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While no one knows the exact cause of asthma, it is believed to be caused by two main factors, family genes and environmental exposures. These two factors interact to cause asthma, most often in the early years of life. It has more of an effect on children because their body has not developed enough to combat the exposures they come in contact with.
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There are some things to be said about family genes. Family genes contribute to an inherited tendency to develop certain kinds of allergies. Just because your parents have asthma or allergies doesn’t mean you will automatically have them as well. Your family genes will play a part in how bad your symptoms might be if you do end up with asthma or allergies.

If you do have asthma and it runs in your family genes, exposures to airborne allergens such as house hold dust mites, cockroaches, and pet dander from your family pet can cause a more severe asthma attack. Other irritants like second hand smoke from tobacco and smoke from a wood burning stove may make your airways constrict and be more reactive to the pollutants in the air. Everyone seems to react differently to the pollutants they come in contact with. You need to make notes as to the thing that causes your asthma to flare up.

I believe that asthma attacks will have more to do with environmental exposures than your family genes. Where you live and the things you are exposed to will play a major role in how you or your child is affected by asthma. The more airborne pollutants and environmental toxins you come in contact with will cause you to have more asthma attacks. There is research that has been done that says environmental toxins and airborne pollutants may cause a healthy person to develop asthma. This may be due to the ever increasing industry that drives our economy. Car and trucks are also on the rise, making the air we breathe even more toxic.

Some other causes of asthma are inhaling irritants like perfumes or cleaning products. Cleaning products can be especially harmful because they are used in the house where the air stays stagnant and may be breathed in for long periods of time. Cleaning products have been known to cause asthma attacks. Mold is another cause of asthma attacks. Mold grows in almost every home in the United States. Molds grow in damp dark places and can spread very quickly. The mold can be breathed in and cause your airways to constrict and become inflamed.

Exposure to cold or dry weather can also cause asthma attacks. Other causes may be emotional excitement, stress, physical exertion, and exercise. Our skin absorbs 60% of what it comes in contact with. You need to very aware of what you put on your skin. There are a lot of toxins in the skin care industry. Skin care products and cosmetics have potentially harmful ingredients that can cause our bodies to react in the form of asthma attacks and other allergies.

The best way to improve your condition and live life on your terms is to learn what you can about asthma. Become aware of your asthma triggers and try to avoid them. Follow the treatment recommendations of your health care provider. Understand your treatment and how every drug you take will affect you. Report any changes to your health care provider. If you have any reaction to the medications, report them as soon as possible.

There are ways to remove toxins and pollutants naturally, that you may come in contact with. Just because you can’t avoid them doesn’t mean they have to make your life difficult. Prevention is always the best medicine.

The first thing not to do is deny you have asthma. Saying “Oh it’s just a common cold and I’m wheezing a bit. Maybe it’s bronchitis?” When a doctor has just confirmed you have the chronic disease of asthma. Being obstructive is a course of action that will likely set your health back dreadfully. Accept the prescribed medications offered.

Remember to take the medications and do not refuse to take them. Not at first anyway. You need to get acute asthma under control before it controls you. Do not deliberately deviate from the therapy guidelines.

You may be given an asthma treatment program. Usually corticosteroid inhalers to begin with and possibly some breathing exercises to assist the airways. Not taking your asthma medication to this prescribed schedule can lead to the symptoms becoming erratic. This can be inconvenient at best and possibly fatal at worst. Not using your prevention inhaler regularly as prescribed can add to the possibility of an untimely asthma attack.

I have read that a peak flow meter is an essential part of your asthma tool kit. Do not believe it. You need the correct oxygen to carbon dioxide balance in your system. Part of the asthma problem is a lack of carbon dioxide in the lungs. Giving a big blow into a peak flow meter will deplete even further the amount of carbon dioxide that is left. Thus exacerbating the problem rather than helping to cure it. One blow into a peak flow meter will take around thirty minutes of careful controlled breathing to recover from.

Not eating certain foods might be an advantage. It is known that dairy foods, white flour and white sugar help to produce the mucus you do not want. While I am not advocating you become obsessive in avoiding these type of food at all cost, do not eat them to excess. It would be difficult to totally avoid that combination anyway as they are used in so many processed foodstuffs.

Do not smoke. If your lungs are at risk from asthma then it should be pretty obvious not to add to the aggravation with all the cocktail of toxins that is in cigarette smoke. Even if you do not smoke, make sure you are not in close proximity to others that are smoking. People have been known to have asthma attacks from secondhand smoke from others.

Sudden changes in temperature can definitely set off some adverse asthma symptoms. It is one of those famous asthma triggers. So do not go straight outside into cold weather without taking care to ensure you are properly wrapped up suitably against such conditions. Make sure you have your rescue inhaler when going out as well.

Having said all the above, the one thing I did not do was to believe all the doctors told me. While you should use the prescribed medications and plan of treatments offered there are some side effects to these medications. Tell your doctor when you notice those side effects. You could research to see if there are safer effective alternative asthma treatments available.

Millions of people around the world suffer from asthma, with several thousand fatalities resulting from the disease. Being an allergic inflammation of the lungs, which can occur due to a variety of reasons, asthma symptoms are not clear from the onset to identify immediately by the common person, and require a medical practitioner to perform a diagnosis. When a person suffers from an asthma attack, the inflammation of the walls and formation of sticky mucus inside the lungs ends up making it difficult for the person to breathe. While the severity of the attack can vary from time to time, there are cases where it can go on for a few days instead of a few minutes.

Full diagnosis by a medical specialist who has knowledge of asthma symptoms can yield an effective response and help the person gain quick access to medications and treatment. However, certain asthma symptoms are for the sufferer themselves to judge, before deciding on seeing the specialist or not. These include experiencing a scratchy throat, bouts of coughing, shortness in breadth, wheezing sounds when breathing, and tight sensation in the chest area.

Asthma symptoms can pop up due to a number of reasons;

• the environment at home and at work,
• the general state of health of the person,
• the diet and exercise regimen that is followed,
• levels of stress.

Even location and climate can cause certain asthma symptoms to develop leading to more severe problems later on. It is important that the following symptoms be kept a close watch on, and asthma sufferers immediately seek medical advice upon discovering any one:

1. If you are already a sufferer, and feel that the medication prescribed by the practitioner is not taking effect as it should, this is an asthma symptom for an expected severe attack.
2. Another asthma symptom, especially for a serious attack, is when you have trouble, breathing, talking and walking. With such activities causing botheration, it is essential to immediately seek emergency medical care.
3. Should your finger nails or lips turn blue, this due to a lack of oxygen. This is another asthma symptom of an impending attack, and requires medical attention.
4. An asthma symptom is also if your chest feels congested, with pressure on ribs when breathing. This could be another sign to state of something serious going down soon, and should be referred to the practitioner at the earliest.

Whether you are an asthma sufferer yourself or know someone who is, or otherwise; it is important that one understands these symptoms so that when case presents itself, you are able to possibly assist in the saving of someone’s life.

Much coverage has been given recently to Americans that suffer from Asthma. Both adults and children suffer from its debilitating effects. Asthma is a condition that is caused when the air ways in the lungs become inflamed. Some of the symptoms of Asthma are shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and even chest pain. Some people are fortunate enough to only suffer mild cases while others deal with a life threatening condition and require being on constant medication. In this article I will try and give you suggestions for how to make dealing with your asthma easier and less threatening.

First, you want to find a good doctor that understands Asthma and you feel you can trust. You want to discuss all of your symptoms with your doctor and tell them when they occur.Sometimes Asthma attacks can be triggered by such simple things as a blast of cold air, pollutants in the air, chemicals in the air,or by simply running out of breath due to some over exertion. If any of the above things cause you to have symptoms it is best to avoid them.

Secondly, you want to maintain a good diet and stay healthy. Simple colds and flu can trigger severe Asthma attacks. Eating properly can help to keep your lungs healthy. You want to make sure your body gets the right amount of vitamins and minerals. If your diet is lacking in vitamins and minerals, I suggest you take supplements to ensure your body has the correct balance of the essential vitamins and minerals. Maintaining a healthy weight is also very important, because many physicians feel obesity can lead to Asthma.

Third, get yourself on a good exercise routine. You want to build up your lungs. Moderate aerobic exercise can be quite beneficial along with resistance training. But before you start any exercise routine check with your doctor to make sure it is advisable for you.

Lastly, in the event you have an attack you want to make sure you know what to do so it does not get out of control. Speak to your doctor about medications you should be taking on a daily basis, as well as rescue inhalers that are used on a need basis. Prevention is a key word in controlling your Asthma attacks so keep in mind at all times what may trigger an attack for you and try to avoid them. Also many feel the drinking of teas can prevent attacks, such teas as green tea and chamomile are recommended. If you are diagnosed with Asthma don’t panic just take a smart sensible approach to living with it.

Exercise induced asthma is of the most common types of asthma out there. Basically caused by the cold air that gets inhaled mostly during strenuous activities, it can be quite a hassle for most patients and individuals afflicted with the condition.

Sadly, almost anyone can get the ailment. As asthma can be developed at any point of a person’s life, learning more about it can be an advantage for most folks, especially for men who are more often required to get involved in heavy exercises and other strenuous activities.

So, how can exercise induced asthma in men be prevented? Here are some ways:

• Warm up. This should be the number one thing you should keep in mind when it comes to induced asthma in men. As asthma attacks are guaranteed to happen during exercises, warming up can help as doing this can cause minor attacks that can allow you to do some exercises without experiencing more severe episodes. Called as the refractory period, doing this helps a lot in letting patients continue living active lives despite their ailment.
• Avoid cold air. Cold air is the number one enemy for induced asthma in men, so you should avoid it at all costs. One way to do this would be to wear coverings for your nose and mouth during cold days to help you filter and warm the cold air before inhaling it.
• Take medications strictly. Induced asthma in men is a serious matter, so treating it should really be given a lot of importance. Make sure you get prescription from your doctors and follow the instructions carefully in taking them. Also, never take over the counter drugs and risk self medicating in cases like these, as you need to be very careful in handling this type of asthma.
• Pre-treat. Along with warming up, make sure to take prescription meds before engaging in a strenuous activity or exercise. Take note, you should only take prescription medicines as taking the risk of using cheaper, but non-prescribed drugs can be more harmful to your condition and health.
• Stop doing anything as soon as you get an attack during an exercise. If you still get an asthma attack even after pre-treating and warming up, make sure to immediately stop whatever it is that you’re doing and rest as this will also help you prevent the attack from worsening. Take your quick relief medication right away and try to calm and slow down your breathing.

These are just some of the ways you can prevent and avoid induced asthma in men.

Asthma is a condition that can affect both children and adults. It is associated with chronic inflammation of the lung tissues that leads to narrowing of the air ways. During attacks, muscle cells begin to constrict and breathing becomes difficult.

Asthma actually has two states of being. It is present in some form at all times in sufferers. Swelling regularly occurs in a person’s lungs without causing an attack. This is called the steady state. An asthma attack is the other state. This happens when the swelling grows to the point where breathing becomes difficult. A person can feel chest tightness, shortness of breath and even wheezing. The attack often comes on suddenly and very intensely.

Due to air restriction, severe asthma attacks can cause the sufferer to become cyanotic. That is, turn blue. It can lead to loss of consciousness and severe chest pains.

If a person is knocked unconscious during an attack, immediate medical help is important.Some attacks can be life threatening since they can lead to respiratory arrest. If there are any signs of cyanosis or the person looses consciousness, call for an ambulance immediately.

Asthma can be caused by both environmental and genetic factors.

Environmental causes can affect the lung tissue and can lead to permanent problems. Tobacco use around children is a leading cause. Being around tobacco smoke of any kind can cause acute attacks. Exposure to traffic fumes and ozone are factors as well. Some studies have found that exposure to certain infections or diseases at a young age can contribute to the appearance of asthma later in life.

There are a couple of dozen genes that have been associated to asthma sufferers. But, all of the genes are not present in every sufferer. Scientists think that different combinations of genetic factors can lead to asthma conditions.

Natural remedies can help alleviate problems with asthma. Asthma has been around since the early times of human existence. Many ancient medical traditions have developed formulas to help ease symptoms and treat underlying causes. One such tradition is ancient Tibetan medicine. They have developed a formula that helps to reduce the inflammation in the lungs. At the same time, it works to dilate the airways and make breathing easier. Traditional Tibetan Healing is making this formula available in its Asthma Support Combo.

This combination promotes healing while dealing with asthmatic symptoms.

The life of an asthmatic can come with a great deal of baggage, especially in the case of childhood asthma, which is usually the most difficult stage. This “baggage” can take the form of allergies, or what looks like a permanent rash on ones face and arms. This could also include a dry cough or asthma cough and exercise induced asthma. One might also develop odd breathing habits. For example, people who have asthma often raise their shoulders when they inhale deeply, especially after sports or other physical exertion. It is actually better for them to learn to breathe without this additional movement, even though doing so seems to make breathing even more difficult.

Asthma attacks can be triggered by allergens, heat or sudden changes in environmental temperature. You should understand which type of asthma you have, so you can make a fully informed decision about whether you want to live your life always avoiding these triggers. Still, such a decision might be impractical or oppressive for some asthmatics, so the best way is to prepare yourself for what will happen to your body when you are exposed to these triggers.

The triggers and symptoms of an asthma attack often appear to be outside the sufferer’s control. However, there are some things that you, if you are an asthmatic, can do on your own to better your situation.

• You might start to gradually increase your daily exercise, to get your body accustomed to more exertion.
• You can also coach yourself to breathe better, even if your “new” habits seem to make you even more short of breath than you were before.

It might be tempting to use medicines, instead of going to the trouble of changing your fundamental habits. Asthma inhalers are made for frequent use, but some contain steroids or chemicals with similar side effects, which may have a significant and unwanted impact on the bodys functions if used too often. If you do not have to use your inhaler too much, you can avoid side effects such as weight gain or “moon face.” Besides being rather unflattering, this weight gain might actually make physical exertion more difficult, and therefore aggravate your condition, especially if you have the variety known as exercise induced asthma. Doctors recognize this, which is why techniques like the Butekyo Method or “breathing gymnastics” were developed.

Oxygen deprivation is the primary threat in an asthma attack. Asthmatics tend to develop dark circles under their eyes during and shortly after an attack. This does not mean they are sleep-deprived: it means they are oxygen-deprived. The change in skin tone means that the blood in that area of the body has become less oxygen-rich, and therefore more bluish. Asthma attacks can last for a few minutes, or may land a person in the hospital for weeks, since some cases are much graver than others. There are other symptoms, besides difficulty breathing. Some asthmatics end up with a wheezing or barking cough, even though their airways are mostly clear. Not only is this cough painful, but it can also irritate air passages, inflaming them and making breathing even harder. Proper breathing can maximize oxygen intake in each inhale, and also get rid of excess carbon dioxide more effectively. If you have asthma, you can do more than keep puffing on your inhaler, or wait until you grow out of it. You can find ways of breathing better, so you can keep your bronchioles in good shape, and live a more active life.

Asthma is a very unpredictable and dangerous condition to have. It takes skill to determine all of the symptoms that you might come across as some are very minute that even people who have had this condition for some time are caught by surprise. Lacking the knowledge to determine your asthma symptoms can be dangerous as it things can go from bad to worse in just a short span of time.

As mentioned above, the symptoms can be so minute and some can even be so misleading that you sometimes tend to miss those critical moments where action should have been taken in order to prevent a slight flare-up from escalating into a full blown attack. Just to give you an idea of these types of symptoms, here are a few:

• Anxiety

The feeling of anxiety is one of the most clouded symptoms as this feeling can be caused by various other reasons and asthma seems to fall at the very bottom of the list. But how is anxiety related to asthma? The rationality behind this is very simple; remember what happens when your normal temperature rises even just a few degrees higher? You immediately feel the effect right? The same thing happens when there is a slight shortage of oxygen in your system caused by a flare-up, your whole system starts to panic, giving you the feeling of anxiousness, because you know something is wrong yet you can’t seem to point your finger on the exact reason.

• Itchy, irritated throat

Some people tend to miss this classic asthma symptom because it can easily be mistaken as a sign for another ailment, namely; cough. But you have to consider that having itchy or irritated throat can also be an indicator of allergen contact and that your condition is building up for an attack. Just to be on the safe side ask your doctor first if it would be okay for you to take your medication if you feel this symptom as you wouldn’t want to have any issues regarding overdose or side effects.

• Low grade fever

Lack of proper oxygenation can cause low grade fever that appears almost out of nowhere and for no particular reason. Before you pick up that cold, fever, or flu medication it would be wise to assess your situation further as it might be a symptom of asthma.

Other symptoms for asthma attack include; loss of appetite, increased need to urinate, runny nose, fatigue and a lot more. Determining and taking care of the problem before it can get any worse is an essential part of your control and relief plan. It would be in your advantage to research and know more about these symptoms as your experience may vary from others.

Asthma is a common respiratory condition in adults and children. An asthma attack results in a narrowing and inflammation of the airways leading to the lungs. Triggers for an asthma attack can include: allergens, pollen, pet dander, air pollution, dust, and chemical fumes. Most of these impurities can exist in the home. Using an air filter can decrease or eliminate the triggers of asthma. Air purifiers for the home are effective at eliminating not only particles but also odors and fumes.

No matter what substance triggers your asthma attack, an air filter is going to make a great difference. Air filters work by removing particles from the air, and trapping them. Once the filter collects the particles, you will be able to breathe air that is much purer and cleaner.

There are a number of different air filters on the market. There are air purifiers that can be installed to filter air in a single room and filters that can be connected to the air conditioning or heating system of the home. Many experts recommend a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) grade air cleaner to filter out such contaminants as pollen, mold spores, pet dander, and dust mites.

Air purifiers with a HEPA filter have been proven to trap 99.97 to 99.99% of particles and microns from the air. Filtering these impurities out of indoor air will lessen the severity or eliminate asthma symptoms. The American Lung Association recommends a HEPA air filter purifier for bedrooms of asthma patients. According to the Mayo clinic, “an air particle filter is ideal for household ventilation systems.” The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and the British Allergy Foundation recommend the use of ionic filters and HEPA filters.

Asthmatics can experience an attack at any time. There are usually a set of triggers that cause an attack. Most of these triggers can be found in indoor air. If air purifiers are used, indoor air can be cleaned of impurities and make the air safer for an asthma sufferer to breathe.

Air purifiers are a necessity for households with family members who suffer from asthma. The best way to benefit from air filters is to put one in your bedroom, as well as any of the other rooms in which you spend a good amount of your time. Whether you or a person you’re living with suffers from mild to severe asthma, air purifiers may be the best health solution for your home.

With further research on the condition called asthma, more and more effective medications and alternatives are being developed. It would be fair to say that we are nearing an age where asthma will soon become a distant memory. But until that day comes, people will have to depend on what is available out there today. While there are indeed a lot of proven safe and effective alternatives, some products and therapies still pose a danger to the general public because of the side effects that they may have.

When choosing which route to take it would be in your best interest to question the validity of each technique or medication that you may be interested in.

Always put your safety above anything else.

It does not matter how effective a certain method or drug is, if the side effects can cause great discomfort, it should not be taken into consideration.

So far when it comes to alleviating the condition three are known to work quite well and all of them fall into the breathing category; Pranayama, Buteyko and Papworth. While techniques as to how correct breathing is achieved for each may differ, they all teach how important correct breathing is when it comes to handling your condition.

Pranayama for example is yoga which is concentrates more on breathing than anything else. What’s good about Pranayama is that, there are a lot of varieties that you can choose from depending on your condition. Meaning you can just choose a specific set that concentrates more on breathing and less on stretching if you want to maximize your lung capacity or vise versa.

Buteyko on the other hand aims to achieve resistance to asthma by developing your body to cope with hyperventilation. By teaching shallow breathing you will be training your lungs to achieve full oxygenation while only taking short regulated breaths. Since the issue with asthma is in the lack of air, training your body to function normally when there is less air intake will allow you to stay control over your attacks.

Finally, Papworth is another breathing method which teaches how to regulate your breathing depending on the activity that you are doing. This breathing method emphasizes on nose breathing and also integrates relaxation technique and diet to achieve maximum effectiveness.

These three so far have proven themselves to help asthmatics handle their condition and gives them control over future attacks. Since breathing exercises do not require you to take any other supplements aside from practicing it regularly, there is no concern over side effects or contradictions with the regular medication that you are taking.

Asthma attacks are quite prevalent these days. Every day you might come across news snippets stating the casualties of asthma attacks. Plenty of misconceptions and theories exist in this domain and in this brief description; I would like to shed some important information regarding the same.

A number of factors might lead to asthma attacks. Knowing them and keeping them at bay requires careful thought as well as guidance. What exactly is an asthma attack? In simpler non-medical terms, it is the narrowing of the air passage leading to the lungs.

There is no specific cause for the condition. Researchers and doctors all over the world attribute allergens and the genetic make-up as major contributors of the condition. Parents who are known to suffer from this condition can impart asthma to their offspring. The presence of allergy causing agents like dust, pollen also induces asthma attacks in a person. A characteristic feature of asthma is the fact that is sets from an earlier stage of one’s life. Latest research is pointing to the fact that respiratory complications that were present on a child during childhood era might also contribute a lot to shape this condition.

Keeping themselves away from dust and dirt ridden environments is one of the best manners to ward away asthma attacks. Hair from domesticated animals might also pose a significant risk. If one is suffering from asthma, it is better not to invest on any kind of pets for the home. Microscopic particles might irritate the bronchial lining and an asthma attack might be induced on the patient. The room occupied by the patient – it must not contain objects that aid in quick dust accumulation like drapes. Carpets also pose problems like the aforementioned drapes. Asthma attacks are also known to be the direct reaction to allergy to certain foods. Please avoid them.

Doctors and modern medicine present numerous tests to confirm the existence of asthma on a patient. Spirometer is the commonly employed instrument to detect and study about asthma. Breathing problems are the hallmark of the condition, hence tests that are employed to detect them can be implemented for detecting asthma. The value of peak expiratory flow provides an insight into the condition. X-rays of the chest and the associated regions will also prove to be beneficial in detecting the condition. Various tests are present that will aid in detecting allergy – these might prove to be helpful, likewise.

There is no specific treatment for asthma. Doctors are known to advise the patient to keep away from dusty environments. Altering the lifestyle so that asthma causative agents are less inhaled is the pivotal step in curbing the condition. Certain physicians also recommend mild dosage of anti-inflammatory drugs to prevent asthma attacks.