Asthma, the long term inflammatory disease, affects the airways of lungs. A number of symptoms, including obstruction of air flow into the lungs, which can cause breathlessness, coughing, wheezing, allergic reactions and swelling of the tubes, points to it. The causes include genes as well as pollution in the environment which is resulting in an increasing number of cases. The diagnosis is usually done with a spirometry and the treatment is a long term process. 

Women who suffer from asthma have to be especially vigilant during pregnancy as it can lead to a number of complications including less air passage to the foetus. This can result in a slow rate of development and certain anomalies in extreme cases. So how can a pregnant lady manage asthma? here are a few tips:

 Involve pulmologist: to begin with, the obstetrician and the pulmonologist must both be well aware of the situation. The pulmonologist must be given detailed information with regards to allergies as well as past treatment and medical history so that the treatment is done systematically to prevent an asthmatic attack and any complications to the foetus. 
 Lung function: during pregnancy, the doctor must monitor lung function carefully with monthly check ups to ensure that the right amount of oxygen is reaching the foetus. This is done because the severity of asthma changes in most women during pregnancy. A spriometry or peak flow metre can be used to measure the lung function. Also, the foetal movements must be monitored on a monthly basis, or rather, once every 28 days, to be more specific. 
 Influenza: flu is a common outcome of asthma, especially when it becomes severe during pregnancy. The onset of flu or influenza must be prevented at all costs with the help of a flu vaccine that will be effective at least for a season at a time. It is a pregnancy safe injection. 
 Triggers: there are many things that may trigger an asthmatic attack or an allergic reaction that can lead to the same. Ensure that you do not suffer from these triggers by avoiding dust, pollen, tobacco smoke and varied other substances that can lead to choking and wheezing. 
 Medication: one must ask the doctor about pregnancy safe inhaled corticosteroids that one can take during pregnancy if and when the need arises.

 It is recommended to take medication for asthma during pregnancy only after a consultation with the doctor. Also, do not reduce the dose of the medicine unless your doctor has recommended a change.

How to Deal With Asthma During Pregnancy

Asthma is a common disease, characterized by the inflammation of the airways. These airways are responsible for the passage of air and therefore their inflammation causes shortness of breath and extreme discomfort. Though different branches of medicines have tried in their own ways to deal with this problem, ayurveda with its emphasis on natural remedies has emerged as a clear favorite. According to ayurveda, it is the stomach that is the source of all chronic diseases. The science believes that as impurities accumulate in our system, diseases like asthma come to the fore. The different ways by which ayurveda treats asthma are:

1. Maintaining a proper diet: since stomach is identified as the source of most diseases, any attempt to treat them should begin from the stomach itself. Ayurveda believes that those foods, which are easy to digest, inevitably helps in relieving you from the bouts of asthma. The concept that operates behind this is that easily digestible food provides nutrients, which are further absorbed by the tissues. This helps in rebuilding the strong strength as well as keeps the stomach in a sound condition.

2. Herbal oil massage: a daily massage with herbal oil has always proved to have an extremely soothing and a calming effect on your system. Ideally the massage should be performed before taking a bath as it increases the blood circulation and pacify the nervous system.

3. Exercise: ayurveda is perhaps the only branch of medicine that gives equal priority to medications as well as exercises. It is believed that stretching and those exercises that facilitate flexibility can markedly reduce bouts of asthma.




Role of Ayurveda in Treating Asthma 

The festival of Diwali is greeted with great pomp and splendour and along with the regular festivities, the pollution levels in the air also rise due to the ritual of bursting fire crackers. In an analysis, the rise of harmful pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide seemed to reveal a disturbing outcome.

The rise in pollution during Diwali affects you in the following ways:

The PM (particulate matter which is smaller than 2.5mm) enters your lungs and bloodstream and has several health impacts including chronic respiratory symptoms such as painful breathing and shortness of breath which might cause premature death.
High sulphur dioxide levels in the air during Diwali also lead to inflammation of air passages and causes complications in respiration.
A compound called  strontium  found in the atmosphere multiplies by 120 times during the festival and causes bone damage and blood clotting ailments.
Firecrackers contain heavy metals which are toxic to the human body and the amount of magnesium in the air goes up by 22x, which poses a significant threat to all forms of life.
The noise pollution also rises during the festival and in extreme cases, can permanently damage one s hearing.
However, there are a few measures you can undertake to steer clear of the excessive pollutants present in the air:

Limit the amount of time you spend outdoors even while exercising. This is because the air remains contaminated, days after all the festivities get over and the pollutants take a very long time to dissipate.
Even on the road, drive with the windows of your car rolled up to avoid intake of adulterated air and use a face mask if you are a two-wheeler rider.
Plant a lot of green plants inside your house as they purify the air you are breathing and ensure a supply of fresh oxygen.
Install an air purifier in the room to make sure you breathe in fresh, uncontaminated oxygen when you sleep. The air purifier will also help in lessening your respiratory complications.
Also, in case you notice any respiratory or breathing problem, it is advisable that you consult a pulmonologist, to rule out serious health issues. 

Diwali - How the Rise in Pollution Level Affects Your Health?

Asthma is a disease that can be only controlled and not completely cured. This chronic disease can make one feel breathless and experience chest tightening. Modern medicine has an answer to the stressful symptoms of asthma. A wide range of tools and medicines help a great deal in controlling this disease. Find what tools and medicines can help in bringing down the symptoms of asthma and help one breathe with ease.

Pink flow meter: This small tool helps in measuring the movement of air in the lungs. You need to blow into it and read the number. The result helps in finding out the frequency of doctor visits and the dosage of the medicines. Forthcoming asthma attack too is indicated by this device, and you can see it declining with constant use. In fact, you would slowly stop experiencing any other symptoms. Using the pink flow meter forewarns you about a forthcoming asthma attack.

Checkups: You need to visit your doctor regularly. The frequency can vary. You will be seeing your doctor after every two to six weeks, based on the severity of the disease. If you strictly stick to the instructions of your doctor, you can improve the lung function. You can stay active and sleep well if you follow the medicines. This way, there will be no fear of emergency treatment as the peak flow is almost always above 80 percent in case of complete compliance to medicine. Even if you know your condition cannot be cured, you can keep it in check to lead a healthy life.

Medications: Asthma has to be controlled with two types of medicines. You will need to take fast-reacting medicines and the long-term medications. Providing immediate relief is what the quick-relief medicines do, and reducing inflammation of the airways is what the long-term medicines aim at. While there are pills available, the inhalers play a vital role in keeping asthma patients healthy. Through an inhaler, the medication is administered straight into the airways. This makes it easy to give larger and continuous dose of medicines. In fact, this is the most effective way to prevent and treat the asthma symptoms. Corticosteroids are inhaled with an inhaler and it results in long-term relief. Even if taken daily, patients do not get addicted to corticosteroids. Physicians may also prescribe pills that reduce inflammation of the airways. Short-acting b2 agonists are often prescribed as quick-relief medicines. Asthma-affected individuals must carry the inhaler and the quick-relief medicines with themselves, wherever they go.

Treatment for different age groups: In children, only the quick-relief medicines are prescribed. If required, the long-term medications are used after six years of age. If desired results are obtained, the treatment is stopped after six weeks. Children can also be administered corticosteroids. This may result in slowed growth in a few children but the effect does not last long. In elders, long-term inhaling of corticosteroids can increase the risk of osteoporosis. It is essential to take vitamin D supplements along with it. Also, do not take pain suppressants and anti-inflammatory drugs. Speak with your doctor about taking pills for other diseases. When a pregnant mother is asthmatic, the chances of the child getting asthma are higher. They also suffer the risk of premature birth and low birth weight. Check with your doctor about taking medicines for asthma when you are pregnant. You need to consider the risk and stick to safe medication practices.

Asthma - Know About Its Treatment In Modern Medicine! 

Asthma is a chronic lung condition wherein the air passage gets blocked or constricted due to the production of extra mucus. It is an age old condition which has been creating problems for people since a long time. Despite the seriousness of the condition, there are various myths people tend to believe about asthma.

Here are a few myths about asthma and the usage of inhalers:

Regular Usage of Inhalers is Addictive: This is a total myth. Using inhalers is not at all addictive, it is a necessity. Just because you use your inhaler regularly does not mean you are addicted to it.  Just like brushing your teeth every day isn't an addiction, taking your daily medicine from an inhaler isn't an addiction as well. Using an inhaler will just help you with your asthma condition.
Oral Medicine Gets Better Results than Inhalers: Absolutely not. In fact, it is proven that inhalers give better results than oral medications. Oral medication takes longer to act during a sudden asthma attack while inhalers deliver the drug directly to the lungs.
Inhalers Are Meant For Severe Asthma Cases: Well, this again is not true. Inhalers are used for treating asthma. Period. Asthma is a condition where your lungs inflame which is best cured with steroids, and the easiest way to have steroids administered to you is through the inhalation method. When you use the inhalers, the steroids are delivered directly to your lungs. They also have a minimum number of side effects when administered through inhalers.
Asthma is Curable: You might tend to think that asthma can be cured with the help of proper medications. You might think that asthma is not a constant condition. But it is not what you think. The symptoms of asthma might not be present all the time but that doesn't mean you do not have asthma. Asthma is a long-term condition where the airways swell up causing you to suffer from breathlessness. If you suddenly stop taking your daily medicines because the symptoms have not surfaced, then it will take you a long time before you will be able to totally recover from the next attack you suffer from.
If you have asthma, remember to take your medicines daily and timely. 

Debunking Asthma Myths

The lungs are made of pipes - starting from the nostrils all the way to the fine tubules in the lungs, through which the air we breathe passes through. The inhaled air also contains a lot of other particles - dust, pollen, virus, cigarette smoke, etc. Very often, the body is allergic to one or more of these particles, and the bronchi are constantly irritated and inflamed due to their sustained exposure. This causes allergic bronchitis which is identified by symptoms like chronic coughing, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, nasal congestion.

Ayurveda believes that the human body has 3 doshas or bio elements - vata, pitta, and kapha. Any disease is believed to be due to one of these being affected. Allergic bronchitis is believed to be an issue with vata.
1. The most effective treatment for bronchitis is believed to be a glass of milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder in it. This mixture is believed to be most effective when taken on an empty stomach and can be had 2 to 3 times a day.
2. Equal portions of powders of dry ginger, long pepper, and black pepper can be mixed with honey to make a smooth paste. This can be had 2 to 3 times a day to see wonderful results.
3. One-half teaspoon of licorice powder mixed in 1 cup of water can be boiled, cooled, and stored to be consumed through the day.
4. A creeping plant known as somlata (ephedra vulgaris) is found to be highly efficacious in relieving asthma. This grows in western himalayas in abundance and is sent in hundreds of tonnes to western countries where ephedrine is prepared from it. The powder made from the whole plant, after drying in the shade and is given in the dosage of 100 to 250 milligrams, mixed with honey or water at the intervals of 8 to 4 hours.

Other formulations

Kapha katari - literally translates as phlegm cutter, this works immediately. The powder needs to be wrapped in betel leaf and chewed slowly. Continue with another 4 doses over the next 24 hours.

Kanakasava - the extract of datura is very effective in halting bronchitis but needs to be taken under medical supervision only. This is habit-forming and therefore, needs to be used cautiously.

In addition, follow these general considerations too:
1. Avoid or minimize exposure to known allergens, cigarette smoke and pollution
2. Drink about 8 to 10 glasses of water to help form a thin mucous
3. Avoid dust in the bedroom, avoid feather pillows
4. Regularly vacuum clean the house
5. Do yoga, especially the breathing asanas which are very beneficial for bronchitis patients
Allergic bronchitis is a chronic condition, and acute attacks can be avoided by following some of the pointers mentioned above.

Ayurvedic Treatment Options for Allergic Bronchitis

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