Asthma Assistance

If your child has asthma, you have probably figured out some of your triggers. If your triggers are allergen based, you might vacuum daily or keep your pets out of your bedroom. But did you know that in children, particularly young children, almost eighty-five percent of all asthma attacks are caused by upper respiratory sickness?

The common cold counts as an upper respiratory infection, so if your child has asthma, preventing him or her from catching a cold can help prevent asthma attacks as well as keep their overall health in better shape. Colds not only make a child achy, feverish, and stuffy not to mention grumpy and whiny but they weaken the immune system which leaves your baby susceptible to more infections.

Children who have asthma are especially harmed by colds and other respiratory illnesses because in addition to making your kid feel bad, colds and sinus infections and bronchitis inflame the delicate tissue in the airways which can bring on an asthma flare-up. While many people pop extra vitamin C to eliminate or help stave off colds during fall and winter months, people with asthma need to take even more precautions. A child with asthma who gets a cold is not just sick, they’re at risk for breathing problems.

Some simple tips to avoid getting a cold or other respiratory infection may sound like no-brainers, but it can’t hurt to remind people of good general health practices. Avoid coming into contact with people who are sick. Keep healthy children away from sick children in the house if possible. Wash your hands and your children’s hands frequently, especially if you or they are in contact with someone who is ill. Think about where your children put their hands and then they put them in their eyes, nose, and mouth where infections can enter the system. Hand washing is good for your family’s health, and a good way to lower the risk of respiratory illnesses.

Prevention is the best medicine, so keep those colds away from your kids and they may have fewer asthma attacks as a result.

Vitamin D is a hot topic in the health community these days. There have been several studies that connect a vitamin D deficiency such conditions as heart disease and diabetes, and even some cancers. Recently, a study looked at how vitamin D, or the lack thereof, affected asthma patients.

The researchers looked at texts that suggested vitamin D deficiency is connected to higher levels of sensitivity in the airways, poor asthma control, and reduced lung functions. Based on their findings, scientists now suggest vitamin D supplementation for treating asthma because it can increase the patient’s control of asthma. Vitamin D may help block proteins that cause inflammation from getting to the lung. Vitamin D was also suggested to up the body’s production of interleukin-10, a protein that is believed to contain properties that help reduce inflammation, therefore improving asthma symptoms.

Vitamin D is not easily ingested through foods. Some fish like herring, tuna, and sardines contain vitamin D, and dairy products and eggs have some as well. If fact, vitamin D is often added to milk to make it easier to consume. But the majority of the body’s vitamin D comes from being exposed to the sun. Your body produces vitamin D on its own when the sunlight comes into contact with your skin. In some places on the globe, people cannot make enough vitamin D at certain times during the year due to a lack of enough sunlight.

The connection between improved asthma and higher levels of vitamin D is further shown in the rising levels of asthma problems during winter. During winter months, exposure to sunlight is more difficult, so vitamin D levels plummet, and asthma symptoms get worse. Vitamin D has also been shown to improve immune system functions, help with bone health, help with weight loss, and even encourage better skin and hair. Your general health can improve with vitamin D, as well as your asthma symptoms. So if you don’t get enough sunlight, consider taking a vitamin D supplement to help your asthma, your breathing, and your overall well being.

If you have asthma, you probably know what your triggers are, such as pet dander, mold, pollen, or other allergens, exercise, or humid weather, and try to limit your exposure to those triggers as much as is possible. You probably have a fast-acting medication to relieve asthma attack symptoms when they suddenly occur, and you may also be on a longer medication meant to control and prevent asthma. You may have tried breathing techniques or other alternative health therapies to improve your breathing. But you may not have tried aromatherapy for your asthma, and it has been shown to have high benefits for people with breathing difficulty.

Aromatherapy uses essential oils from plants, herbs, flowers and other natural sources to create scents which can relax, rejuvenate, or stimulate, depending on the combination of scents and properties of those scents. For asthma patients, oils can be inhaled to help relax the muscles constricting the airways, opening the passages, allowing more air to flow, and therefore helping the quality of breathing.

Chronic asthma in adults may be treated with aromatherapy by applying a blend of essential oils via massage into the throat and neck area in the morning and evening. A mix of thyme, myrtle, ravensara, chamomile, and Echinacea and other essential oils based on the make-up of the person with asthma, is said to improve functionality in the immune system, help clear mucus, increase air flow, and even assist in clearing up any respiratory infections contributing to the asthma symptoms. Oils that contain antibacterial or antiviral effects must be used to achieve the desired anti-infection properties.

Aromatherapy can also play a role in preventing asthma patients from having attacks. Diffusing aromatherapy oils in the home before cold season starts and winter weather kicks in can offer some reduction of symptoms as described above as well as stave off colds or other respiratory conditions that can make asthma worse.

Aromatherapy can’t cure asthma, and it isn’t a replacement for prescribed medication. But anything that can improve breathing function is a breath of fresh air for people with asthma.