Understanding Asthma
Paul Honan, M.D.
Shortness of breath with inability to take a deep breath is
uncomfortable, distressing and fearfully depressing to a person suffering from
asthma. Air is restricted from easy flow
into the lungs through constricted or narrowed bronchial tubes. Large bronchial tubes branch out into smaller
and smaller tubes as they go deeper and deeper into the lungs. The bronchial tree might be likened to an
upside down tree in the forest. Larger
diameter branches are near the top and smaller branches are down lower.
Asthma is described as a reversible restricted airway
disease. This indicates that the
narrowed and constricted bronchial tubes are only temporarily constricted.
Most cases of asthma are triggered by allergies. Several years ago some articles in the New
England Journal of Medicine indicated that if a doctor has been unable to
determine to what substances to a person with asthma is allergic, he must be
more diligent in his search. Most people
with asthma have allergic asthma. Yes,
non-allergic asthma can occur. The
adrenal glands are small glands on top of each of the two kidneys. They produce cortisol and adrenaline that are
anti-inflammatory and help the spastic bronchial tubes in asthma to dilate or
open up and allow relief of the spastic constriction. Prednisone used to treat asthma can destroy
some adrenal gland cells. Most cases of
non-allergic asthma are the result of excessive destruction of adrenal cells by
prednisone. Some doctors refer to it as
adrenal burn-out.
It is not known why some people with allergic tendency
develop asthma. Allergies in others may
result in hives, eczema, inflammatory bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, hay
fever etc.
The response of body tissues to allergy is to develop
inflammation. This is obvious in a
person with hay fever with red and inflamed nose and eyes. The same inflamed allergic response occurs in
the bronchial tubes of a person with asthma.
As mentioned above Cortisol and adrenaline from the adrenal
glands help dilate or open up constricted bronchial tubes of an asthmatic
person. There are different amounts of
adrenal output during the 24 hour daily period.
Asthmatics usually experience less asthma in the afternoon. Least amounts of adrenalin are produced early
in the morning when asthma is worse.
This writer was in the general practice of medicine in the late 1940’s
when doctors made house calls. Many
times phone calls at 1 to 3 AM from worried parents requested help for children
with and attacks of asthma. The usual
treatment was an injection of adrenaline (epinephrine). The shortness of breath was relieved in a few
minutes and the child would return to sleep.
In medical school in the early 1940’s asthma was taught as a
bothersome condition that rarely was serious.
For some reason as yet unknown asthma became a serious disease during
the later quarter of the 1900’s. In the
general practice of medicine 1948-1955 I did not find it necessary to
hospitalize any asthmatic child. Later
asthma developed into a serious and sometimes fatal disease.
Exercise induced asthma is asthma may occur during strenuous
exercise as in running. Conventional
treatment is to suppress the symptoms with medication. Removing allergies from the body with
Nambudripad Allergy Elimination technique (NAET) has been found to prevent
exercise induced asthma.
Avoidance of the substances to which an asthmatic person is
allergic is one method of treating asthma.
Allergists use skin testing (injections or scratch tests) to identify
substances to which a person is allergic.
Laboratories have methods to test blood specimens to identify substances
to which people are allergic. The NAET
system identifies allergic substances without the use of needles.
Food causing allergens can be avoided. It is difficult. Outside airborne pollens can be avoided
temporarily in air conditioned buildings.
Attempts to avoid house dust mites include removing rugs and curtains,
covering mattresses with plastic covers, washing bed linens daily, etc. It is nearly impossible to avoid dust
mites. Some people have moved to
mountain areas. Dust mites cannot live
above 5000 ft elevation. In a few years
some of these people develop allergies to mountain plants and foliage. As discussed later in this article it is more
practical to remove allergy from the body with NAET than to attempt to avoid
substances causing allergies.
Imminotherapy or desentization is a method of reducing the
sensitivity of the body to an allergic substance by introducing a very diluted
dose to the body and gradually increasing it.
It can be administered by skin injection or by drops under the
tongue. The method may require months or
years to obtain results. Results can be
variable. When younger this writer had
“allergy shots” for 30 years.
In very mild cases of asthma antihistamine medications can
provide relief.
Prednisone type medications are available by inhalation,
tablets and injection to counter act and relieve the inflammation caused by
allergic substances.
The above methods suppress the symptoms of asthma. Another method is to removed the allergy to
allergic substances from the body so they no longer cause asthma. Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique
(NAET) has been observed to eliminate the need for medications and to prevent
asthma.
