Over the past five decades, we have witnessed a steady increase in Asthma cases in this country. Today, over 20 million Americans suffer from some type of Asthma, making it the most common chronic ailment in the United States today.

Asthma is a shortness of breath due to the contraction, inflammation, or mucus buildup within the lung’s airways. A number of things can trigger Asthma including environmental conditions, allergens, physical exertion, viral infections, and even emotional stress. Besides a shortness of breath, Asthma symptoms include wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing,  Asthma attacks are dangerous and have the potential to become fatal if something is not done to open up the airways.

Researchers are not completely sure why asthma has increased so dramatically over the past fifty years. Some believe that are immune systems have become more sensitive because we are less likely to be exposed to infection than our ancestors were. We also spend much more time indoors now, where we are exposed to more dust and mold and the air that we breath (both inside and outside) is much more polluted than it was last century.  Our move from the country to the city has also led to a more sedentary lifestyle leading to obesity as we move less and sit more.

The lack of exercise has been fingered as the main culprit in rise in asthma in our country and an exercise regime has been proven to be beneficial for today’s young asthmatics.  Obesity and asthma seem to walk hand in hand together. As many 75% of the people admitted to the ER for treatment of asthma are reported to be overweight. The lungs have less room to expand, fat also releases a hormone called leptin, which is thought to stimulate cells in your airway, leading to increased sensitivity to allergens.

Besides eating more food, the types of foods that we now eat might also be fanning the flames of this new epidemic. Some research indicates that our shift from grain to corn based nutrition may have helped increase our system sensitivity. Our massive intake of vitamins in minerals via fortified foods is also be looked into.

Asthma sufferers fall into two different categories: allergic and non-allergic.

Allergic, or extrinsic asthma is the most common type and is triggered by an allergic reaction by something you inhale. Dust mites, pet dander pollen, and mold are some of the more common allergen out there that can trigger an allergic asthma reaction. A large build up of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the blood stream is thought to be the cause of extrinsic asthma.  Immunoglobulin E is a antibody that the body produces in order to protect itself from foreigners. It resides it the lungs, skin and mucous membranes and it is responsible for most types of allergic reactions including eczema, hay fever and asthma. When allergens hit the airways IgE antibodies bind with them and cause the mast cells and basophils (immune system cells) to become inflamed and the airways to constrict, which in turn causes asthma symptoms.

Non-allergic, or intrinsic asthma is caused by any other factors that do not happen to be allergens. These include upper respiratory infections, stress, anxiety, hyperventilation, smoke, viruses and even exercise. The symptoms of non-allergic asthma are the same as allergic asthma and both types are treated in the same manner. While the blood of non-allergic asthma sufferers show normal IgE levels, the airway inflammation that occurs is extremely similar. Science has yet to come up with a reason why.

• One of the most effective home remedies for asthma is turmeric, which plays a role in both preventing and curing the ailment. Depending on the patients tolerance, take one half, to one teaspoon of turmeric with warm milk to help reduce the intensity of the attack.
• Keeping your weight down is important in fighting asthma. Just remember to diet sensibly. Also make sure you are getting enough Vitamin A, E and B6
• Getting enough vitamin E is vitally important in keeping asthma under control. Coconut, ghee, grapes, sunflower seed oil, soybeans, and tomatoes are just some of the foods that are rich in Vitamin E.
• A diet rich in fiber is extremely important. This will reduce constipation and help alleviate asthma symptoms.  Eat fruits like apples, figs, guava, oranges which are high in fiber. Also, grains like barley, oats, and whole wheat are good sources of fiber along with coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry pepper and turmeric.
• Making sure your excretory organs are working at eliminating waste and your digestive organs are properly assimilating nutrients is another good way to prevent severe asthma. Good eating habits help achieve this as does exercise. A great way to permit proper nutrient assimilation and to strengthen the body’s systems is to practice yoga.
• Soak 15 fresh large raisins in a bowl of water overnight until they swell up then consume.
• Avoid phlegm producing foods such as rice, sugar, lentils and dairy. Also stay away from fried foods and other difficult to digest foods.
• Eat a breakfast of either prunes, oranges, berries, or a few black raisins with honey. For lunch, have a salad with fresh raw vegetables (lettuce, cucumber, tomato, carrots and beets are good) along with a few steamed vegetables and some wheat bread.
• Partake in your last meal at least two hours before bedtime, preferably before sunset.
• Asthmatics should avoid curds and bananas and cut down on the heavy or chilled products.
• For toddlers, a paste of five leaves of holy basil mixed with honey is good. For babies, try two drops of Tulsa leaf juice mixed with some honey. (Remember, it is not recommended to give honey to children younger that 12 m.o.)
• Keep those pomegranate peels and dry them out. Boil a part of them with two raisins with one cup of milk and drink this twice a day in order to remove sputum form the chest and  relieve asthma. This cure is especially effective for children.

Bronchial Asthma
Grind 150 g of horseradish, add juice of 2 lemons, stir the paste and keep it in your refrigerator. Take 1 tea spoon of the paste every morning on empty stomach until you get rid of all signs of bronchial asthma. Children 5 years old and older should take 1/2 tea spoon. Do not give the paste to children younger than 5 years old.