Asthma is an ancient Greek
word meaning " panting or short- drawn breath." It is the most
troublesome of the
respiratory diseases. The asthma patient gets frequent attacks of
breathlessness in between
which he is completely normal.
Symptoms
Patients suffering from
asthma appear to be gasping for breath. Actually, they have more trouble exhaling than inhaling
because the air passages of the small bronchi become clogged and constricted with mucus,
thus making it difficult for the patient to breathe out. All asthmatics have more difficulty at night,
especially during sleep. The onset of asthma is either
gradual or abrupt. Sudden onsets are often preceded by a spell of coughing which may be
associated with itching of the chin, the back of the neck or chest. When the onset is gradual, the
attack is usually brought on by respiratory infection. A severe attack causes an increase in
heartbeat and respiratory rates and the patient feels restless and fatigued.
There may be coughing,
tightness in the chest, profuse sweating and vomiting. There may also be abdominal pain,
especially if coughing is severe. Foggy weather aggravates the symptoms. An asthmatic attack begins
when the bronchial tubes in the lungs become constricted. The tubes having become narrow, the
inhaled air becomes trapped in the tiny air sacs at the end of the tubes, making the release
of breath difficult. The wheezing sound identified with asthma is produced by the air being
pushed through the narrowed bronchi.
Causes
Mainly bronchial in its
symptoms, asthma is caused by a variety of factors. For many it is an
allergic condition
resulting from the reaction of the system to the weather, food, drugs, perfumes and other irritants which
vary with different individuals. Allergies to dust are the most common. Some persons are sensitive
to the various forms of dust like cotton dust, wheat dust and paper dust, some pollens, animal
hair, fungi and insects, especially cockroaches. Foods which generally cause allergic
reactions are wheat, eggs, milk, chocolates, beans, potato, pork and beef. For others, asthma may
result from the abnormal body chemistry involving the system’s enzymes or a defect in
muscular action within the lungs. Quite often, however, asthma is precipitated by a
combination of allergic and non- allergic factors including emotional tension,
air pollution, infections and
hereditary factors. It has been estimated that when both parents have asthma or hay fever, in 75
to 100 per cent cases, the offspring also has allergic reactions.
Treatment
Modern medical system has
not been able to find a cure for this crippling disease. Drugs and vaccines have only limited
value in alleviating symptoms. Most of these are habit forming and the dose has to be
increased from time to time to give the same amount of relief. The frequent introduction of drugs in
the system, while giving only temporary relief, tends to make asthma chronic and incurable.
Allergy - which is the immediate cause of asthma - itself is an indication of lowered resistance and
internal disharmony caused by faulty eating and bad habits. This is the root cause and the real
cure lies in a return to nature.
The natural way to treat
asthma consists of stimulating the functioning of slack excretory
organs, adopting appropriate diet
patterns to eliminate morbid matter and reconstruct the body, and practicing yogasanas,
yogic kriyas and pranayamas to permit proper assimilation of food and to strengthen the lungs,
digestive system and circulatory organs.
The patient should be
given an enema to clean the colon and prevent auto-intoxication.
Mud-packs applied to the
abdomen will relieve the fermentation caused by undigested food and will promote intestinal
peristalsis. Wet packs should be applied to the chest to relieve the congestion of the lungs and
strengthen them. The patient should be made to perspire through steam bath, hot foot bath,
hot hip bath and sun bath. This will stimulate the
skin and relieve congested lungs.
The patient should fast
for a few days on lemon juice with honey and thereafter resort to a fruit juice diet to nourish the
system and eliminate the toxins. Gradually, solid foods can be included. The patient should, however,
avoid the common diet errors. Ideally, his diet should contain a limited quantity of
carbohydrates, fats and proteins which are acid-forming foods, and a liberal quantity of alkaline foods
consisting of fresh fruits, green vegetables and germinated gram. Foods which tend to
produce phlegm such as rice, sugar, lentils and curds as also fried and other difficult- to-
digest foods should be avoided. Breakfast may consist of prunes, orange or berries or a few black
raisins with honey. Lunch and dinner should consist of a salad of raw vegetables such as
cucumber, lettuce, tomato, carrot and beets, one or two lightly cooked green vegetables and wheat
bread. The last meal should preferably be taken before sunset or at least two hours before going to
bed.
Asthmatics should always
eat less than their capacity. They should eat slowly, chewing their
food properly. They should
drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day, but should avoid taking
water or any liquid with
meals. Spices, chillies and pickles, too much tea and coffee should also be avoided.
Asthma, particularly when
the attack is severe, tends to destroy the appetite. IN such cases, do not force the patient to
eat. He should be kept on fast till the attack is over. He should, however, take a cup of warm water
every two hours. An enema taken at that time will be very beneficial. Honey is considered highly
beneficial in the treatment of asthma. It is said that if a jug of honey is held under the nose of
an asthma patient and he inhales the air that comes into contact with the honey, he starts
breathing easier and deeper. The effect lasts for about an hour or so. This is because honey contains a
mixture of ‘higher’ alcohols and ethereal oils and the vapors given off by them are soothing and
beneficial to the asthma patient. Honey usually brings relief whether the air flowing over it is
inhaled or whether it is eaten or taken either in milk or water. It thins out accumulated mucous and
helps its elimination from the respiratory passages. It also tones up the pulmonary parenchyma
and thereby prevents the production of mucous in future. Some authorities recommend one
year old honey for respiratory disease.
Another effective remedy
for asthma is garlic. The patient should be given daily garlic cloves
boiled in thirty gms of
milk as a cure for early stage of asthma. Steaming ginger tea with minced garlic cloves in it, can
also help to keep the problem under control and should be taken both in the morning and evening.
Turmeric is also regarded as an effective remedy for bronchial asthma. The patient should
be given a teaspoonful of turmeric powder with a glass of milk two or three times daily. It acts
best when taken on an empty stomach.
During the attack, mustard
oil mixed with little camphor should be massaged over the back of the chest. This will
loosen up phlegm and ease breathing. The patient should also inhale steam from the boiling water
with caraway seeds, known as ajwain in the vernacular. It will dilate the bronchial passage.
The patient should also
follow the other laws of nature. Air sun and water are great healing
agents. Regular fasting
once a week, an occasional enema, breathing exercises, fresh air, dry climate, light exercises
and a correct posture go a long way in treating the disease.
The patient should perform
yogic kriyas such as jalneti, vamandhouti and yogic asanas such as ekpaduttanasana,
yogamudra, sarvangasana, padmasana, bhujangasana, dhanurasana,
vakrasana, ardh-matsyendrasan,
shalabhasan, paschimottanasana and shavasana.
Pranayamas like
kapalbhati, anuloma-viloma, ujjayi, surbyabhedana and bhramari are also
highly beneficial.
The patient should avoid
dusty places, exposure to cold, foods to which he is sensitive, mental worries and tensions.
Asthmatic should be made to feel that they are not sick, and with slight adjustments, can live a full life.
Culled from: ‘ A Complete Hand-book of Nature Cure.’ By Shri
H.K. Bakhru
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