Difficulty in breathing is the common characteristic of asthma. The sufferers of asthma have extra sensitive or hyper responsive airways, which react by narrowing or obstructing when they become irritated. This makes in and out movement of air difficult. As a result there may arise wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath or chest tightness.
If you are a sufferer of asthma then it is best that you get involved in your own treatment. You can help manage the asthma of your child also. You only need to reduce the asthma attack triggers in your home.
?Mold is a common trigger that grows on damp things like shower curtains, bath items, tubs, basins and tiles. If you find mold then you need to clean it up with soap and water. You also need to keep a check on the growth of mold and need to dry damp or wet items within 1-2 days.
?Dust mites are also common asthma triggers. These are tiny bugs living in bed sheets, blankets, pillows, mattresses, soft furniture, carpets, stuffed toys etc. These should be washed and completely dried to keep away these bugs.
?The body parts and droppings of cockroaches trigger asthma attacks. So, you need to keep counters, sinks, tables and floors clean and store food in tight containers. You also need to cover trashcans and keep dishes, crumbs and spills clean.
?Actively or passively smoking triggers asthma attacks. So, you need to resolve to abstain from smoking and prevent anyone from smoking near you or your child.
?The urine and saliva of warm-blooded animals like cats and dogs are potential asthma attack triggers. So, it is better these animals are kept outside or out of the bedroom and off the furniture. Carpets on which the pets lie or move often should be vacuum cleaned.
?Pollen is a very common asthma inducer. This needs to be kept at bay by avoiding venturing into regions having plants.
?Nitrogen dioxide and other chemical irritants found in a host of common objects are important asthma triggers. These should be used with much caution and care.
Asthma management aims at normalizing lifestyle with environmental control. The patient can participate in any activity as per his/her wish. Sleep should not be disturbed. The environmental control should be effectively brought about alongside administration of proper medicines. Anti-inflammatory drugs, bronchodilators and inhalation devices are to be used as per prescription/instruction of a qualified physician.
Some physiotherapy clinics insist asthma can be controlled through physiotherapy programs. Syptoms like breathlessness and wheezing can apparently be alleviated by physiotherapy. Massages are also said to relieve the same symptoms in both young and old patients.
Acupuncture has also been used as an alternative treatment method to alleviate asthma symptoms. Interestingly, this technique has actually been beneficial for asthmatics.
It has been proven that acupuncture boosts the immune system to fight diseases better. This is an important criteria for asthma management. Common colds or influenza only worsen an asthmatic's condition. Acupuncture, if it reduces the chances of catching a cold, is definitely advantageous in such situations. However, acupuncture has yet not been accepted as a stand-alone treatment and is used only in conjunction with other established methods of asthma management.
There are other methods used by acupuncturists in asthma management such as burning herbs over the acupuncture points, giving the patient specific massages, or using breathing exercises. These treatments, again, have not been proven useful.
Asthma treatments are also carried out by chiropractors who rely on spine manipulative methods. This treatment method has received mixed responses. A study was carried out with two groups of asthma patients. One group was given fake manipulations, while the other group was given actual spinal manipulations. The results showed hardly any difference between both groups. According to these results, chiropractors cannot really help asthma patients with their treatments.
Another study on chiropractic treatments was also carried out. The progress of 81 asthmatic children at a chiropractic clinic was followed. The study showed that children undergoing the treatment had 45% fewer attacks and 30% of the children could reduce the amount of medication they had to take to control their asthma. Because of these two conflicting studies, it is undetermined if chiropractic treatments are actually useful.
For physiotherapists who want to continue in asthma management, there is a specialty certification. They can be trained to become Certified Asthma Educators and deal with patients. There services are paid for by Medicare and Medicaid.
It has been propounded that asthma patients who have been hospitalized should undergo physiotherapy. Asthma patients who were made to do motion exercises during their hospital stay, on average remained hospitalized three days fewer than patients who were not given exercises.
Traditional physiotherapy however faces a problem of dehydrating asthma patients. Asthmatics can be seriously affected by dehydration, which occurs faster for them. Sometimes it may even induce an attack. As a result, physiotherapists must keep this in mind when giving exercises.
There are several methods available to treat asthma, and they may be valuable, but physiotherapy also has a toe-hold in the field of asthma management. However, as long as they can't be proved useful, it is better to use alternative methods in conjunction with traditional management methods.
Both Barney Garcia & Dr Alex B. Miguel are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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