Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that causes periodic attacks of coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Asthma can occur in all age groups but usually starts in childhood.
The pathophysiology of asthma is complex and involves airway inflammation, intermittent airflow obstruction, and bronchial hyper-responsiveness. Asthma is associated with mast cells, oenophiles, and T-lymphocytes. Mast cells release chemicals like histamine which in turn causes nasal stuffiness and dripping in cold or hay fever, constriction of the airway in asthma, and itching in skin allergy. These cells along with other inflammatory cells cause airway inflammation leading to airway hyper-responsiveness and obstruction leading to symptoms of asthma.
What causes asthma?
- Exposure especially in infancy to indoor allergens (such as mites in bedding and carpets stuffed furniture, cats, and cockroaches)
- Family history of asthma and allergy
- Viral respiratory tract infections
- Weather changes (cold air)
- Exercise, hyperventilation
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Chronic sinusitis or rhinitis
- Aspirin or NSAID hypersensitivity, sulfite sensitivity
- Use of beta-adrenergic receptor blockers (including ophthalmic preparations)
- Obesity
- Occupational exposure
- Irritants (e.g., household sprays, paint fumes)
- Emotional factors or stress
Perinatal factors (prematurity and increased maternal age; maternal smoking and prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke)
Allergies are strongly associated with asthma such as chronic sinusitis, rhinitis, nasal polyps, middle ear infections, and eczema.
Role of Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a science based on laws similar, which means it treats the disease with medicines producing similar symptoms when given to healthy individuals.
There are medicines given to treat the acute attacks of asthma as well as to prevent the recurrence of it, also to treat the allergies which may trigger the attack of asthma.
Most importantly the Homeopath first records the symptoms as told by patient and his relatives.
Medicine prescribed on definite Homeopathic principles should sure and definitely help the patient. The prescribed medicine can bring about relief in matter of hours or minutes in case of acute asthma, such is the magic of homeopathy.
Some medicines which can be helpful in acute exacerbation of asthma, but it is strongly recommended to take them under advice of competent Homeopathic practitioners, as earlier mentioned, it requires special skills to prescribe them. Also, not all can be given at once; only one medicine is to be given at a time, in a given patient.
