Information About Asthma

An Asthmatic attack is brought about by inflammation causing a narrowing of the airways in the chest cavity, making respiration difficult and uncomfortable. It appears to be on the increase and can affect anybody of any age, thought most frequently starts in childhood, the sufferer 'growing out of it' later on.

The most frequently experienced symptoms are wheezing and dry cough, sometimes with a feeling of tightness in the chest. During an attack, the individual may feel panicky and though this exacerbates the problem it is very difficult to remain calm - in extreme cases an asthma attack can be fatal and most sufferers are aware of this. There can be many different triggers for attacks, including: stress, allergies, anxiety, air pollution, cigarette smoke, even some perfumes.

There is no actual 'cure' for asthma - all treatment is designed to make it easier to cope with the condition and to minimise the severity of an attack. Most people with asthma rely on inhalers, sometimes with the use of a spacer to make it easier to administer the medication. Somebody suffering a severe attack, though, might need a nebuliser, a machine that creates a fine mist of medication which is inhaled through a mask or mouthpiece.

Although nebulisers are most commonly found in hospitals, some people have one in their home for emergency use but they are generally no better than an inhaler for the treatment of most attacks.

Steroid Treatment
Although most people don't need it, steroid medication can be very effective. This is usually administered in tablet form. These are usually only prescribed to help with a particularly severe or prolonged attack and there is no need to worry about taking them for a relatively short period of time. Some people are concerned about the side effects of such medication, but this normally only occur if the tablets are taken over a long (several months) period of time or if frequent high doses are administered.

Complementary Care
Asthma responds well to many complementary therapies and methodologies, including the Buteyko method though such therapies should only be viewed as an aid and never as a replacement for any conventional medication. That said, many sufferers report a decreasing need to rely on inhalers once they have settled down into a complementary self-help methodology. These can include:

• Homeopathy
• Acupuncture
• Herbal Therapy
• Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy
• Alexander Technique
• Yoga
• Relaxation Training

This is where new products will be announced as they become available!

The new 7 Ways and 7 Days to banish your anxiety! book will be available early in 2012

It will give you a step-by-step programme to deal with your anxiety from the the place where it starts - your subconscious.

In the meantime, visit our Help pages!