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Asthma
Basics By Nancy Dunne, ND adapted from an article by Emily Kane, ND Asthma is a difficult, sometimes frightening condition. It is a hypersensitivity reaction that causes spasm of the muscles of our air passages, swelling of the mucous membranes that line the airway and increased bronchial mucous secretion. The interruption of free and easy air exchange that follows leads to respiratory and emotional distress. Naturopathic medicine considers asthma a reversible inflammatory airway disease. Acute treatment of asthma must include the use of agents or methods that will relax the airway (bronchodilation), and also reduce inflammation. Beta-agonists, typically given in conventional therapy (such as Albuterol, Prednisone, etc.) are effective bronchodilators, however these drugs will not significantly reduce inflammation. Long term treatment of asthma includes identifying aggravating factors in the effected person’s internal and external environment, and minimizing these, while strengthening protective factors. Treatment can be elaborate and take time and effort to incorporate into daily life, or it can sometimes be amazingly simple. Some people, for instance, have found themselves able to stop taking daily medication for chronic asthma simply by drinking enough water on a regular basis. Diet and asthma In general, the strategy for reducing the number of asthma attacks includes a diet that provides the body raw material for restoration and rebuilding while minimizing cell damage by oxidation and the inflammatory response. Specifically this means: Eliminating simple sugars, Eating appropriate amounts of whole grain carbohydrates, Eating appropriate amounts of ‘clean’ meats and fish (meaning not laden with extra chemicals like hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides and coloring or preservative agents) and Eating appropriate amounts of good quality fats. The serotype hypothesis for food selection has proven to be an effective foundation for dietary changes that benefit the person with asthma. (See ‘Diet and Serotype) The ratios, or proportions of different elements in your diet matter a great deal. For instance, how large the pile of potatoes on your plate is compared to the protein portion, makes an important difference in how much inflammation your body will manifest in the hours following that meal. Dietary changes are often challenging. A specific food list and meal suggestions as well as ongoing support will be important to help you establish a new and rewarding food routine. Some specific therapeutic foods used for controlling asthma are: From a Chinese medicine perspective, asthmatics do best o eat foods that enhance the moisture (or Yin aspect) of the Lung. These are juicy, pungent foods such as garlic, onions, leeks, turnips, grapes, pineapple, green leafy vegetables, apricots, almonds, walnuts, carrots, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, figs, daikon radish, lychee, tangerines, loquats, honey, molasses, mustard greens, and sesame seeds. From a Western perspective, good foods to reduce inflammation as well as for dilating the bronchi are collard greens, cauliflower, garlic, onions, turnips, endive, apricots, cherries, elderberries, dark leafy green vegetables and deeply red/orange/yellow colored veggies, raw nuts and seeds, oily deep sea fish, lean meats like grass fed beef (specifically NOT grain fed beef), venison and other game, and organically raised poultry and eggs. For those of you into juicing fresh vegetables and fruits, the following drinks, preferably taken on an empty stomach each morning, can help minimize asthma attacks: celery and papaya celery, endive, and carrot spinach and carrot lime, horseradish, and garlic carrot Some specific food-as-medicine remedies: for shortness of breath: l lb. salmon, 2 oz. garlic, 1/4 oz. fresh ginger, salt and tamari. Place seasonings over salmon and steam. Divide and eat three times daily to reduce inflammation. eat mango fruit and the skin three times daily. take 120 g of dried lychee, discard skin and stones, steam in a covered pot then mash and serve for asthma of elderly, cough with thick phlegm: 2 dried persimmons and 30 g candied honey. Add water, steam in a covered pot, mash and eat twice daily. take a fresh lemon and add 1-2 tbsp. honey. Steam in water, with the skin, until soft, mash and eat twice daily. take 3 fresh peaches, peel and simmer with 30 g honey in a covered pot. Discard the stones and eat daily. take 30 g of walnut kernels, 15 g honey and 6 g turnip seed. Steam for 30 minutes and eat twice daily. take 60 g of walnut kernels and 3 g red ginseng. Cover with water and simmer into a soup. Serve twice daily for 3 days. take 60 g of fresh chestnuts and 4 pieces Chinese date plus a small amount lean pork. Add water and simmer until cooked, eat once daily. Foods to strictly avoid are the mucus forming ones, such as: Cow's milk and other dairy products, white bread, refined foods, processed foods, sugar and sweets, tofu, tomatoes, watermelon, salty foods, raw, cold foods in the winter, bananas Asthma attacks may be brought on by allergenic foods. The most common allergens are: dairy foods, chocolate, wheat, bananas, peanuts, citrus, and food colorings (especially yellow dyes, known as tartrazine). Vitamin and mineral supplementation to consider with asthma is as follows: Vitamin B12 1000 mcg injected intramuscularly, weekly for 6 weeks, then as needed. (people low in B12 are more likely to be asthmatic) Vitamin B6 50 mg twice daily EPA (found in fish oils) 3 g daily as an anti inflammatory bioflavonoids, especially quercetin or hesperidin, 400 mg 15-30 minutes before meals; these strengthen WBC wall and prevent excess release of histamine Beta carotene 100,000 I.U. daily } Selenium 250 - 400 mcg daily } all these, plus the B vitamins, Vitamin E 800 I.U. daily } are anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory Vitamin C 1-2 g daily } Magnesium 400 mg daily for muscle relaxation Similase 1 – 2 caps with meals, is a full spectrum digestive enzyme. It can help reduce mucus formation and prevent undigested food from "leaking" into the blood stream, causing a systemic inflammatory reaction. N-acetyl cysteine 500 mg twice daily. Keeps mucus thin and fluid Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) 500 mg morning or afternoon; supports adrenal function especially during chronic stress Herbal medicine for asthma A vast array of plant medicines can help to treat asthma. Be sure to consult with a qualified herbalist or naturopathic physician to find the herbs that are local, readily available to you, or processed by a conscientious herbal supplier. NOTE: quite a few herbs useful for asthma have a narrow therapeutic range, which is another way of saying that they are toxic in the wrong doses and should not be used except on the advice of and under the care of a licensed physician with specific expertise in botanical medicine. The following herbal medicines are particularly useful for asthma. Ammi visnaga, an East Indian plant Brassica spp. (mustard): use in a warm chest compress or as a foot bath for asthma accompanying bronchitis or as foot bath Commiphora myrrha: (Myrhh) works well for asthma with profuse secretion which is expelled with difficulty. Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Valley - beware this can be toxic in relatively low doses) is indicated for cardiac asthma, and combines well with Leonurus cardiaca (Motherwort). Datura stramonium (Thorn apple, toxic!) for chronic asthma Ephedra vulgaris: (Ephedra, the herbal Pseudofed) relieves bronchial spasm. Combines well with Lobelia inflata and Grindelia robusta Euphorbia hirta: works well for bronchitic asthma, especially combined with Grindelia robusta Grindelia robusta: is given for asthma with a dry cough, sense of soreness, rawness. May be best as fresh plant preparation. Lobelia inflata (toxic) for spasmodic asthma with secondary bronchitis. Combines well with Capsicum frutescens, (Cayenne pepper), Grindelia robusta, Drosera rotundifolia, Euphorbia hirta, Ephedra vulgaris .Marrubium vulgare (White Horehound) for asthma with moist expectoration, loss of the voice and difficulty breathing. Polygala senega (Milkwort) is for bronchitic asthma; combines well with Euphorbia hirta and Grindelia robusta . Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot, beware, it's toxic) reduces bronchial spasms and combines well with Lobelia inflata . Selenicereus grandiflorus (toxic) for asthma with cardiac symptoms. Symplocarpus foetidus: (Skunk cabbage) is a traditional anti-asthma remedy because it reduces bronchial spasms and relieves cough. Thymus vulgaris: (the culinary herb, Thyme) breaks up mucus secretions in the bronchii. Verbascum thapsus: (Mullein) is very soothing when inhaled from a steaming broth. Viburnum opulus: (Cramp bark) reduces spasms all over the body, including the lungs. Some traditional asthma remedies using a combination of herbs include: for paroxysmal cough and dry mucous membrane use Eriodictyon californicum plus Grindelia robusta. For a severe attack, when you feel pressed for breath and are wheezing use Gelsemium sempervirens (Yellow jasmine, toxic) plus Ferula sumbul, Verbascum thapsus plus Grindelia robusta. A safe effective treatment that will often successfully stop an impending asthma attack is to use tincture of hawthorne, 2-3 droppers full (30 to 60 dropps) at the first sign of respiratory tightness. Repeat every 5-10 minutes as needed and watch carefully. If the episode does not resolve within 30 minutes, resort to the inhaler. Physical Medicine/Body work Yoga is an ancient practice of meditation that includes at it’s core special attention to breath. The Sanskrit word for breath is "prana" which also means life force, or spirit. People have long understood that peaceful and full breath is crucial for optimal health and well-being. Breathing exercises are a good place to start when life or health is out of balance in any way, and most obviously of course with something like asthma. Developing a regular habit of breathing exercises helps you recover from asthma because it will: Strengthen respiratory muscles Eliminate inefficient use of accessory muscles of respiration (such as abdominal or neck muscles) Replace forceful breathing, which compresses airways, with relaxed breathing, which facilitates recovery from an acute spasmodic response. Reduce hyperventilation by increasing expiration Reduce the sensation of breathlessness by optimizing the functioning of the diaphragm Enhance clearing of airways Give you the confidence to stay calm in the face of transitory breathlessness The Buteyko Method of breath work originated in Russia and is used in Europe and the United Kingdom. There are as yet only a few certified physician-level practitioners in the US trained in this method. However it is gaining in popularity due to it’s apparent reliable results. Following are some preliminary comments and instruction from Dr. Daniel Heeler, on of the few US physicians trained in Russia in this method: “Assess the patient’s breathing with one of their hands on their chest and the other on their abdomen. If the movement of the two hands is equal, or chest more than abdomen, they are breathing unnaturally. We know how babies breathe. And Guyton (classic medical physiology text) says in the first paragraph of the chapter on respiration "Normal, quiet (i.e. non-exertional) breathing is accomplished largely by the movement of the diaphragm." So-called abdominal breathing is actually diaphragmatic breathing. The movement of the abdomen: in relation to the movement of the chest in the above assessment should be 3 or 5:1. It is possible to breathe quite well without moving the chest at all, just a slight movement of the ribs that can be felt on the side of the thorax. The nose is for breathing, the mouth is for eating, laughing, talking, drinking, kissing. This includes during sleep. Any breathing through the mouth makes a person a hyperventilator by definition (I believe hyperventilation underlies exercise-induced asthma.) The nasal passages filter the air (by turbulent precipitation via the turbinates); moistens the air; and warms the air we breathe. I usually recommend cromolyn sodium nasal inhaler for people with stuffed noses if they can't get air through their nose. These two steps will go a long way to help a lot of people, particularly those with asthma.” There are video courses for lay people available on the internet for people with asthma who would like to self treat with the Buteyko method. Dr. Heller is adamantly against self treatment, however other colleagues have seen positive results with these video instructions. In an acute attack, body position can be crucial for comfort and recovery. The optimal position to allow free movement of your diaphragm and lungs is for you to sit on a chair, leaning forward with your head on arms, arms resting on a table. Or, try lying comfortably on your back, well supported in semi-sitting position, with arms and legs slightly bent and relaxed. One of the frustrating aspects of asthma is that it can be induced by exercise. Therefore, if you are prone to asthmatic attacks mild aerobic exercise, such as swimming, is best for you. However, some asthmatics are allergic to chlorine, which means swimming in a public pool is out. Hydrotherapy, the use of hot and cold to relax or contract muscle, which effects airways and circulation, is also useful. Placing a hot, wrung out towel over the chest can relax the breathing muscles and restore normal breathing. For an acute asthma attack try a steam inhalation (draping a towel over your head and a bowl of hot water) with a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the water. Be careful that the water is not so hot that the steam burns your face. Some doctors recommend taking baths with a cup or so of 3% hydrogen peroxide in the water to bring extra oxygen to the entire surface of the skin, thus making the lungs somewhat less oxygen hungry. Another technique for an acute attack is to drink some hot water with the juice of one clove of garlic. Pay attention to the alignment of your spine. Often the upper thoracic vertebrae will be out of alignment after an asthma attack, which will ultimately put pressure on the lungs and possibly precipitate another attack. Having regular massage therapy, specifically between the shoulder blades, followed by adjustment to the thoracic vertebrae, when that is indicated, can reduce the frequency of attacks in chronic asthma, and the severity of attacks in acute asthma. Homeopathy for Asthma Homeopathy is a type of therapy that uses minute doses of specially prepared plants, minerals and other natural compounds. The prescription of a homeopathic remedy is accomplished with a diagnostic interview and exam. Remedies are chosen based on an individual’s personal experience with the symptoms that make up an asthma attack for them. The actual experience of an asthma attack can vary widely from person to person or even episode to episode for the same person. Please consult with a qualified homeopathic practitioner for the correct dose of the specific remedy that is right for you. |
