Come winter and the monsoon there is a preponderance of attacks of bronchial asthma even as asthmatics shield themselves well from the chill of the season. This is a disease which is on the rise in the population due to various triggers in the environment even as the pollutants are on the rise and the body’s immune system has to face different rigors every day. There is a doubling of the patients suffering with the disease in the past ten years in our country which is disturbing.
Asthma is a disorder of the lung which makes it difficult to breathe as the air passages are narrowed down during an attack. Even as we inhale, air passes into our windpipe and moves downwards ino the lungs through the bronchial tubes and finally into the air sacs or the alveoli. The oxygen there is exchanged in the capillaries rich in blood supply and CO2 is sought out to be breathed out.
• What happens in bronchial asthma is that the air passages get swollen and narrowed down due to inflammation.
• Due to inflammation there is a production of mucus which is sticky and the thick substance tends to clump together and the air passages narrow down further.
• The tendency for allergy in such individuals and the policing agents in the body to harmful substances, eosinophils rush to the site of the inflammation causing more narrowing of the air passages and in the long run some damages to the local tissues too.
• The chain of events cause breathlessness and precipitate an asthma attack with coughing and wheezing as the main symptoms of the attack.
• Patient usually complains of shortness of breath and later has tightness sensation in the chest. Cough which does not yield sputum all the time can also accompany.
• Wheeze is typical of asthma as the whistling sound while breathing at night is enough indicator for the family to notice an attack.
• All the above symptoms could limit the day to day activities.
• As such episodes of asthma can occur right frm childhood and it would be usual today to see children between ages of 2-6 falling prey to the disease.
• Having said that 30% of the cases of asthma can also start during adult life.
Bronchial asthma can be caused due to extrinsic factors as the body’s immune system reacts to the allergic substances to narrow down the air passages. Stress, anxiety, exercise, infections could also precipitate an attack and is called intrinsic asthma.
It would be good to know the usual causes of asthma so that it would help in awareness of the individual to prevent episodes.
• The usual triggers are dust, smoke, strong odours, smell, pollen, dander of pets, carpets at home, soft toys in case of children, lack of appropriate sunlight and ventilation in the living rooms. Foods like egg, dairy products, intake of cold things, sour foods, peanuts, soy etc.
• Not to forget the tobacco smoke, viral infections, exposure to chemicals, gases etc. at work. Certain medications.
All the above irritants and triggers could make the immune system to respond and cause narrowing of the air passages while cough, wheeze and breathlessness ensue.
Homeopathic medicine has good remedies to see that such episodes reduce in intensity and frequency before the disease ceases to trouble most of the time. Natrum mur, Kali bich, Natrum ars, Senega are good remedies when every little affliction of the nasal passage happens to settle in the lungs. Carbo veg, Ipecac, Blatta, Kali carb, Natrum sulph are good remedies to relieve an attack and prevent recurrence with equal veracity. For a soulful of breath this winter, trust homeopathy.
