Remedies for Mild Asthma

Asthma statistics show this disease now affects 17 million people in the United States. The tendency to develop asthma is inherited, and it is more common among people who have allergies. There are two forms of asthma, allergic asthma and nonallergic asthma. Allergic asthma is very common and it develops in people who have allergies.
People who have asthma have inflamed airways (breathing tubes). This makes them swollen and very sensitive. They tend to react strongly to certain inhaled substances. When the airways react, the muscles around them tighten. This narrows the airways, causing less air to flow into the lungs and can result in asthma symptoms.
Common asthma triggers generally fall into several categories:
• Respiratory infections
• Dust, pollen, and furred animals
• Tobacco smoke or chemicals
• Physical activity
• Emotional stress
• Menstrual cycle in some women
• Certain medicines
A small number of patients will develop asthmatic symptoms after exposure to aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, like ibuprofen or naproxen.
In the case of nonallergic asthma, the triggers that irritate the lungs and bring on asthma symptoms have nothing to do with allergies or the immune system. This type of asthma can be initiated by dry air, cold weather, exercise, smoke, strong perfume, stressful situations, intense emotions etc.
The typical symptoms of allergic and nonallergic asthma are similar. Symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. The symptoms may occur immediately following contact with a trigger or may be delayed.
Normally there is no cure for asthma, but asthma, whether they are mild, moderate, or severe, allergic or nonallergic, can be managed. Doctors who specialize in treating asthma can be very helpful. In addition to the use of medicines, you can use home remedies to control your asthma. Smoking should be completely avoided; all the medicine in the world won't help an asthma sufferer if he or she smokes.
Immediate helpful remedies for asthma attack;
• Seek for fresh air.
• Drink warm water.
• Keep yourself in sited position.
• Don't get angry or stressed.
Patients with infrequent and mild symptoms of asthma should be treated intermittently with the goal of quick symptom relief. The principles of treatment for a mild attack of asthma are mostly the same for adults and children, except in the use of inhaled corticosteroids.
BRONCHO-DILATOR THERAPY: Use a short-acting beta2 agonist via a pressurized metered dose inhaler
CORTICOSTEROIDS: In adults, inhaled corticosteroids should be continued until review.
FOR CHILDREN: A short course of montelukast (7 days) may be beneficial if started at the first signs of a cold or asthma symptoms.
FOLLOW UP: For a patient presenting with features of a mild acute attack arrangements should be made for review of the situation 1 to 24 hours depending on the context. If there has not been significant symptomatic response by then to treatment with broncho-dilators and inhaled corticosteroids, the patient should be reassessed clinically and considered for hospital admission.
Children should be observed for at least 1 hour after the attack subsides.
SOME HOME REMEDIES FOR MILD ASTHMA
USE SALINE SOLUTION: Irrigating the nose with saline solution (salt water) may help to soothe upper respiratory allergies. Saline solution may even wash away some of the inflammatory cells themselves.
DRINK PEPPERMINT TEA: Peppermint acts as a decongestant, and substances in peppermint contain anti-inflammatory and mild antibacterial constituents.
STEAM YOUR FACE: It helps rid the nasal passages of mucus. Breathe gently for 5 to 10 minutes. When you're finished breathing steam, rinse a cloth with this water and hold the cloth on your sinuses (to the sides of your nose, below the eyes, and above the eyebrows).
Asthma is not a killing disease, but it can make your life worse if you don't take appropriate treatment and necessary precautions. Treatment should be taken systematically for a long duration to fight against this disease. Follow the tips given below as a preventive measure:
• Keep away from dust.
• Avoid chemicals includes, paint, acids etc,
• Control your overweight and avoid over eating.
• Should not eat too much oily food.
• Avoid over exercise.

Tom Marshal is a freelance writer specialized in topics that cover health of the general public. Have you found this article helpful and informative?
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Types And Uses Of Respiratory Nebulizers For Those With Breathing Problems

Nebulizers are an example of extremely efficient drug delivery system for administering various essential drugs directly to the lungs. The administration of drugs directly to the lungs can come in extremely handy for people who suffer from any of the number of health conditions that makes normal inhalation impossible. The nebulizers offer an easy and effective alternative to the doctors and healthcare experts to administer medication in patients suffering from asthma, chronic obstruction of the pulmonary tract, cystic fibrosis, or emphysema.

They help doctors in administering essential and relief providing medications to infants and toddlers suffering from a blocked pulmonary tract. The nebulizers need no extra efforts on the part of the users to supply the medication to the lungs. The patients only need to breathe in a normal fashion until the medication is gone. This simple procedure and the effectiveness of the nebulizers have made them so very popular among people suffering with blocked or chocked airways. In fact, nebulizers have become way more popular than the metered dose inhalers or dry powdered inhalers.

The latest nebulizers are available to the patients in three major variants depending on the technology used to convert the liquid medication into a fine mist or aerosol. The aerosol or mist form of the medication is far more effective than the liquid medication for providing relief to the patient. The first type is the ultrasonic nebulizer, which do not have the need for the mixture of saline mix with the medication. The ultrasonic nebulizers use battery-operated compressor to aerosolize the medication. The ultrasonic nebulizers are extremely compact and portable producing much less noise compared to the other machines. This type of nebulizer is more efficient and faster compared to the other types of nebulizers.

Jet nebulizers use compressed air to provide a fine mist from the liquid medication. Air passes through a tube from the compressor and into a plastic cup, which holds liquid medication. The older models of the jet nebulizers are bigger in size and produce considerable amount of noise. Moreover, some of the models require electricity to work and these are not suitable for travel. However, the latest models are more compact and produce lower noise levels. The jet nebulizers cost less expensive compared to the other types of nebulizers and are easier to use, as well.

The fastest and most expensive of all nebulizers are the mesh nebulizers. They use the most sophisticated technology to aerosolize the liquid medication, and are extremely portable and suitable for convenient travel. This type of nebulizer uses a vibrating membrane to produce a spray of aerosol from the liquid medication for the users to inhale. However, the mesh nebulizers require regular maintenance to maintain their efficiency. The users need to clean the small opening to prevent blockages and ensure speedy release of the mist containing medication.

The nebulizers can be excellent choice for providing medications such as steroids and antibiotics to the lungs of the patents. The steroids are usually effective in easing up the congestion in the airways whereas the antibiotics help in containing and treating the infections. Doctors need to choose the type of nebulizer according to the requirements of the patients.

About the Author:

Hello, My name is Bob and I am co-owner of RoSa Medical Supply ™ an online retail store. My website offers some of the best high quality Durable Home Medical Equipment on the internet for your everyday home health care needs on a fixed budget. Our products are always at cheap discount prices because we are an authorized online resseller of numerous major brand name manufacturers, thus cutting out the middle-man and passing the savings on to you. When you visit our Respiratory page you can be assured of receiving FAST shipping direct to your door as well as 100% SAFE secure checkout.

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How to Help Your Child Suffering From Juvenile Asthma?

Juvenile asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder that reduces the patency of the airway, leaving the patient gasping for air. The mortality and morbidity rates of asthma has reduced to a certain extent with increased awareness and advanced medical facilities.

Now what causes an asthma attack is not clearly validated, however, every patient responds differently to the allergens. Sometimes these triggers are manipulative making it highly difficult to prevent an asthma attack. Nocturnal asthma that occurs early in the morning does not have any trigger, rather the slow breathing during sleep sends the respiratory system to a shock that causes an attack.

A child suffering asthma can have a really tough time as their innocence does not allow them to understand the gravity of the situation. They generally want to run around, jump, dive and engage in other physical activities, but they are unaware of the impending attack.

What causes asthma in a child?

Allergens such as pollens, dust mites, dander or mold, airborne irritants such as cigarette smoke, perfumes, chemicals, respiratory infections such as pneumonia or sinusitis that affect the girth of the windpipe. Also in some children, exercises can cause tightness in the chest, wheezing and coughing.

Emotional factors are also triggers of asthma like over-excitement or anxiety. Medicines such s NSAIDs can trigger an attack. Finally, weather conditions as in cold air, high temperature and excessive humidity.

Some of the commonly prescribed drugs for asthma are:

Preventive medications: The preventive medications should be taken long-term for a life time. These medications are available in the form of inhalers or nebulizer. Corticosteroids (Budacort), leukotriene modifiers (Singulair), beta agonist (Serevent Diskus), generic cromolyn nebulizer solution, immunomodulators (Xolair)

Medications in emergency: These are also considered as rescue drugs that help the patient to cope up with the asthma attack. They include Proair inhaler, Ventolin inhaler, or Proventil HFA.
These medications work by reducing the inflammation of the respiratory tract and dilate the bronchial muscles so that the windpipe is more patent.

Prevention is better than cure. This is an old adage that hold good to the contemporary world too. It is always better to prevent an asthma attack, as an attack can severely affect the entire body. The researchers have found out that an asthma attack can harm more than the respiratory tract. An asthma attack is linked to a host of medical conditions such as pneumonia, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, psychiatric ailments, obesity and heart disease. Asthma is therefore, more than a respiratory disease.

So monitoring the disease regularly works better for the patient. The hospital visits, doctor's consultation, therapist's counselling can keep the safety levels high. There are many apps that help the patients to keep a track of triggers, intensity of attack, feeding types of medications used, medication reminder etc.

The child should be made aware of the diseases and its significance. Managing an asthmatic child is not easy when the age is tender and difficult to analyse. A parent should give never-ending support, guidance and love to keep the confidence level of the child higher.

Poornima M Malagi is a health care professional and active blogger. Please visit the blog to read more. http://pishosprings.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/surviving-asthma/

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How To Save Someone From An Asthma Attack

Asthma is a condition that inflames the airways, making it difficult to manage normal breathing. There are a wide variety of 'asthma triggers' such as dust and fur from pets. These nuisances cause the body to release histamine, which inflames and narrows the airways. It usually takes a course of medication to alleviate the symptoms of an asthma attack. A small amount of training on the treatment protocol can go a long way in helping a sufferer.

One of the main symptoms of an asthma attack is an overall feeling of breathlessness. The resulting narrowing of the airways will also cause the chest to tighten up, whereby the sufferer may even be clutching on this region of the body. Bouts of coughing can accompany the above symptoms, alongside 'wheezing noises', which are caused by a blockage when breathing in and out.

Cyanosis is also quite common. This is visible by the skin taking a grey / blue appearance, and may also be evident in the extremities like the lips and finger tips. These symptoms are similar to other serious breathing disorders; therefore it is important to talk to the casualty and those around them to work out if they suffer from the condition.

The first port of call when treating a casualty is to sit them down, and allow for a period of rest. This is by no means the cure; however the sufferer will increase the pressure on the respiratory system by standing up, or by being in an agitated state. The next step after recognising an 'asthma attack' is to search for the sufferer's medication. This usually takes the form of a small blue / brown cylinder, which should be carried at all times. The casualty should be encouraged to draw two puffs from this, every two minutes, for a maximum of ten puffs. The emergency services should be called if there is no access to medication, no improvement, or after ten puffs from the inhaler.

As with most conditions, the treatment protocol does not always go entirely to plan. The main issue that arises is insufficient access to the sufferer's medication. This may be because they have forgotten to take it out with them, or possibly as a result of not being diagnosed with the condition. The inhalers are vital in alleviating the symptoms of an attack. A casualty's breathing will become more and more laboured without medication, up to a point where they could even suffer from a cardiac arrest. Those who have received first aid training need to be prepared to start cardio pulmonary resuscitations (CPR) in the event of a cardiac arrest.

Luckily there appears to be a new vaccination on the way, which could help stop asthma attacks all together. It has been dubbed the 'supercharged' vaccine as it fires electrical pulses through the skin, directly into the cells within the immune system. This then naturally increases the amount of helper cells, which fight against the harmful effects from mites and house dust. It may well be in the early stages, but this could be the answer that asthma sufferers have been searching for.

Bill Casserley is an experienced first aider, who truly believes "life is for learning". Could you spot the signs of asthma? If not then visit the first aid training courses blog @ http://www.train-aid.co.uk for video tutorials.

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Asthma Information - Symptoms, Causes, And Management

Asthma comes from the Greek word meaning panting. If you have ever had been around someone who is having an attack, it is a traumatic experience that leaves you feeling helpless. If you can recognize some of the symptoms beforehand, there are procedures that can be done to lessen the severity of the episode. The more common symptoms are wheezing or a whistling noise when breathing, coughing, shortness of breath and tightening of the chest.

What Happens During an Attack?

If the symptoms of an Asthma attack goes undetected, then the individual starts to have troubles breathing. The airways that lead to the lungs start to get inflamed and cause spasms and swelling. The narrowing of the airways makes the individual feel like that can't breathe. Picture yourself in a room that provides less than enough oxygen for you to survive. It is a very frightening experience.

Things That Could Cause an Attack

Many studies have been done on contributing factors that cause Asthma flare ups. One obvious element is being around smokers and their second hand smoke. This is like poison to an asthmatic person. A bad pollution day that is caused by dangerous levels of toxic chemicals in the air. Another possible causing factor is when there are lots of allergens floating around during specific seasons.

How Is The Disease Contracted?

How does someone contract Asthma has been the million dollar question for decades. There are lots of theories, but no proven answers. Scientist have come up with 3 possible common attributes. One theory about the continuation of the disease is that it can be passed down through genetics. If your family tree produces asthmatics, then there is a chance that you could also be one. Another scientific thought comes from the environment. Low air quality from traffic pollution and high ozone levels could contribute in contracting the disease. The industrial age is thought to have brought this theory to life. Another quick study showed that families who smoked during child pregnancy could develop Asthma - like symptoms.

Managing Your Asthma

There is no known cure for Asthma. However, there are some simple ways to manage the symptoms. Be aware of high pollen days and try to stay inside. Try to avoid any smoke ridden areas. This includes any environmental or man-made fires. There are life style changes such as staying away from foods that contain sulfites and maintaining a recommended body weight. Keep your home's furnace clean and changed the filters every 60 to 90 days. Last but not least, make sure you take your medication as prescribed by your allergist.

Would you like more information? Visit the professionals over at txallergycenter.com today!

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