Asthma Natural Treatments
Asthma is a condition that almost comes under the umbrella of autoimmune diseases since it is a condition of immune system hypersensitivity that causes bronchospasms. Simply put, it is a reaction that causes a constriction of the airways choking the sufferer. Asthma is debilitating condition in some cases and children are especially susceptible, though with treatment, the condition does go away. In adults, asthma is a lifelong condition and becomes a chronic problem.
The cause of asthma lies in a hypersensitive immune system that mounts an inflammatory response to a simple pollutant that most people would be able to tolerate. An inflammation is the body defense mechanism’s first line of attack against possible pathogenic bacteria. In a normal circumstance, there are many lines of protection that the body has against invasion by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The first hurdle that any organism must face is the sinuses, which are air-filled cavities in the face. These cavities contain mucus and any invading pathogen usually ends up being trapped in the mucus. If an infection does escape from here, then the entire respiratory tract is mucus-lined and most pathogens are trapped here. Mucus is an antiseptic medium and kills off many bacteria but some actually find mucus to be a nutrient medium. When its defenses have been compromised, the local cells near the site of the bacteria send a stimulus to the rest of the body and an inflammation is triggered. An inflammation consists of the following responses: swelling, increased blood flow and mucus production. All these serve to trap and kill invading pathogens. Allergens are considered in the same league as pathogens. A typical allergen is pollen, which can be breathed in and an inflammatory response is then triggered. Again, this is a simple allergic reaction, but when the body’s inflammatory response goes into overkill, this is when problems happen. Therefore, one could end up in a situation where a simple intake of pollen through the air causes a swelling and constriction of the airways.
Most of the treatments for asthma focus on suppressing inflammation and this is done most effectively through a group of steroid based anti-inflammatory drugs called corticosteroids. Apart from this, antihistamines are also useful as histamine is the body’s mucus production signal from the mast cells of the lungs. As a home remedy, ginger, feverfew and turmeric are nature’s anti-inflammatory drugs. These should be consumed everyday along with the preventative medication prescribed by the doctor as well.
