What is asthma?
Most of us have heard of asthma or the very least know someone struggling with it. Asthma is a chronic disease that affects your airways, or tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become sore and swollen. This increases the sensitivity of the area, and may cause strong reactions to allergens. During a reaction, the airways get narrower and your lungs get less air which can cause coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and trouble breathing.
Who can it affect?
Asthma can occur at any age, but is most common in children under 10 years of age [2]. It affects approximately 3% of the U.S. population and is twice as common in males vs. females under 30 years of age. After age 30, females and males are affected equally [2].
How do I know if I have asthma?
Some of the common signs and symptoms of asthma include: wheezing, tightness in the chest, coughing, difficulty breathing, low peak expiratory flow rate, dark circles under the eyes with swelling. Symptoms usually worsen at night.
What causes it?
Asthma, is usually the result of one or more Triggers. Some triggers (such as animal dander, dust, pollen, food, or drugs) elicit an immune response from the body, and others don’t but can be caused by a respiratory infection.
Underlying Imbalances: Atopic Dermatitis increases risk of asthma threefold, Low stomach acid production, Increased intestinal permeability or Leaky Gut, Candida albicans, Hormonal imbalances (including menstrual cycles in women), Psychological and emotional factors, Stress, Genetics.
Food Sensitivities: Food additives (coloring agents, azo dyes, common preservatives are sodium benzoate, 4-hydroxybenzoate esters, and sulfur dioxide.) Genetically modified foods, Salt (worsens bronchial reactivity and mortality).
Physical Causes: Respiratory infections, exercise, hyperventilation, stress, depression, and fear also can trigger an asthma attack. Physical exertion/exercise, Rapid changes in temperatures/humidity & breathing cold air.
Allergens or Medications: dust mites, animal dander, dust, pollen, mold, cockroach mites; Toxins or irritants: tobacco smoke, air pollutants, industrial fumes, volatile chemicals, gasoline, paint thinners and others. Medications- aspirin, penicillin, sulpha drugs, vaccines (especially pertussis or influenza), Genetics.
Below is a hypothetical intervention plan for asthma. It is important to work with your nutritionist or health practitioner to receive recommendations that are tailored to your specific symptoms and health history.
Interventions for Asthma
Today’s Goal: To increase intake of fruits and vegetables, reduce/eliminate additives, preservatives, and food allergens, increase water intake to ½ of weight in fluid ounces to encourage healing of asthma.
Nutrition
- Increase consumption of foods rich in antioxidants (fruits and vegetables), plenty of garlic and onions, essential fatty acids (wild caught cold water fish) – High plant based diet if meat, consume fish.
- Reduce/ eliminate processed foods, sodium intake, and avoid food additives & preservatives – avoid all/as many as possible, particularly those listed in the text
- Avoid/limit genetically modified foods & pesticides (Review Environmental Working Group – Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen)
- Increase consumption of fruits high in vitamin C
- Optimize GI health (address any hypochlorhydria, intestinal permeability and dysbiosis issues present and assess for and address other functional GI imbalances)
Supplements
Adults:
- Carlson Labs – Fish Oil – 2 teaspoons
- Klaire Labs VitaSpectrum Capsule Formula Multivitamin (preservative-free) – 5 capsules or 1 scoop (powder form available)
- Vital Nutrients Aller-C (Quercetin, Vitamin C, Bioflavonoids, Bromelain) – 2 capsules
- Pure Encapsulations – 50B Probiotic – 1 capsule (soy & dairy-free)
Kids:
- Springboard D-Hist Jr. (Vitamin C, Quercetin, Nettles, Bromelain, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine) – 1 tablet
- SmartyPants Kids Complete Gummy Vitamins: Multivitamin & Omega-3 DHA/EPA Fish Oil, Methyl B12, vitamin D3 – 4 gummies (preservative-free)
- Klaire labs Ther-Biotic Children’s Chewable Probiotic – 1 Tablet (Soy, preservative, dairy-free)
Lifestyle
- Try acupuncture or acupressure; Yoga for breathing control
- Counseling or therapy may be useful if asthma attacks arise in times of emotional crisis.
- Minimize airborne allergies in environment by reducing exposure to dust, mold, animal dander, pollen etc.
Additional Testing
Test for Food Allergies- avoid those that test positive. Common allergens in asthmatics include egg, fish, shellfish, nuts, peanuts (immediate sensitivity) and dairy, chocolate, wheat, citrus and food colorings (delayed sensitivity).
References:
- Fry, M., ND. (n.d.). Lecture: Asthma . Retrieved May 2, 2018, from https://learn.muih.edu/courses/6637/pages/kidney-stones-nephrolithiasis?module_item_id=180869
- Pizzorno, J. E., Murray, M. T., & Joiner-Bey, H. (2016). The Clinician’s Handbook of Natural Medicine E-Book. [N.p.]: Churchill Livingstone.
- Gbekley, H. E., Katawa, G., Karou, S. D., Anani, K., Tchadjobo, T., Ameyapoh, Y., . . . Simpore, J. (2016). Ethnobotanical Study Of Plants Used To Treat Asthma In The Maritime Region In Togo. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 14(1), 196-212. doi:10.21010/ajtcam.v14i1.22
- S., Lamson, A. E., & W., D. (2010, April 1). Immune-modifying and antimicrobial effects of eucalyptus oil and simple inhalation devices. Alternative Medicine Review.