Asthma is a common ailment that affects many of in different severity, and is an illness caused by allergy to any of a number of different things.

Asthma is caused by a reaction of the muscles in the airways to an irritant, any substance that can cause allergic reactions in the individual, and when this happens the muscles tighten, contracting the capacity of the airways and restricting the respiratory ability of the sufferer.

Allergies can be down to many causes, known as ‘triggers’, and it is important in the first instance to discover what the trigger for the sufferer’s asthma is. This is the root of the problem, and steps can then be taken to treat the allergy suitably, and to alleviate the attendant asthma.

Pollen – the tiny seeds of plants that are carried on the air – are a common form of asthma trigger, and create the type we know as hay fever. This is treated by the use of anti allergy pills, and by the use of the common asthma inhaler, a device that is used to provide a drug that gives relief directly into the airways of the sufferer, and giving instant relief.

If your doctor has prescribed an inhaler for your use, it is important that you keep to the regime he has prescribed, even when looking at alternative remedies.

Allergies that trigger asthma can also be found in some foodstuffs.

The method used in this case is to work out what the trigger is by eating routine meals of different foods, and noting which has the undesirable effect on the sufferer. This food – and others of its type – can then be easily eliminated from the diet hence removing the trigger that prompts the onset of asthma.

Recommended foods for asthma sufferers include onion – this contains an antioxidant that is very beneficial to the healthy operation of the heart. When the heart is working to the capacity and health levels that it should be, it stimulates a healthy flow of blood through the veins. Blood flow is vital to all organs in their operation, and a strong blood flow rate helps build up all your organs, and your under attack immune system, to the levels required.

Garlic, and many of the hot spices, has also been shown to give respite to sufferers of respiratory ailments for similar reasons.

It is recommended that allergy sufferers, including those who are prone to asthma, avoid such foods as rice and other difficult to digest foodstuffs. These tend to overwork the digestive system, and add to the problems of allergy sufferers by putting undue strain on the system.

Your exercise regime is important in the fight against asthma, too, as a regular and well planned exercise routine helps the heart do its job properly, and thus helps the blood reach the vital organs it is there to supply.

A good, well balanced diet, free of any toxins that may kick off your asthma, plus attention to your general fitness, make up a worthy treatment for sufferers of asthma.

The causes of asthma

Asthma is among the most commonly experienced ailments, given that it is an allergic reaction potentially brought on by a number of things. It can be caused by what we do, as well as what we eat, and even where we are.

Asthmatic attacks happen when the respiratory system is restricted, this occurring when the muscles un the system contract in reaction to contact with toxins or other substances that cause it to react in that way, hence lessening the capacity of the lungs and the breathing systems in general.

Your doctor will prescribe an inhalation device that propels a drug into the airways at times of need, this drug clearing the airways by encouraging the muscles to expand and giving back some of the lost capacity in an instant.

Allergies and pollen

The number of potential allergic triggers is vast, and here are some of the more common:

Pollen, the minute seeds from plants that are carried on the air, can be inhaled without knowledge, and these cause irritation to the lungs and airways that result in the allergic reaction needed to create an asthma attack.

Pollen is at its worst in the summer months, and in particular the asthma sufferer should steer clear of crops such as oil seed rape, a margarine ingredient grown in large quantities and recognisable by fields of bright yellow flowers, as this plant produces pollen that causes a particularly strong reaction in asthma sufferers.

If it is not pollen that stimulates your asthma, it may well be the diet that you follow.

Allergies to what we eat

What we eat has a direct effect on all of our bodily functions, as food is essentially fuel for the body. However, many foods contain parts that are not palatable by the body – toxins – and these must be broken down by the relevant organ and expelled or neutralised in the right way.

Some toxins, and in cases non-toxins, can be responsible for allergic reactions leading to asthma, and it is important that you discover which have an adverse effect on you.

If, for instance, you trend to suffer from asthma following a drink of milk, that could be the trigger. Many foodstuffs can have this effect – we are all individual, after all – and the way to deduce which one is affecting you is to follow an elimination diet, in which you routinely exclude certain foods from you diet on certain days, and take note of the effects – adverse or otherwise – on your body.

Excess weight and the heart
Being overweight, either through lack of exercise or an unhealthy diet, is also a cause of asthma as the excess weight is a burden on the heart, forcing it to work much harder than it should in order to pump the blood around your body. This has a knock on effect on your respiratory system, which also has to work harder to ingest oxygen to feed the heart. Have your appropriate weight measured and determined, and make sure you stick to a regime that helps you return to a better, more healthy weight.

The treatment of asthma

With asthma being such a common ailment, it is unsurprising that the development of drugs used to treat the illness has advanced greatly and with continued success.

While the doctor will prescribe for you an inhaler with which you can direct drugs into your airways instantly, there are a number of things you can do to help yourself fight against the asthma alongside the prescribed drugs.

Finding the key treatment

It is important to find out why you suffer from asthma; asthma is a condition in which the sufferer cannot breathe to full capacity, and finds lung capacity severely restricted. This is because the muscles in the relevant areas contract in response to attacks from toxins that cause what we know as an allergic reaction.

The trick is to find the cause, or trigger, that brings this reaction on in the first place.

For many it can be inhaling pollen that is carried din the air, and this is known as hay fever. There are many natural hay fever tablets on the market, from medicinal ones to herbal, and if you are to try one of these please check with your doctor first that it will not have an adverse effect on your prescribed medication.

The importance of the diet

An equally common cause of allergic reaction that leads to asthma is what we eat – you may be including in your diet items that the body is averse to, hence the importance of deducing what it may be that causes an allergic reaction.

We do this by elimination, in which we isolate certain foodstuffs for specific exclusion form our daily diet for set times. If, with one of these removed, symptoms disappear than we know we have found the trigger.

Dairy intolerance

Common culprits are dairy products – milk, yoghurt and cheese – and also wheat products such as bread. These need to be eliminated from the diet if they are responsible for allergic reaction.

Likewise, what we don’t eat can have an effect, too, as there are many foodstuffs that can have a beneficial effect in the fight against asthma.

Onions are a recommended source of oxidants that work to help the heart keep beating at a healthy rate. This aids a healthy blood flow, something absolutely vital to the strength of our vital organs, and to the correct operation of the immune system that protects against allergic attacks.

Garlic and spices

Also to be eaten with benefit are garlic and many of the hot spices, as these aid the heart, and honey, mixed with hot water and lemon juice, is an example of a soothing and beneficial drink that has been found to aid asthma systems thanks to its restorative qualities in relation to the airways.

A healthy and balanced diet – one that can be varied and enjoyable, too – coupled with regular exercise to keep the heart in trim, and avoidance of foods that adversely affect your system, can be a sensible aid to asthma alongside your prescribed medication.

The commonly prescribed inhaler device, that with which the sufferer blasts a drug directly into the airways to alleviate suffering, is the medicinal remedy for asthma, and while it is effective and successful, there are other remedies that the sufferer can be carrying out alongside the prescribed medicine to help reduce the debilitating effects of asthmatic attacks.

Asthma is caused by a contraction of the airways when the muscles in that area react to what is known as a ‘trigger’ – a substance that the sufferer is allergic to. The allergic reaction that follows tightens the muscles in the area of the respiratory system, and reduces the capacity of the sufferer to breathe properly.

Find the trigger for your asthma

Finding the trigger is key to finding the remedy for the asthma, and can be done easily enough if certain guidelines are followed.

One very obvious cause of asthma is ‘hay fever’, that triggered by the inhalation of pollen from plants in the summer months. It is particularly advised that asthma sufferers avoid areas where the oil seed rape crop is grown – typified by fields of bright yellow flowers – as the particles from this plant are particularly aggravating to the airways and conducive to allergic reaction.

Watch what you eat

The diet of the sufferer is another area that needs to be examined. Many of us are intolerant of some foods – dairy products, and wheat products tend to be common examples – and if eaten these can have an adverse effect and often trigger an allergic reaction in the body.

Start by removing foods from your regular diet that you believe may be the cause, and if the symptoms suffered do not occur following the removal of one particular foodstuff, then this could be the key to the trigger.

Avoid fried foods

Avoiding fried foods and other difficult to digest items is also advised, as the better the digestive system works the less susceptible it is to toxins in the body.

Many people recommend frequent eating of honey as a good preventative. Honey is a wholly natural product, and when mixed with hot water and lemon juice – another recommended ingredient – makes a soothing and beneficial drink that is proven to aid the workings of the airways and the digestive system.

Also recommended are onions, garlic and hot spices, all of which contain oxidants that are good for the healthy operation of the heart and other vital organs.

If you keep to regular diet that excludes any toxins and causes of allergies you are well on the way to containing and controlling your asthma. In addition, it is suggested you follow a sensible and regular exercise routine, one designed to benefit the heart and thus the blood flow, as this helps the organs stay healthy and build up strength in order to keep the immune system operative and the body cleansed and toxin free.

If you plan ahead, eat well and healthily, and keep to a regular plan of exercise, you can live healthily and enjoyably while keeping the threat and effects of asthma to a minimum.