Definition
Asthma represents a condition in which several problems
overlap. One of the early symptoms of asthma is a dry cough, often
worse at night. As the condition worsens, it usually proceeds to
a wheeze, starting on the out-breath, but as is worsens, on the out
and in-breath.
These problems may be grouped in three categories:
Allergic. The
white blood cells in the airway wall are primed to over-react to
allergens (animal dander, dusts, dust mite fecal matter, pollens
etc.) or chemicals (perfumes, smog, vehicle exhausts, cigarette
smoke,) or food triggers (dairy products, peanuts, shellfish etc.).
Hyper-reactive
airways. This condition relates
to the allergies but is made worse as the lungs get more
'practice' in tightening up, the muscle bands around the
small airways get thicker. This condition is accentuated
by an imbalance in the fatty acid composition in the diet
- too much Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids found in corn, canola,
soy, flax and, safflower oils, and not enough Omega-3 fatty
acids, those found in fish oils and some of the foods upon
which fish feed - plankton, and bluegreen algae.
Thickened
mucus. Mucus
becomes thicker in dry air, (winter heated air), with
inadequate consumption of water, with excess dairy and
flour consumption and with insufficient vegetable foods
in the diet.
How does Asthma
start?
Often the roots of asthma can be traced to the medical
condition of the parents. Sometimes it's that they were allergic,
had asthma or eczema. Often the mother reports that she had some
difficulty with milk or dairy products during her pregnancy.
Some children get asthma with the introduction of milk-based
formulas. This is often accompanied by colic, heralding a gut based
connection. Often the first asthma attack comes some time after a
course of antibiotics. Acute ear infections, often following a viral
upper respiratory infection, are a common reason for an antibiotic
prescription.
My interpretation of these connections is that the digestive
system of the children becomes injured in one, or several, ways
leading to a condition referred to as 'leaky
gut'.
Proteins, often cow's milk, leak through the small intestine wall
setting up a hyper-reactive response which seems to effect the lung
as well as the intestine.
Breast fed infants seem unlikely to have this reaction
unless the mother is eating a lot of dairy and she can't fully digest
it. Antibiotics, while very helpful for bacterial ear (and other)
infections, can strip the intestine of beneficial bacteria and leave
it vulnerable to leaky gut. Dairy (and to some extent older children)
may also contribute to increased respiratory mucus. This mucus also
affects the Eustachian tubes, the passages leading from the mouth
to the middle ear and when these tubes become loaded with mucus,
they provide fertile territory for infections.
What do drugs do for Asthma?
Bronchodilators
These medications, like Ventolin®, cause the smooth
muscle in the airway walls to relax. They work quickly and provoke
the same kind of response as when we undertake strenuous exercise
in which we produce adrenalin which also opens the airways. Well
known side effects include the 'jitters' and an increased heart rate.
There are also a group of longer acting bronchodilators.
Steroids
These may come as a spray which is inhaled, or a powder
which is sucked into the lungs. Steroids reduce inflammation. They
don't act quickly but when used regularly, usually twice daily, can
have a very beneficial effect. The downside is that they encourage
yeast infections (Thrush).
Immune Modifiers
These medications reduce the way certain white blood cells,
mast cells and eosinophils respond
to allergens like pollens and animal dander. They can be quite helpful
for some people.
What do I usually Recommend?
- start by removing
foods which may be a problem. Traditional allergy testing likely will
not reveal which foods are a problem unless you have anaphylactic reactions
to them. These are more like food intolerances. I usually recommend stopping
all dairy foods except butter. Stop wheat, reduce breads and have very
few sweets including little fruit juice. See the Candida
diet for a more
or less complete avoid list.
- increase
water or watery foods like soups
- stop using foods prepared or heated
in the microwave. This probably sounds strange however some people
report that the type of radio-wave energy which makes the food
hot gets transferred to the food and then to the consumer. This
type of heat is possibly a contributor to the type of dryness harmful
in asthma.
- next take very good digestive enzymes with each meal.
This will assist in the breakdown of dietary proteins, reducing the
influx into the bloodstream.
begin taking probiotics. These
friendly bacteria will work for you to help reduce your yeast load.
There is some evidence that probiotics also give the immune system
a boost.
- supplements to consider in addition include Immusun™,
a WPG betaglucan product to boost resistance to infection, 2 on an
empty stomach first thing in the morning, wait for at least 20 minutes
before taking other fibre food.
add fish oil, high in omega-3 fatty
acids and DHA. Look for a deep sea fish oil which is certified to
be mercury-free. A good brand is NutraSea™ which is available
in capsules or tablets. Suggested dose is 2 capsules or one tablespoon
daily, best taken early in the day.
- consider adding mineral rich supplements
like bluegreen
algae and Coenzyme
Q10 (for older adults) as well as a multivitamin.
begin taking probiotics. These friendly bacteria will work for you to help reduce your yeast load. There is some evidence that probiotics also give the immune system a boost.
add fish oil, high in omega-3 fatty acids and DHA. Look for a deep sea fish oil which is certified to be mercury-free. A good brand is NutraSea™ which is available in capsules or tablets. Suggested dose is 2 capsules or one tablespoon daily, best taken early in the day.
