How would you like to be asthma free for life? You can! But first, you have to find out why you have asthma in the first place. Generally, there is no one single causative factor. There are several health factors that have mounted together and the result is the disease we have labeled asthma. The reason why asthma is so difficult to treat is because the variety of factors vary from individual to individual. This is why it is vital for a skilled practitioner to probe deep to find the causative factors.
The body has the ability to heal anything that is wrong with it, so if it’s not, we should be asking “why not?” Although many conventional medicine practitioners say asthma cannot be cured, I have seen otherwise – many times. Unfortunately because of this attitude, most treatments are focused on managing the disease, not helping the body to heal what ails it.
When we think of asthma, we think of it from a symptomatic standpoint. Air passages that have become inflamed and swollen, muscles of air passages constricting and preventing air exchange, and extra mucus flow all inhibiting breathing. But it is much more than that. There is a reason for all that. Although we do not understand all of the biological factors involved in asthma we know enough to make a difference when we support those failings of the system.
Supporting immune health for instance helps to thwart allergy-related asthma triggers. Changing the environment, which involves more than just eliminating offenders, but extends to eliminating teratogens that overload the liver and other endocrine organs as well, is helpful. Treating chronic low grade infections which can underly asthma is beneficial. Hormonal changes especially in women have received much attention as a causative factor in adult onset asthma. Balancing the hormones can have a positive impact.
Diet plays a large role in asthma. Certain foods are almost certainly triggers. Other foods help promote healing. Most people recognize the value of eating a diet replete with vegetables, fruits and organic meat, fish and poultry, but few adhere to it. When a child has asthma, the parent, feeling sorry for the child, gives them pacifying foods which not only are poor in nutritional value, but weaken the body, predisposing it to the very illness they are hoping to eliminate. They give them what they will eat, not what they need. Everyone suffers.
Many nutritional supplements, although effective symptomatically, also don’t address the causes of asthma. When the various causes (note causes not cause) are addressed, whether by the proper nutrition, by acupuncture, by chiropractic, by many different healing modalities, not just symptomatic relief is granted, but a whole system is restored to health.
Remember, if you want to be asthma-free for life, you have to see a health practitioner who addresses the causative factors and not just the symptoms. Then you can smell the roses – and enjoy them again!
© 2009 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
