It is no longer so surprising to read about alarming air pollution levels in our cities. On more than one occasion, these levels have risen above the danger levels. For some people, this may simply create an annoying fog that makes it difficult to see. For others, it can cause serious health issues. Air pollution is one of the most common reasons for the growing instances of asthma and allergies. Children are most susceptible to such diseases caused by air pollution.

Asthma and Allergies
Asthma can affect children even before their fifth birthday and the condition is characterized by breathlessness caused by a constriction of the airways. While the root cause of asthma is unknown, it is usually seen that asthmatic patients are more sensitive to others to particles in the air such as pollutants, dander, dust, smoke etc. Thus, the airways construct as a reaction to these allergens. Changes in the weather, a sudden cold draft or the flu can also aggravate asthma.

Can you Protect Your Children from Asthma?
Wheezing, panting, finding it difficult to breathe and a persistent cough are some of the signs of asthma. If you notice these symptoms, you must consult a doctor immediately. At home, here are a few things you could do.

Avoid exposing your children to smoke: Do not smoke around your children or allow others to smoke around them. If you cannot give up the habit, wear a smoking jacket when you smoke and take this off before you play with your children. When you ll go out, drive with the windows up so that your child does not inhale exhaust smoke. Set your air conditioner to circulate air within the car itself.
Dust often: Try and keep your home as dust free as possible. Use a wet cloth to clean so that the dust does not fly in the air. Wash all your bed linen once a week. Carpets and rugs should be vacuumed regularly or dusted outside. It may also be a good idea to invest in dust mite impermeable covers for your child s mattress and pillows.
Keep your Pets clean: If you share your home with pets, bathe them once a week and brush them daily. Do not let them climb on to the furniture or your beds. Also, avoid having their toys lie on your beds.
Wear a face mask: Try and time your child s outdoor activities when the pollution levels are low. Buy yourself and your child a face mask that will filter the air they breathe in. These should be worn whenever they play outdoors.
These simple steps could help your child be healthier and can prevent asthma and other such allergic reactions.

Increasing Asthma & Allergy In Children - What Should You Do?

The number of allergens are many and knowing what triggers your allergies can get complicated. The common triggers that are known to trigger allergic rhinitis are:

Moulds
Fungi
Pollen, the most common cause for allergies
Dust mites, and the faeces of dust mites that can cause severe allergic reactions
Cockroaches
Animal dander, which includes cat hair, dog fur, and may also include little flakes of skin
Avoiding the above mentioned triggers is more of a general guideline for the management of allergies. The lifestyle changes that you make to manage allergies:

Keep yourself hydrated at all times. Drink about eight to ten glasses of water every day. This will allow the mucous to be expelled with ease, if you experience any nose block.
During seasons like spring, when the amount of pollen in the air is at its maximum, limit your exposure. Try to stay indoors to avoid exposure to pollen or dust in the air.
Make it a point to take a shower before going to sleep as the residues of pollen and dust stuck to your skin are likely to make your symptoms worse.
Use fresh bedding and clothes every day. This will help to reduce your exposure to allergens.
Remove your carpets. Carpets are home to dust mites and pollen grains which become difficult to remove even with vacuum cleaners. Remove the carpets during the allergy season, and replace with hard flooring.
Keep windows and doors shut to avoid dust and pollen grains from entering the house and possibly causing allergies.
Avoid staying around pets. It that is not possible, then wash them at least once a week to reduce allergies.
Prevent inhaling cigarette smoke or smoking cigarettes. The smoke can be very harmful and can increase the risk of asthma in kids.
Avoid outdoor trips during seasons when the pollen count is high.

Allergies - Lifestyle Changes That Can Help Manage it!

Asthma happens to be derived from of the Greek word 'toiled breathing' or  gasping'. Asthma is a condition portrayed by a paroxysmal wheezing breath dyspnoea (trouble in breathing), for the most part expiratory. 
Factors that may induce asthma 
As indicated by the etiology, bronchial asthma is separated in the accompanying gatherings: 
1. Unfavorably susceptible (outward / atopic) Asthma: This sort of asthma is more often than not begins in youth and is frequently gone before by dermatitis. Be that as it may, a large portion of the youthful grown-ups (35 yrs) creating asthma likewise fall in this class. Hereditary elements likewise assume a huge part is this. In this sort of asthma the allergen prompts to generation of over the top (IgE) immunoglobulins. 


2. Infective or Intrinsic Asthma: This is not innate or unfavorably susceptible, but rather might be brought on by, or if nothing else connected with upper respiratory tract or bronchial contamination which is generally popular. 


Signs and symptoms of Asthma
Repetitive scene of paroxysmal dyspnoea (trouble in breathing). The breathing is worked, with a wheezing sound, for the most part on close. Asthma assaults regularly happen in the early hours of morning (when there is no prompt accelerating cause). Amid the assault patients frequently wants to sit then rests. 


Medications: There are loads of meds in homeopathy for asthma side effects, but the choice of prescription fluctuates from patient to tolerant. 
Ipecac (As per Medical Suggestion): This remedy is a nearby homeopathic metaphor to asthma, particularly to the convulsive assortment where the manifestations are incredible weight and uneasiness around the midsection.
Arsenicum (As per Medical Suggestion): As expressed above, this remedy has some similitude to other remedies, yet the season of assaults is soon after 12 pm. The patient has a lot of anguish and anxiety; he can't rests because of a paranoid fear of suffocation.
Nux vomica (As per Medical Suggestion): This remedy is a valuable remedy when the asthmatic assaults are brought on by gastric unsettling influences; basic fitful asthmas; there is some help by burping, the patient must extricate the apparel. 
Kali bichromicum (As per Medical Suggestion): The potashes deliver asthmatic condition and under this remedy we discover the assaults going ahead around three or four o'clock in the morning, convincing the patient to sit up to breath.

Suffering from Asthma? These Homeopathic Remedies can Help You Treat It

The human body is a marvellous creation and functions in a highly synchronised and balanced way. Disease results when this balance is disturbed either due to infections, inflammations, trauma, autoimmune diseases, tumours. Whatever the reason, with any of these, the body has a strong immune system, which reacts to these changes and tries to ensure that balance is restored as quickly as possible and with minimal effect on overall bodily function.

While most of us have a natural tendency to do so, some have it weaker. This makes them more prone to infections and they take more time to repair and restore health. However, there are a number of supplements which can help to strengthen the immunity. These can be used with the consultation of a professional, and this can help improve overall health.

Homeopathy obviously fits into the class of therapeutic methods that augment the body's own defenses. A microdose of a substance heals the symptoms in large dose. Homeopathic medicines are both considerably smaller and safer in dose and more individualized to the person they are being used to treat.

Although homeopathic medicines are thought to stimulate the body's own defenses, how they do so remains a mystery. Homeopathic medicine do not simply stimulate the body's immune system to treat ill people, for they can also calm it when this is necessary for the healing of the individual.

People with auto-immune ailments suffer because their body's immune system is over-active and it attacks the person's own cells, not just bacteria, viruses, or foreign substances. Homeopathy believes that  like cures like.  So in treating a disease, what it does is use small amounts of the substance that is known to induce the disease. This way, similar symptoms are induced and the disease is treated. Some of the most common homeopathic medicines are-

Allium Cepa: With winter setting in, more and more people are prone to developing a runny nose, nasal congestion, and teary eyes. So, with winter still around the corner, using allium cepa (small onion) helps build immunity by easing these symptoms. Keeping 3 to 5 pellets of this compound under the tongue can help control nasal congestion.

Oscillococcinum: Popularly known as Oscillo, this contains very small amounts of duck liver and heart. When used on the first couple of days with the onset of flu-like symptoms, this helps the body aches and fatigue disappear. It is proven to be safe, effective, and helps prevent further attacks of similar symptoms.

Gelsemium: Obtained from the vine Gelsemium sempervirens, this is useful to build immunity towards cold and flu symptoms. Keeping it under the tongue also helps relieve symptoms if they are already present and controls further attacks of flu-like symptoms.

Silica: This is responsible for stimulating the production of macrophages. These are a type of cells, which are essential for eating up bacteria and foreign bodies. It, therefore, helps improve immunity and fight infections.

Arsenicum Album (white arsenic): This is used in a variety of conditions ranging from anxiety to poisoning to digestive disorders.

While some people refer to most homeopathic medicines as immune stimulating, they are in fact immunomodulatory. Whether a person has an autoimmune disease or repeated infections, homeopathy can be used. A detailed discussion with a specialized homeopath would be the first step to identify what is the right compound to use.

5 Best Homeopathic Medicine for Strengthen Immune System

Asthma is a condition that severely affects the lungs. The airways become narrow and the lungs become inflamed. Its characteristic features include bronchospasm, reversible airflow obstruction and variable and recurring symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. This might be caused up to 2 to 3 times a day.
Causes
Causes include:
1. Daily use of paracetamol
2. Vaccines
3. Daily use of antibiotics
4. Caesarean sections
5. Asthma in family

Asthma is usually triggered by:
1. Tobacco smoke
2. Exercise
3. Polluted or poor air
4. Cold air
5. Emotional stress
6. Allergies

Homeopathic treatment
Asthma should be preferably treated using homeopathy. It is safe for most age groups. Asthma is a chronic problem that is best treated by a qualified homeopath. While few cures are found in numerous home use packs since they can treat a number of problems, the effective treatment of asthma usually needs potencies and changes of cures more than the extent of a prescriber and a home kit. For best results, the monitoring of a qualified homeopath should be sought. The homeopathic cures required for asthma change according to the signs of the sufferer. Some of them are listed below:

1. Arsenicum album (ars.): symptoms requiring the use of this medication include wheezing with dry cough and asthma caused due to cold air. Upon application, the person will be anxious and restless and the condition worsens after midnight. Sometimes, it might result in exhaustion. There is a chilling sensation and they will crave for warmth. Patients required ars. Will be critical, anxious and afraid of being alone.

2. Kali bichromicum (kali-bi.): symptoms that require kali-bi include asthma with stringy and sticky mucus. The patients feel chilly and after a while they get sick. The respiratory tract often is infected with mucous membrane infections. Ulcers are an additional infection.

3. Antimoniumtartaricum (ant-t.): uncomfortable breathing and wet cough with mucus require this medication. It solves many issues that accompany difficult breathing. In severe cases, heart failure is possible.

4. Grindelia (grin.): key symptoms are dry cough and possibility of wheezing. It may be accompanied by rattling respiration, chronic bronchitis and suffocation during sleep.

5. Phosphorus (phos.): upper respiratory tract infections cause asthma that ends in the chest. This causes coughing and wheezing.

Other homeopathic medicines for treating asthma are nux vomica (nux-v.) and pulsatilla pratensis (puls.).

Homeopathic Treatment for Asthma

How to diagnose asthma in children

Asthma in children under the age of 5 is a matter of concern. It is not a rare disease and early diagnosis is important. Common signs of asthma in children are:

1. Recurring bronchitis
2. Wheezing
3. Discomfort in the chest
4. Coughing
5. Trouble breathing

While some children have persistent yet mild symptoms, some children have severe attacks at times. Seasonal allergies and smoke make the symptoms worse.

What to notice?
While feeding an infant, if you notice that your child is facing shortness of breath, it might be a symptom of asthma. In a toddler, if your notice a decreased desire to run and play, or easy fatigue, then this could be a symptom of asthma. Asthma attacks for many children under the age of 5 are worsened when they catch cold or have any other respiratory infections. All these, if noticed should not be ignored and your child's pediatrician should be consulted.

The above mentioned symptoms were mild. Some children have it worse and the attacks can be life-threatening, needing immediate treatment. If your child is under the age of 5 and you see them doing one of the following, contact emergency services immediately:

1. Trouble in speaking because they have restricted breathing
2. When they are breathing in, the effort is so much that the abdomen is getting sucked in
3. Gasping for air.

Diagnosing asthma in a child can be tricky as symptoms like coughing, wheezing, etc can be for other conditions also. Once a child is a little older and if the symptoms persist, breathing and lung function tests are taken to gauge the situation. 

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How To Diagnose Asthma In Children, Before It Attacks?

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