms develop and persist, stop the activity and inform your doctor.
Your doctor may recommend simple changes in medication that make the
difference.

* Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise. Dehydration
causes airways in the lungs to constrict, and makes breathing more
difficult. Studies have shown that this is true even if the individual
is not exercising. Thirst is a poor indicator of when to rehydrate, by
the time you sense thirst your body is already lacking essential fluids.

* Avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea or sodas;
these are diuretics, which dehydrate you even further.

* Exercise-related breathing problems also occur in individuals who
have not been diagnosed with asthma. People with allergies may
experience many of the same symptoms, as exercise causes increased
oxygen demand, breathing rate, and cooling and drying of the airways.

Although right now there is no cure for asthma, it can be managed with
proper treatment and lifestyle management. Controlling symptoms may
include using an inhaler or other medicine, as well as identifying and
avoiding factors that may trigger an episode. Educating yourself as much
as you can about asthma and your response to exercise gives you improved
control and a greater chance of living an active life.

About The Author

Scott is an exercise physiologist and has worked in cardiopulmonary
rehabilitation for many years. He has also managed large fitness centers
and is past director of the Flushing YMCA in New York City. He is
currently a Wellness Consultant with American LifeWay Wellness.

Website: www.americanlifeway.org/

slarson@americanlifeway.org

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Asthma: Exercise for Life!

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Asthma Friendly Gardens

 


 

  Thomas Leo Ogren

Asthma Friendly Gardens

Tom Ogren
Recent studies have shown that babies born to mothers who were exposed to
high levels of pollen in their last trimester of pregnancy have a much
greater chance of developing asthma. One of the main keys with asthma
prevention is avoidance.
When you have asthma the typical garden is not a very friendly place at
all. There are mold spores to contend with and worst of all is the
pollen. Typical gardens have pollen producing male trees and male shrubs
and other plants that can provoke asthma attacks. Almost anyone with
asthma will tell you that their asthma can be triggered by a good number
of things, but pollen is often number one for causing an attack. Garden
allergies are common, but they need not be. Allergies from gardening
could be largely a thing of the past… if we’re willing to make some
simple changes.
In fall of 1999 in Richmond, Virginia the American Lung Association of
Virginia (ALAV) built a new Breathe EasyÔ office and headquarters. They
had this entire large building constructed with the latest innovations in
green construction and sustainable design. No construction materials were
used that would off gas any harmful or toxic chemicals, no materials were
used that would trigger asthma or allergies. Every attempt was made to
build something that would be pleasant and healthy to work in. The people
who work in this office now will tell you too, that they all notice what
a great improvement it is. Their office is a healthy building.
The ALA decided it would make perfect sense to landscape their new
healthy building (in some states these are now called Health Houses) with
an allergy free landscape. OPALSÔ (the plant/allergy 1-10 numerical
ranking system) was used to select only those plant materials that were
either very low pollen, low allergy, or that were totally pollen free,
allergy free. In effect they created the first true asthma friendly
garden in the US.
Health Houses in other states are now also adding pollen free landscapes
to their green construction, green buildings. A new Health House is about
to be built in Pennsylvania, and the PA Association of Landscapers and
Nurserymen are helping to surround it with an asthma friendly landscape.
Schools too are getting into the clean air act, and in the city of
Visalia, California, the Tulare County Asthma Coalition recently directed
the asthma friendly landscaping of a newly built elementary school.
Twelve keys to building your own asthma friendly garden:
1.Plant lots of female trees and female shrubs. Not only will these not
shed any pollen, they will also trap a good deal of pollen that may stay
in from somewhere else. Think of these female plants as nature’s air
cleaners.
2.Use only low pollen or no pollen lawns. There are types of lawns now
that are pretty well pollen free and these are a big improvement over
some of the older lawn varieties. In southern states, if you have a
common Bermuda grass lawn, consider replacing it with a newer, more
asthma friendly hybrid Bermuda grass. ‘Princess 77’ is a new Bermuda
grass hybrid that can be planted from seed. It is next to pollen free,
grows very low and tight, and is especially good looking.
3.With OPALSÔ 1 is best, 10 is worst. Use only plants with rankings of
1-5. The more plants in your gardens that have rankings ranging from 1-3,
the friendlier your place will be for anyone with allergies or asthma.
4.Remove any trees or shrubs with rankings over OPALSÔ #7. The woody
landscape plants with rankings of 8-10 are all sure-fire allergy
triggering plants and you can live without them.
5.Replace any removed high pollen, asthma triggering plants with their
opposite, female trees or female shrubs. Also good as replacements are
perfect flowered plants that are known to be very low pollen producers.
These will all have good (low) OPALSÔ rankings.
6.Use only plants that are well adapted to your own area. If you can find
natives that have low allergy rankings, consider using them. Look around
your own neighborhood, and see for yourself, which kinds of plants seem
to be flourishing there already. For almost every kind of plant used in
landscaping, there is now a no or low pollen version of it, if you know
what to look for.
7.Use a wide variety of plant materials; diversity is good. Biodiversity
always makes sense. The more diverse our gardens are the fewer problems
we’ll have with insects and molds.
8.Avoid plants with strong fragrances or odors, as they can cause asthma.
Don’t plant jasmines or similar vines next to entrances or exits and
certainly don’t use them underneath bedroom windows.
9.For mulch, use rock or gravel instead of bark to cut down on toxic mold
spores in the garden. Flat stones or pavers also make good, mold free
mulching materials.
10.To further eliminate mold spores, encourage wild birds in your garden.
Virtually all wild birds eat insects, and insect damage triggers
outbreaks of mold. Even the tiny hummingbirds actually eat a large number
of insects. Put up a hummingbird feeder!
11.Keep your plants healthy. This too will cut down on both pollen and
mold. When it is hot and windy, do some irrigating. Fertilize everything
in the garden spring and fall. If plants are crowding each other too
much, thin them out. If tree branches overhead are putting your whole
yard in deep shade, consider having the tree thinned to let in more
light. Fresh air and light are the enemies of molds.
12.If a tree, shrub, vine or any other plant always looks sickly, looks
dirty, or always attracts bugs, then shovel prune it. Dig it up and get
rid of it. Replace it with something easier to grow. Don’t get caught up
in having to spray insecticides all the time, as they too can easily
cause asthma and allergies.

Make your garden a fun, stress free zone. Be sure to have a few
comfortable garden chairs to sit in, and a little table of some sort is
always good too. Wind chimes, bird feeders, and birdbaths can add greatly
to your enjoyment and cost little. A beautiful, pollen free, allergy
free, asthma friendly garden can be just the place for healthy children,
and a great place for anyone to relax and enjoy the great outdoors. For
more advice on low allergen gardening, look up allergy free gardening on
the Internet, or go to your local library and read some books on this new
important subject.

Tom Ogren is the author of five published books, including: Allergy-free
Gardening, Safe Sex in the Garden (Ten Speed Press), and What the Experts
May NOT Tell You About: Growing the Perfect Lawn (AOL Time Warner Books).
Tom has an MS degree in Agriculture-Horticulture, taught landscape
gardening for twenty years, owned and operated two wholesale-retail
nurseries, and in northern Minnesota was host of the popular Public Radio
call-in gardening show, “Tom Ogren’s Wild World of Plants!”
Tom (Thomas Leo Ogren) has published hundreds of articles on health and
gardening. His work has appeared in diverse publications such as South
Africa’s Veldt and Field, in Women’s Day, Alternative Medicine, the
Burpee Seed Catalog, Sunset Magazine, Landscape Architecture, Der
Spiegel, The London Times, The Seattle Times, The Washington Post, and
even the Jerusalem Post. He has also made numerous appearances on HGTV
and his work was the focus of two made for TV documentaries, one by the
Canadian Discovery Channel.
Tom has been interviewed on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition and
his groundbreaking research was featured on The CBS Evening News. He is a
frequent lecturer for garden clubs, arboretums, civic groups, hospitals,
medical groups, Master Gardeners, and professional associations of
landscapers, landscape designers, writers, nursery people, arborists, and
urban foresters. He has become well known for his fun, high energy,
highly informative, unusual and provocative talks. Tom is a member of the
Professional Landscape Designers Association, and the GWA, the Garden
Writers of America. Unlike many well-published authors, he still tries to
answer all of his own email. You can contact Tom through his website, at:
www.allergyfree-gardening

Notice of Copyright: Copyright Thomas Leo OgrenÓ

About the Author

Thomas Ogren is the author of Allergy-Free Gardening, Ten Speed Press.
Tom does consulting work on for the USDA, county asthma coalitions, and
the American Lung Associations. He has appeared on CBS, HGTV and The
Discovery Channel. His book, Safe Sex in the Garden, was published 2003.
In 2004 Time Warner Books published his latest: What the Experts May NOT
Tell You About: Growing the Perfect Lawn. His website:
www.allergyfree-gardening

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Asthma Friendly Gardens

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Avoiding Allergies by Use of the Right Native Plants in the

 


 

  Tom Ogren

Avoiding Allergies by Use of the Right Native Plants in the Landscape

Many of our most allergenic plants commonly used in landscaping in the
United States and Canada are indeed natives. However, it is the
manipulation of these plants by commercial horticulture that has, and is,
causing most of the huge increases we are now experiencing with allergy
problems.
Thirty years ago fewer than 10 percent of Americans had allergies. The
official figure today is that a whopping 38 percent of us now suffer from
allergies.(December 99, American College of Asthma, Allergy, and
Immunology)
Not too many years ago death from asthma was fairly rare. Today it is all
too common and is considered epidemic. Asthma has now become the number
one chronic childhood disease in America.
Furthermore, there is new data coming in recently that shows a strong
connection between over-exposure to pollen and or mold spores and
increases in other diseases such as heart disease, autism, pneumonia, and
reflux disease.

American Elms
The landscape tree in most of America for many years was the tall,
stately American Elm. The American Elm used to grace the streets of
thousands of towns and cities and when DED, Dutch Elm Disease, started to
spread and kill off these native elms, the insect-pollinated,
perfect-flowered elms were most often replaced with wind-pollinated,
unisexual-flowered, street trees.
Many things happened because of the big switch from the elms to these
other tree species. First, the elm flowers had a rich nectar source and
since these trees bloomed very early in the season, at a time when insect
food sources were severely limited urban honeybees and butterflies
depended on this food source.
Since the majority of the street trees used to replace the elms were
wind-pollinated, they often lacked these nectaries and supplied no
early-season food source. Soon we started to see a rapid decline in the
total numbers of urban honeybees and butterflies. There were other
factors as well behind this decline, pollution, insecticides, and
disease, but the loss of the crucial early-season food sources should not
be underestimated.
DED spread mostly from East to West across the US and so has the rise in
allergy rates. You can actually track the spread of allergy from the
decline of the elms.
The American Elms, Ulmus americana, did cause a certain amount of
low-level, early spring allergy, simply because they were so very common.
The over-planting of elms resulted in a lack of biodiversity and set the
stage for the massive kill from the DED. We now know that it is always a
mistake to use a monoculture, to plant too much of just one species.
Diversity is always a good idea in horticulture.

Diversity
Biodiversity is the way to go when we are creating landscapes that will
limit allergenic exposure. Almost any species of plants can eventually
cause allergies if it is over-planted enough. All to often in our urban
landscapes of today we see that landscapers have used the same old plants
over and over again. This overly simplistic approach to landscaping
results in landscapes that lack originality and produce a numbing
“sameness” to far too much of our urbanscape. When residential houses are
professionally landscaped with the exact same plant materials used to
landscape banks, real estate offices, and dentist’s shops, we all lose.
Allergy rates today are far worse in urban areas than they are out in the
country. Pollen allergies are worse in cities than in the country,
despite the fact that there is much more total green matter in the
countryside than in the city. Plant selection has been the main problem.

Natives and Urban Landscapes
There are many native trees and shrubs used in our landscapes. Maples,
oaks, locust, poplars, willows, catalpa, birch, junipers, and many more
native species are extensively used. Unfortunately the plant breeders and
propagators discovered how to “sex-out” the trees and shrubs. They
learned to use only male plants, ironically, as “mother plants,” as the
source for their scion wood for asexual propagation. First they just used
male plants from the dioecious (separate-sexed) species, but later they
learned how to produce all-male clones from species that in Nature were
never unisexual (the monoecious species).
For example, Honey Locust trees, (Gleditsia triacanthos) are native to
our Southeastern US. Look at these trees in the wild and you will see
that all of them are almost always covered with long seedpods. But go to
a nursery now and look at the Honey Locust trees for sale. The ones on
sale now are called “seedless” and they are in effect, all-male clones.
What exactly is the effect of using all male cloned trees and shrubs in
our landscapes? Very simply, this translates to an excess of allergenic
pollen. Only male flowers produce this airborne pollen. Unisexual female
flowers produce no pollen.

Why the Emphasis on Male Plants?
Horticulturists knew that female plants produced seeds, seedpods, and
fruit. This “litter” fell on the sidewalks and created a “mess.” By using
only asexually (no sex involved) propagated cultivars (cultivated
varieties), they were able to create “litter-free” landscapes. These
required less maintenance and were (and still are) very popular with city
arborists and the public. In the US today, four of five of the
top-selling street tree cultivars are male clones.
Female flowers (pistillate) on female trees or shrubs produce an
electrical (-) current. Their stigmas are broad and sticky. Airborne
pollen from male plants has a negative electrical impulse before release
and a positive charge after release, and this pollen is light and dry.
Because of the + and – electrical charges the pollen and the stigmas are
drawn to each other. They are mutually attractive. Mother Nature saw to
it that pollen would land, and stick, exactly where it was needed. Female
plants are nature’s pollen traps, our natural air-cleaners.
Today though, most of the female plants are long gone from our
landscapes. The pollen from the males floats about, seeking a moist,
sticky, positive-charged target. We humans emit a positive electrical
charge, and our mucus membranes, our eyes, skin and especially the
linings of our nose and throat, now trap this wayward pollen. We have
become the targets Allergy develops from repeated over-exposure to the
same allergens. If your own yard is full of pollen-pumping trees and
shrubs, you and your family are the ones who will be exposed the most.

About the Author

Thomas Ogren is the author of Allergy-Free Gardening, Ten Speed Press.
Tom does consulting work on for the USDA, county asthma coalitions, and
the American Lung Associations. He has appeared on CBS, HGTV and The
Discovery Channel. His book, Safe Sex in the Garden, was published 2003.
In 2004 Time Warner Books published his latest: What the Experts May NOT
Tell You About: Growing the Perfect Lawn. His website:
www.allergyfree-gardening

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Avoiding Allergies by Use of the Right Native Plants in the

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Asthma

 


 

  Jeff Slokum

So you have asthma? Think you can’t exercise safely? Read on, my friend,
and discover how you *can* do so safely and how your body will benefit
from the exertion!

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that is marked by the following
characteristics that are present during episodes of airflow obstruction:

Coughing
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Chest tightness

It tends to occur in people who are genetically or environmentally
presdisposed to the condition. Some of the triggers that might start or
make an attack worse include:

Exposure to allergens (animal dander, pollen, mold)
Viral respiratory infections
Airway irritants (tobacco smoke, environmental pollutants)
Exercise
Exposure to things such as dust mites or cockroaches, especially in
childhood

Medical treatments for asthma include:

Anti-inflammatory agents (inhaled and pill-formed steroids)
Broncodilators

If the patient can manage his/her symptoms, it’s possible to avoid any
critical or emergency breathing treatments, however, for people in a
higher-pollutant area, this might prove to be a difficult task.

How can you prevent an asthma attack?

Bathe pets weekly
Do not smoke or permit smoking in your

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An Asthma Treatment with a Sweet Healing

 


 

  Doug C. Grant

Carol M., was a fun loving child…except for one thing.

She had to drag around a ton of allergies.

Her nose was constantly running and she couldn’t get
within ten feet of a cat. As if this wasn’t misery enough,
she had to put up with constant teasing from playmates.
They took to calling her, Miss Runny Nose.

Carol longed to be an adult because she had been told she
might outgrow her allergies.
But this didn’t happen.

Instead, her allergies turned into asthma. She ended up
taking drugs several times a day and constantly reaching
for an inhaler.

Nights were often the worst. In order to breathe she had
to sleep sitting up.

The drugs added to her misery, making her feel as if she’d
been on a coffee binge. She had difficulty concentrating.
And every nerve in her body seemed to be exposed.

Despite everything, Carol did manage to launch a
successful professional singing career. But demon asthma
kept advancing. Eventually, she had to abandon even this
joyous activity. Breathing became too difficult.

Desperation drove her to look for drug alternatives.
That’s when she discovered simple sugars.

The science made sense to her. Here was food. Not some new
miracle drug…not some magic extract from an exotic plant.
But food backed by a science taught in medical schools
since 2002.

Still she had doubts. It seemed almost too good to be
true. But desperate for relief, she decided to try the
science. It couldn’t hurt. After all, it was simply food.
Non-toxic. No interaction with drugs. Safe as a blueberry
muffin.

At first there was no change. But she had been told to
expect that. It was like starting an exercise program.
Results don’t happen immediately.

Finally, after three months, she noticed she was breathing
easier. She went back to sleeping in her bed. And with her
doctor’s approval, she began weaning herself off
prescription drugs.

That was several years ago and Carol feels better today
than she can ever remember. She still includes the simple
sugars in her diet. She knows that, just like exercise,
those sugars are essential to health. And they have become
part of her daily eating habit.

What are these simple sugars?

Just what the name implies. They are sugar. But not the
table grade stuff that diabetics have to avoid.

These sugars (there are eight of them) are an essential
part of your cellular communication system.

And in case you don’t think this is terribly important
consider that cells must communicate their needs to stay
healthy. And they are expected to identify bad cells and
communicate this to your immune system so they can be
eliminated.

Reduce your intake of simple sugars and it may scramble
your cellular communication system. And that opens the door
to disease.

Bottom line is this.

We need these simple sugars everyday. And our modern diet
provides precious few of them. Therefore, almost all of us
are experiencing health problems…sometimes life
debilitating or life threatening.

You should at least become familiar with this
science.

Your doctor may not know about it. Even though the science
has been written up in almost every medical journal, ‘food’
topics often go unnoticed within the medical community.

You may need to check it out on your own. There are many
resources available. The important thing is to do it now.

Spending a few minutes checking out a relatively new but
proven medical treatment could be a lifesaver for you or
a loved one.

About the Author

Doug Grant and his wife Jan have helped many people learn about the
Science of Simple Sugars. For more
information visit www.GrantForHealth .

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An Asthma Treatment with a Sweet Healing

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Alternative Treatment for Asthma

 


 

  Balaji B

Asthma is a respiratory disorder characterized by abnormal lung condition
in which accumulation of mucus in the lungs is found. Natural asthma
remedies are the most preferred way of treating asthma since the
conventional methods of treatment for asthma may have a lot of side
effects.

Wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness are some of
the symptoms caused by the narrowing or obstruction of the airways.
Airway inflammation, a condition which makes the airways in the lungs
turn red, swollen and narrow is one of the causes of narrowing or
obstruction of the airways.

Herbal asthma aid is a natural product that is formulated with the
medicinal herbs which is one of the most effective natural asthma
remedies. Garlic, ginger and mustard are said to prevent the accumulation
of mucus in the lungs and hence these are taken as natural asthma
remedies. Herbs such as licorice have the tendency to expel the mucus
from the lungs. This is used to clear the lung of mucus accumulation.

The ingredients of these products contain the herbs like Elecampane,
Ginger, Garlic, Mustard and Licorice. The herbs mentioned above have
medicinal properties that appose asthma symptoms. Licorice is an herb
that clears the mucus accumulation from the lungs. If the patient is
having high blood pressure he should not use licorice separately.

Before choosing any herbal remedy for asthma the patient has to consult a
doctor to perform several diagnostic tests to confirm that he is having
asthma. After the confirmation the patient can choose an herbal remedy
for asthma in consultation with the doctor. The choice of the remedy
depends on the condition of the patient.

Most of the people prefer an herbal remedy for asthma as it is known fact
that they are more effective on a person without any side effects. It is
the choice of a patient to choose an herbal remedy for asthma in
consultation with a medical practitioner. They should consult a doctor
before taking up any herbal remedy for asthma. Visit :
www.natural-treatment-guide /asthma/herbal-remedies-for-asthma.ht
ml or
www.natural-treatment-guide /asthma/herbal-remedy-for-asthma.html
for more information about Asthma prevention. ** Attention Webmasters /
Site owners ** You can reprint this article on your website as long as
you do not modify any of the content, and include our resource box as
listed above with all links intact and hyperlinked properly.

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Alternative Treatment for Asthma

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Are Allergy Shots Effective?

 


 

  Harold Miller

Itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing are all common symptoms which
a vast majority of us experience as allergy symptoms at specific times
throughout the year. Many individuals do everything in their power to
avoid allergies including changing their diets, staying indoors or taking
vitamin supplements. These may contribute to fighting allergies, but
there is another effective way to do so. Immunotherapy or allergy shots
are gaining popularity. Getting an allergy shot can be scary for some
people, so we thought it would be best to fully explain allergy shots and
address some common concerns.

How Do They Work?

Allergy shots contain a small amount of the substance which you are
allergic to. If you are allergic to pollen, a small amount of pollen
would be added to the shot. The amount is small enough so that it does
not cause you to suffering from allergy symptoms, but enough so that you
body gets used to fighting the allergen. Therefore, the next time your
body comes in contact with that substance, it will be familiar with
fighting it off and you will most likely not suffer from allergies.

Are Allergy Shots Safe For Everyone?

Although most people will have positive results from allergy shots, they
are not right for everyone. Allergy shots are not recommended for
individuals suffering from severe heart problems, asthma or other
respiratory problems. Also, children under the age of 5 should not be
exposed to allergy shots for safety reasons.

What Is The Procedure?

Once you have decided that you would like to get allergy shots, you will
receive a shot 1 or 2 times a week for about 6 months. Afterwards, your
maintenance shots will require you to get one shot a month, year round
for about 3-5 years. Once you have received allergy shots on a regular
basis for a couple years, you can discuss it with your doctor and they
may tell you its okay to stop getting them at that point.

What Are The Side Effects?

Although allergy shots are effective for many individuals in eliminating
allergy symptoms, certain individuals may experience some harmful side
effects. Some people may experience feelings of shock when the shot is
initially injected, others may feel light-headed or nauseated. For this
reason, doctors are required to keep patients in their office for at
least 20 minutes after receiving each shot in order to ensure the
patient’s safety.

Some people swear by allergy shots while others criticize the effects or
claim they don’t work effectively. If you are considering receiving
immunotherapy, contact your doctor to discuss. Your doctor will give you
more insight in order for you to determine if this is something you
really want to do. Harold Miller used to suffer from allergies until he
took it upon himself to get educated. While Harold still has the
occasional bout, he has learned many ways to improve his allergies and as
a result enjoys serving as a contributing editor at
www.allergyrelief101 – a site dedicated to providing
information on forms of allergy relief, dehumidifier options, allergy
friendly vacuum cleaners and more.

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Are Allergy Shots Effective?