Causes of Asthma In wealthy, hygienic places, most babies are not exposed to bacterial infections that "kick start" the immune system in early life and may be important in directing the immune system away from allergic responses. They also grow up in warm, well-furnished, carpeted homes that don't allow much airflow. This encourages the rapid breeding of large numbers of house dust mites in bedding, carpets and furnishings. Many children, instead of playing outside in fresh air, spend most of their time indoors. This further increases dust mite sensitization. Exposure to tobacco smoke whether during the mother's pregnancy or in early childhood, predisposes children to developing asthma. It also makes their symptoms more severe. Children can also become sensitized to animals, pollens moulds and dust in the environment . changes in diet in such as a high proportion of processed foods, a higher salt intake, a lower antioxidant intake and a lack of fresh oily fish, lower intake of omega-3 fatty acids may contribute to the development of asthma. Asthma tends to run in families, and many people with asthma also have other allergic conditions such as rhinitis which is known as inflammation of the nose lining. "Allergy" is a hypersensitivity to some proteins foreign to the body; a small dose of the "Allergen" will produce a violent reaction in the person concerned. In adults, asthma can develop in response to irritants in the workplace- chemicals, dusts, gases, moulds and pollens. These can be found in industries such as baking, spray painting of cars, woodworking, chemical production, and farming etc. . When some one spends more time inside in front of the television or computes means that children get far less exercise. Reduced exercise may mean less stretching of the airways, and a greater tendency for the muscle in the airway walls to contract abnormally when exposed to minor irritants. These foods are often hidden as ingredients in casseroles or desserts. You should be aware of what you are eating, but don't limit your diet to only a few foods since a well balanced diet is best. Cockroaches
What Is Asthma?
Asthma is a lung condition that causes a person to have difficulty breathing. Asthma is a common condition. More than 6 million kids and adults have it. Asthma is a disease that inflames and narrows the airways in your lungs. If the airways become so narrow that you have trouble breathing, it’s called an asthma flare-up or “Asthma Attack”. Air travels into and out of the lungs through tubes called airways.
Asthma affects a person's airways, also known as bronchial tubes .When a person breathes normally, air is taken in through the nose or mouth and then goes into the Trachea (windpipe), passing through the bronchial tubes, into the lungs, and finally back out again. But people with asthma have airways that are inflamed. This means that they swell and produce lots of thick mucus. They are also overly sensitive, or hyperreactive, to certain things, like, dust, exercise, or cigarette smoke. This hyperreactivity causes the smooth muscle that surrounds the airways to tighten up. The combination of airway inflammation and muscle tightening narrows the airways and makes it difficult for air to move through.
In most people with asthma, the difficulty breathing happens periodically. When it does happen, it is known as an asthma attack, flare, episode, or exacerbation.
This narrowing or obstruction can cause one or a combination of the following symptoms:
Environmental Factors:
Dietary Changes:
Genetic Factors:
Occupational Exposure:
Lack of Exercise:
Prevention of Asthma
The best way to prevent an allergy is to recognize that you have one. Often people confuse an allergy with a cold or flu. Remember colds are short-lived and passed from person to person, whereas allergies are immune system reactions to normally harmless substances.
If you are dust-sensitive, especially if you have allergies and/or asthma, you can reduce some of your misery by creating a "dust-free" bedroom. Dust may contain molds, fibers, and dander from dogs, cats, and other animals, as well as tiny dust mites. These mites, which live in bedding, upholstered furniture, and carpets, thrive in the summer and die in the winter. They will, however, continue to thrive in the winter if the house is warm and humid. The particles seen floating in a shaft of sunlight include dead mites and their waste products, The waste products actually provoke the allergic reaction.
Food Allergies
Our consumption of food nearly triples during the holiday season. With the scrumptious variety of foods available during the holidays, a food allergy can easily present itself.
Symptoms of a food allergy can be as simple as skin problems (itchiness, rashes or hives) or intestinal troubles (abdominal pain, diarrhea or vomiting), or as dangerous as swelling of the respiratory passages, shortness of breath, fainting or anaphylactic shock.
The more common food allergens are:
Preventive Strategies
These pests are common even in the cleanest of crowded urban areas and older dwellings. They are found in all types of neighborhoods.The proteins found in cockroach saliva are particularly allergenic but the body and droppings of cockroaches also contain allergenic proteins.
Preventive Strategies
- Avoid the outdoors between 5-10 am. Save outside activities for late afternoon or after a heavy rain, when pollen levels are lower.
- Be aware that pollen can also be transported indoors on people and pets.
- Dry your clothes in an automatic dryer rather than hanging them outside. Otherwise pollen can collect on clothing and be carried indoors.
- Keep windows in your home and car closed to lower exposure to pollen. To keep cool, use air conditioners and avoid using window and attic fans.
- If you buy trees for your yard, look for species that do not aggravate allergies such as catalpa, crape myrtle, dogwood, fig, fir, palm, pear, plum, redbud and redwood trees
House Dust
House dust is a component of who you are. House dust is not just dirt but a mixture of otentially allergenic materials, such as:
- Dust mites
- Plant & insect parts
- Fibers
- Hair, animal fur & feathers
- Dried saliva & urine from pets
- Food particles
- Mold spores
- Pollens
- Flakes of human & animal skin
The more time you spend indoors, particularly in the fall and winter, the greater your exposure to house dust allergens.
Preventive Strategies
- Wear protective gloves and a dust mask while cleaning to reduce exposure to dust and cleaning irritants.
- Dust rooms thoroughly with a damp cloth at least once a week.
- Use electric and hot water radiant heaters to provide a cleaner source of heat than "blown air" systems.
- Reduce the number of stuffed animals, wicker baskets, dried flowers and other dust collectors around the house.
- Replace carpets with washable scatter rugs or bare floors (wood, tile or linoleum).
Replace heavy drapes and blinds with washable curtains or shades.
Grass
As with tree pollen, grass pollen is regional as well as seasonal. In addition, grass pollen levels can be affected by temperature, time of day and rain.Of the 1,200 species of grass that grow in North America, only a small percentage of these cause allergies. The most common grasses that can cause allergies are:
- Bermuda grass
- Johnson grass
- Kentucky bluegrass
- Orchard grass
- Sweet vernal grass
- Timothy grass
Animal Allergens
- Proteins in saliva (which stick to fur when animals lick themselves).
- Proteins secreted by oil glands and shed as dander.
- Aerosolized urine from rodents and guinea pigs.
Keep in mind that you can sneeze with and without your pet being present. Although an animal may be out of sight, their allergens are not. This is because pet allergens are carried on very small particles. As a result pet allergens can remain circulating in the air and remain on carpets and furniture for weeks and months after a pet is gone.
Preventive Strategies
- If pet removal is not possible, keep them out of bedrooms and confined to areas without carpets or upholstered furniture.
- After playing with your pet, wash your hands and clean your clothes to remove pet allergens.
- Remove pets from your home if possible.
- Wear a dust mask and gloves when near rodents.
- Avoid contact with soiled litter cages.
Remedies /Symptoms
ARSENIC ALB.
- Complain are due to alcoholism ptomaine poisoning, dissecting wound, effect from decayed food'
- Asthma worst in mid night.
- Burning in chest unable to lie down.
- Expectoration is scanty forthish.
- Wheezing respiration.
- Aliments” in wet weather, after mid night from cold drink and food and from heat taking warm drink.
IPECAC
- Violent degree of dyspnoea with wheezing and great precordial weight and anxiety.
- Asthmatic bronchitis.
- Suffocates and gags with cough, splits up a little blood.
- Has to sit up at night to breath.
- Serve and convulsive paroxysm of asthma.
- Suffocative cough stiffens out, turn red or blue, gags or vomits.
- Hands and feet drip cold sweat.
ANTIM TRAT
- Asthmatic trouble due to weakness of the lungs, which is again due to paralysis of the vagus nerve.
- May be caused from exposure in damp basement or cellars.
- Very much rattling sound in lungs as if deathly rattles due to accumulation of profuse loose mucous.
- Fine mucous rales is audible throughout the chest.
- Inability to expectorate.
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