Natural Health

Archive for the ‘Allergies And Asthma’ Category

Western VS Alternative Medicine: What Are the Options When You Are Living with Allergies and Asthma?

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America asthma affects more than 20 million Americans (approximately 1 in 15), and over 50% of asthma cases are related to allergies. Combined, more than 60 million Americans suffer from asthma or allergies. Western medicine provides a number of helpful solutions for people suffering from asthma. The most common are:

1. Fast acting, short duration inhalers contain a bronchodilator to open up airways quickly when an asthma attack is in progress. They are often referred to as rescue inhalers.

2. In recent years corticosteroid inhalers have become a common conventional treatment. Corticosteroids effectively reduce inflammation in the lungs and often times are paired together with a long acting bronchodilator.

In addition to inhalers many asthma and allergy specialists seek to identify various allergens with allergy tests. Then they often prescribe allergy medications or shots to help reduce allergic reactions that may lead to lung inflammation and airway constriction.

Holistic Medicine and a Naturopathic Doctor’s Approach to Allergies and Asthma

As a naturopathic doctor I have both personal and professional experience dealing with allergies and asthma. I have struggled with allergies and asthma since childhood and at one time was prescribed nine different medications to mange my symptoms! I believe firmly that Western medicine has a lot to offer, especially to manage emergency situations, but holistic medicine and natural treatments also have an important role to play.

Holistic Health Considerations

Asthma can have many underlying causes. Asthma is an inflammatory condition that affects the airways. The lungs have an increased amount of reactivity to triggers that cause constriction of the airways and mucus production. Allergies are one of the most common triggers. In order to create a holistic health solution for asthma patients with allergies I must evaluate all of the internal and external environmental triggers.

First I speak with the patient about potential external environmental triggers. Do they have sensitivities to dust mites, pet dander, molds, chemicals, etc? Even poor air quality can be a trigger. The AAFA recently released their annual list of Top 10 Worst Cities for Asthma. Six out of ten are in the Southeastern United States.

Next, I evaluate the internal environment of the patient. I examine the patient’s constitutional strengths. I consider nutritional factors, as well as hormonal balance, and identify if the patient requires a body detoxification program.

Naturopathic Treatments for Asthma and Allergies

Important nutrients are often deficient in people who have asthma. Essential fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals are often needed in order to strengthen the respiratory system and the body as a whole. Herbal medicine can also be recommended to clear mucus, reduce congestion and tonify the lungs. In my holistic health and naturopathic practice I also use Electrodermal Screening to identify allergens and desensitize patients to them. This is a fairly uncommon treatment, but has excellent results. This natural treatment helps patients remove triggers such as fragrance allergies, seasonal allergies and mold allergies.

Common Food Allergies Related to Asthma

Many people do not know that living with allergies can make their asthma symptoms much worse and more difficult to manage. Common food allergies are often triggers for children and adults suffering from asthma. Electrodermal Screening can also help identify common food allergies like wheat allergies, gluten allergies and milk allergies. This is why, as a naturopathic doctor, I place high value on the relationship between asthma and nutrition.

Dairy and wheat allergies have been shown to aggravate inflammation in susceptible individuals, which makes asthma symptoms worse. With proper nutrition, herbal medicines, allergy desensitization and supplements, people with asthma can see a great reduction in the number of asthma symptoms or attacks. This holistic health approach combined with conventional treatments can improve quality of life for even some of the most serious asthmatics. You may find with more natural treatments that reliance on an inhaler decreases over time as the body becomes healthier and functions at a more optimal level. When Western medicine and naturopathic approaches are combined, patients with asthma have the opportunity to improve quality of life and overall health.

EZ Vacuum Colorado Introduces the New Miele S5 Libra vacuum to it’s line of vacuum cleaners to help homes find a healthy balance

Allergy and asthma sufferers may find relief with the new Libra HEPA vacuumJust in time for the fall allergy season, Miele introduces the Libra vacuum in a hot new mango red color. Proven in scientific tests to outperform other HEPA vacuums, the unique Sealed System™ technology, AirClean™ Filter-bag™ and certified HEPA filter found in the Libra make Miele the popular choice for allergy and asthma sufferers nationwide. It’s a little known industry fact that consumers may be at risk as improperly constructed vacuums spew micro particles into the air as they “clean.”

“It’s counterintuitive to think that your HEPA vacuum cleaner Coloradomay actually be making your home dirtier while you clean.” According to a recent scientific study commissioned by Miele and conducted by Interbasic Resources, (IBR), a nationally recognized product research laboratory, new evidence proves that not all HEPA vacuums do what they say.

“In fact many leading name brands spew out 2-14 million lung damaging particles per minute into the air actually making your ‘clean’ house an environmental hazard. On the other hand, Miele vacuums make your home cleaner and safer by capturing and retaining 99.99+% of harmful irritants – on average 622x better than other HEPA-filtered brands.”

The Libra comes just in time, as this allergy season may even be longer. According to Dr. Paul R. Epstein, M.D., associate director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, growing seasons are lengthening thanks to global warming. “Hay fever is typically caused by trees in the spring, grasses in the summer and ragweed in the fall,” he explains. Given warmer climates and increasing levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, weeds are experiencing outrageous growth patterns and extending allergy sufferers misery.

Libra’s stylish full-sized S5 canister offers an Electro Comfort eletrobrush for grooming and deep cleaning carpets and a Parquet Twister floor tool for easily cleaning all hard, smooth surfaces such as tile and hardwood flooring. This innovative combination effortlessly tackles pet hairs, house dirt and allergens. Power control lets homeowners increase or decrease suction to safely clean furniture, drapes, mattresses and pillows using three integrated cleaning tools found conveniently onboard.

The S5 Libra vacuum cleaner retails for 9.

Beyond the frequent accolades, design awards and sleek good looks, Miele continues to focus on making vacuuming easier through patented new technologies like the S7 SwivelNeck™ as well as longer cords, automatic flooring sensors, powerful Vortex Motor Systems™ and silence settings. Miele’s passion for quality and innovation has resulted in a vacuum that excels not only in cleaning performance, but also in the area of filtration. According to recent independent tests, there’s no other vacuum on the planet that removes dust, dirt and allergens as efficiently as a Miele canister or upright. Miele’s unique combination of AirClean™ Filter-bag™, HEPA filter and Sealed System™ design is 99.99+% effective in capturing lung-damaging particles. The key to this design is its hygienic self-closing AirClean™ Filter-bag™ whose revolutionary multi-ply filtering material helps homeowners dispose of the captured particles without coming in contact with them.

Allergies and asthma can be closely related, but it is possible to have one of these conditions without having the other. Allergies can be classified as one of three levels, depending on the strength of the symptoms. Symptoms of allergies can be mild, severe, or moderate. The severity of the allergy will determine which symptoms you suffer. Mild allergies can cause symptoms including nasal and chest congestion, eyes that are watery, itchy, and burn, and a rash that can appear on your skin. A mild allergic reaction will stay in the affected area and will not spread at all. If you suffer from moderate allergies, you may see all the symptoms of a mild reaction plus you may have a hard time breathing and you may experience itchiness anywhere in your body. A severe allergy can be life threatening, and can cause a condition called anaphylactic shock. This is the result of anaphylaxis, and symptoms can include vomiting, severe swelling, dizziness, abdominal pain and cramps, diarrhea, and confusion. If a severe allergic reaction is not treated immediately by medical personnel it can lead to organ failure and suffocation because of throat swelling.

Asthma is a medical condition that can become life threatening if it becomes severe and emergency medical treatment is not sought. Asthma can affect any age group, both male and female, and is one of the major reasons for emergency room visits and missed work and school. When an asthma attack happens, muscles in your chest and lungs tighten up and this will cause narrowing of the the airways in your lungs. The airway linings start to swell, and more mucous is produced as a response to the inflammation. An asthma attack can cause difficulty in breathing, a shortness of breath, pain and pressure in your chest, a tightness in your chest, and a chronic cough that occurs at night most often. A severe asthma attack can lead to an inability of your lungs and body to get enough oxygen, and can lead to serious health risks if you do not get emergency medical attention.

It is common for allergies and asthma to be present at the same time. If you have asthma and also allergies, you can have allergic asthma. Any exposure to allergens can cause an asthma attack. There are ways to help minimize the symptoms and frequency of allergies and asthma. One way to reduce allergens in your home is by using an air purifying system that uses a HEPA filter, which will remove over ninety percent of the allergens from the air. This can reduce your risks of an allergic asthma attack. If you suffer from allergies, have allergy testing done so that you know exactly what poses a risk to you. Make sure you discuss your condition with your family doctor, and follow any medication regimen carefully so that asthma attacks are prevented as much as possible. There are many different medications that can be used to control and prevent both allergies and asthma attacks. Understanding your allergies and asthma can help you control them much better.

If you are troubled by both allergies and asthma you might thinking, “if it weren’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all”. The fact is that it is estimated that as many as sixty percent of the asthma cases in the U.S. are allergy related. You are not alone. There are many people like yourself who are suffering from the same double barreled malady. The fact is that allergies can induce or agrivate asthma. Both the lining of the nose and throat are susceptible to allergic reactions to molds. pollen and whatever els it is you may be allergic to. You may be suffering from allergy induced asthma and not even know it.

There is hope however. Ongoing research has made en roads into the connection between allergies and asthma. Over the years people who were treating their asthma with strictly asthma medications might have been treating the symptom and not the cause all along. Allergen immunotherapy has been shown to work on people with allergy induced asthma in many cases. For these people desensidation shots have been a blessing and have been successful of relieving them of their suffering by enabling their body to have the allergic reactions that were causing their asthma.

There are a number of medicines available that can help to reduce the inflammation in the throat of the asthma sufferer. The come in all forms from inhalers to pill form to injections and if your type of asthma is allergy induced they can be helpful in bringing you relief from allergy induced asthma. It is possible to have allergies and have asthma be your only reaction. That is, you need not show any other allergic reactions other that your allergy induced asthma. So you may be one of the many people out there suffering from allergy induced asthma who don’t even know that this is the cause of their suffering.

Who is at risk of having allergy induced asthma? If you have a family history of allergies and also have asthma than you are at a higher risk than normal that your asthma is allergy induced asthma. Studies have shown that up to seventy-two percent of people who have asthma also have hay fever. This is not to say that all asthma cases are allergy induced asthma. There are in fact several other forms of asthma that are not allergy induced asthma. Other forms of asthma are exercise induced asthma, and non allergic asthma, triggered by cold air or asthma triggered by gastroesophogeal reflux disease. It is important that you determine what type of asthma you have.

The fact is that there is hope for all asthma sufferers. Ongoing research is developing new treatments for both allergy induced asthma and non allergic asthma. Many research scientists believe that a cure is on the horizon. In the absence of a complete cure though, great strides have been made in the treatment of the symptoms that make those who suffer from the malady miserable. Some have found a combination of treatment strategies to be the answer to their problem. Finding and removing the source of their allergy symptoms is of course the first step if at all possible. Many times this is the solution. The important thing is that you not give up your hunt for help.