You must not let the cold and dry air worsen your asthma symptoms. The air that blows during winter time greatly affects people with sinus and respiratory troubles, and all these factors contribute to worsening asthma attacks. But thankfully, there are a few tips that can be followed to curb down asthma and enjoy a lovely winter.

Washing your hands: Doing this frequently with soap and water is one of the easiest and most effective ways of avoiding the spread of cold and other diseases. You must also inculcate this habit among your children, and when you are outside, you should practice using a hand sanitiser and sanitising wipes.
Getting a flu shot: The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that all people over the age of 6 months should get their dose of the annual flu shot for protecting themselves against the flu virus. This will help keep your asthma in check.
Avoid sitting by the fireplace: Though it sounds cosy, you should refrain from sitting by the fireside if you have asthma. Burning wood is quite similar to burning tobacco and it can irritate your lungs to a great extent.
Keeping your mouth closed: Though most people are taught this since they were children, they tend to forget it or ignore it. Keeping the mouth opened is more than a social disgrace, and it even affects your lungs adversely. You can wear a scarf for covering up the nose and mouth as it would help in making the air you breathe warm.
Replacing filters: The heating system of your home may be blowing out dust and debris throughout the house, particularly when you operate it after a long time in winter. Therefore, it is imperative to clean and check the condition of the filters and replace them if necessary.
Exercising indoors: The days when it is bitterly cold outside, it is recommended to exercise indoors in a fitness club or a gym instead of doing it in the open air.
Warming up before exercising: People who are affected with asthma are able to recover faster and have a greater lung function after working out when they are warmed up. Therefore, you should try to warm up for at least 15 minutes before exercising.
Preventing asthma flares: Before you head outside, take a dose of your asthma medication and your inhaler as these will help in opening the airways and give you the necessary protection.
Having an asthma action plan: Regardless of whether it is summer or winter, you should be aware of what you should be doing in times when the symptoms flare-up.
Taking your medications: Finally, you should work with your doctor towards understanding the cause and symptoms of your asthma conditions and follow his recommendations closely to avoid recurrence of such problems.
With all these tips, you can expect to spend a happy winter. But if anything goes wrong, seek medical assistance immediately.

Asthma - 10 Ways You Can Control It!

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

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

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?

Bronchitis is the inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes present in the lungs. The inflammation may occur due to a bacterial or a viral infection or even due to some allergy. As the mucous membranes get irritated due to the inflammation, there is swelling. This swelling can cause narrowing of the airways. This narrowing causes difficulty in breathing. At the same time, due to the inflammation, a lot of mucous is produced. The narrow airways are unable to wash off the mucous causing mucous to collect within the lungs.

Bronchitis can be of two different forms - mild and chronic. Those with chronic bronchitis would have to be extra careful during change of season and when they catch a cold so that their bronchial tubes do not flare up. At times, bronchitis is caused due to allergic reactions in the body. Such allergies mostly constitute allergies from pollen, dust, paints and the likes.

Bronchitis Symptoms

Cough and production of mucous or sputum are the two most common symptoms of bronchitis.

Due to excess production of mucous within the bronchial tubes, the cough reflex is induced in a bid to get rid of the mucous. The mucous is usually whitish in colour.

Often patients feel shortness of breath.

There may be wheezing in the chest while breathing. A sensation of tightness or heaviness in the chest may be felt.

Exercising or running or climbing stairs is often difficult as the compromised lungs are unable to meet the increased requirements of oxygen.

In such cases, many lines of treatments can be undergone to provide relief from the discomfort. However, homeopathy is one of the best treatments which would involve fast relief and quick comfort from bronchitis.

Homeopathic Treatment For Bronchitis

When it comes to treating bronchitis, Homeopathy is very effective. In fact, it is the most promising system of medicine for the treatment of bronchitis. Homeopathic medicines serve as a very reliable and safe treatment to get rid of Bronchitis. They are free from any side effects and there is absolutely no chance of suppression in the Homeopathic treatment of Bronchitis. They prove a great helping hand in easy coughing out of the mucus from the bronchi. As the mucus is effortlessly thrown out with aid of properly selected Homeopathic medicines, the cough, chest pain and difficulty in breathing also begin to subside and almost end. Here are five of the most used homeopathic medicines for treating bronchitis.

Arsenic Album: Bronchitis, mild or severe, manifests certain symptoms. In case, bronchitis experienced by you is accompanied by wheezing, increase in cough during the night, and extreme weakness and restlessness; then arsenic album is the best medicine for your treatment. There is also an ardent increase in your want to drink water, although very little liquid intake actually happens at one go. These symptoms are enough for the medical practitioner to prescribe the above medicine to you.

Bryonia: Bryonia is administered when the patient has a dry mucous and dry cough due to bronchitis. This dryness causes him/her to increase the liquid intake in the body. It has also been noticed that cough is aggravated on entering any warm space.

Pulsatilla: This is prescribed when cough worsens during the evening and night while it is relatively stable during the day. The patient suffers from greenish to whitish mucous discharges and goes relatively thirstless during the suffering period. It becomes difficult for the patient to lie down while having this kind of bronchitis as it only aggravates cough, thus forcing him to sit up all the time.

Antim Tart: Mostly administered to children and elders, this medicine works best when there is rattling of cough inside the chest. However, it actually becomes difficult to discharge it. Moreover, the patient finds it difficult to lie down peacefully on their right side, forcing them to shift often while sleeping.

Hepar Sulphur: When cough is excited by advent of cold air, it becomes increasingly needful to administer Hepar Sulphur. Here, cough increases in the morning followed by wheezing and rattling.

Bronchitis is a common chest infection and can be treated with much ease with these tested homeopathic medicines. However, before you take on any medication, it is always recommended to consult a specialized homeopath for individualized treatment.

Homeopathy - A Perfect Remedy For Allergic Bronchitis!

Most people know all about Asthma, how dangerous it is and most importantly, with the rising levels of pollution and irritants how people are getting affected by it all over the world. Just like famous events, incidents and festivals have their special date in the calendar, May 1 apart from being the International Labour Day, holds another significant stance worldwide. As it is celebrated as the World Asthma Day. This day marks the initiation of the Asthma awareness campaign worldwide.

Understanding Asthma in brief

Asthma is a long-term respiratory condition, in which the airways of the human system may unexpectedly and suddenly narrow, often in response to an allergen, cold air, exercise or emotional stress. Common symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.

Why is Asthma Day important?

World Asthma Day is celebrated every year on the first Tuesday of May. This year it falls on 1st May. The day is celebrated to spread awareness about Asthma and how people all over the world can spread it amongst their families. Therefore to commemorate the event and educate the students in school and parents at home, World Asthma day was commenced. The aim of this campaign is to make people understand the types of Asthma that can affect them and immediate safety tips so as to ensure that the severity of the disease can be curtailed. 

Things to keep in mind about Asthma

All over the world, there are several people who do not opt for Asthma treatment and that proves to be a fatal mistake later on in life. Chronic Asthma disease can be easily prevented by a simple treatment in the initial stages. People who suffer from Asthma often face chronic attacks if they forget to carry their inhaler and different kinds of allergies are also very fatal for asthma people.

Things that can trigger Asthma in people

Dust 
Pollens
Gastroesophageal Reflux
Pet Dander
Certain foods 
Exposure to chemicals 
Excessive physical activity 
Stress 
39-50% Of Sinusitis patients have Asthma also 
Extremely cold conditions
Signs someone is suffering from Asthma 

Persistent coughing
Difficulty in breathing
Wheezing 
Tightness in chest
Diagnosis and severity are established by a simple air blowing test known as Spirometry.

Chest X-ray and Sinus X-ray Help 
Serum IgE a blood test tells about type and severity
Severe cases may require special blood test known as Arterial Blood Gases to look at blood oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Sheet anchor of therapy is the inhaled medication to dilate airway and to reduce inflammation. The dose being in microgram dose is harmless and delivered to the site of the problem.  New drugs known as Omalizumab and Benralizumab are approved for specific nonresponding patients with severe asthma.

Prevent asthma from being harmful

Asthma is a chronic disease can stay for the rest of someone's life. So on this World Asthma Day make sure that you know how it can be treated and prevent the disease from harming someone you love. Here are some treatment tips.

First get to know more about asthma and become a partner with the doctor to carry out treatment for a long time period.

Be aware of the allergens that may trigger asthma and prevent them from coming in contact with the person.

Make sure to keep the doctor updated regarding the status of a patient's condition and for any sign of potential risk.

If a loved one is suffering then ensure that they lead their life as per the guidelines shared by the doctor, in order to prevent any risky situation. 

So here are the important things that you should be knowing about asthma. And, in case you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above, one should immediately contact their doctor. On this World Asthma Day be aware of the disease and keep the people safe who are suffering from it. Stay Healthy!

World Asthma Day - Spreading Awareness Is Important!

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