Living With Asthma
 Asthma is
a respiratory condition that has gained increased attention in recent times
due to it's seemingly increased prevalence. Some studies performed recently
have seemed to indicate that perhaps as many as one in four urban children suffer
from this breathing disorder. When a person experiences an asthma attack, her
airways constrict and make it difficult to breathe. In very severe cases
asthma can be life threatening. An asthmatic is predisposed to episodes. Generally
an asthma episode (or attack) is "triggered" by some sort of external
stimulus to those who are predisposed. A few of the more common triggers would
be exposure to some kind of airborne particulate matter like pollen, molds,
dust, or smoke. Exercise can be a contributing factor to an attack... as hard
breathing is part of aerobic exercise, and that hard breathing can be a factor
in triggering an attack. Asthma and its causes are not a simple subject.
It is not always easy to know if you are experiencing an actual asthma
symptom or just some other respiratory problem with similar symptoms to
asthma. Many... probably most believe that people have genetic tendencies toward
asthmatic problems in addition to the external environmental influences.
Asthma Is Controllable
 When
you have asthma, you will certainly want to find the appropriate asthma
treatment. Treatment will usually be broken down into two categories: 1)
controlling your environment and 2) taking medication or natural
remedies. Medication will often help as it will help to open up your air
passages and relieve the problems of not being able to breathe. If the problems
or symptoms don't go away in a particular episode (after medication is self-administered),
you may need emergency medical attention (a trip to the emergency room). Don't
ignore the symptoms of this disease. You may find yourself coughing a lot when
you exercise or even when you are resting after exercise. If this happens,
you need to take your asthma medication right away. This helps to prevent any
attack from becoming dangerous and will control your breathing effectively so
that you can hopefully continue on with your activity.
Most people with this disease have a distinct shortness of breath; when they
breathe, a wheezing sound can be heard and it is often a sign you have
this disease. Many people complain of tightness in their chest when they are
having an attack or episode. Many symptoms related to the lungs are common with
asthma sufferers. Ensure that you are taking care to properly monitor these
symptoms and record what you discover. Any evidence or information is helpful
when you are working with your doctor to diagnose the condition.
It is significant to note that asthma
medication generally deals with the symptoms. It is not a cure. Medication
could be administered as asthma
inhalers or as an oral medication that is ingested (pill, syrup, etc.).
 Many
scientists and medical researchers (probably most) would not claim
to know the exact cause(s) of asthma. It is generally accepted
that asthma is caused by an "over immune response"
in the bronchial airways... where the airways of asthmatics are
"hypersensitive" to certain triggers. But what causes that
hypersensitivity is the real question. Is it merely an allergic
reaction (allergy
asthma)? Some scientists who study fungii (mycologists) and
some natural
health advocates believe that the connection is quite clear,
and that the hypersensitivity is caused by bodily fungal problems
(like candida or yeast overgrowth). They believe that respiratory
problems like asthma are often brought about by candidiasis
(yeast overgrowth condition) which may have initially been triggered
by administration of antibiotics. As antibiotics will often wipe
out the bacteria (both good flora and bad) in the intestinal (GI)
tract which will leave the host in a weakened state and ripe for
candidiasis... and the candidiasis condition may be an influencer
in the development of asthma. Scientists who believe in the connection
between fungii and chronic respiratory problems postulate
that the onset of asthma may often be traced to the use of antibiotics
which were administered for some secondary infection, which cured
the secondary infection... but ultimately caused other health
problems.
Don't Allow Yourself to Be Miserable
It can be miserable to live with asthma. Anyone who has this disease will tell you that.
People feel like their lives are limited when they are dealing with the symptoms but if it is
controlled, it is easier to deal with. Make sure to watch your children and those you love for
symptoms of this disease. The best way to take care of it is getting it diagnosed so you can get the proper treatments out there to stabilize it. You could have a mild case of it, or it can be much more intense.
Is Asthma Curable?
I don't know. Most medical practitioners would tell you basically...
no, as they don't know what causes the hyper sensitivity
in the bronchial airways. For those practitioners who believe
that asthma itself is actually symptomatic of bodily fungal overgrowth
(candidiasis in particular)... they would tell you to treat the
cause (candida) and eventually the symptoms (respiratory problems)
would go away.
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