Asthma Myths

About Asthma

I have suffered from asthma for some 10 years now and over that time period have learned a lot about asthma... what triggers it in me, the symptoms which are manifested and my learning curve in discovering how to cope while getting on with living a normal life.

In all that time I have made extensive enquiries into the whole subject and have tried to disentangle the truth from all the hearsay, old wives tales and general disinformation about the subject. Needless to say, I learned a lot about asthma, both from personal experience of it and from my investigations. My asthma is now under control, but it occurred to me that there are millions of people out there who could possibly benefit from what I have discovered.

I suppose to those who first are diagnosed with asthma, it can be a frightening experience. So I have tried in this article to put together some thoughts, separating facts from fiction, truth from doubt, in the hope that this will help everyone afflicted with the disease. To start with I want to set out some basic facts which may explode received wisdom about asthma.

Myth 1... Once your daily medication works, don't change it. Wrong... the aim of treatment is to control airway inflammation and preserve lung function with the lowest level of medication possible. It is important to see your doctor regularly to see whether your control medication can be reduced or stepped down.

Myth 2...Everyone can tell when their asthma is getting worse. Wrong... Some people can but some can't, particularly if the reaction occurs at night when you are asleep. Sometimes an attack occurs quickly, so the regular use of a peak flow meter is a must. This monitors how well air is flowing through the airways and will alert you to any deterioration in function.

Myth 3... Drinking Alcohol does not cause asthma. Wrong... Beer and wine contain a substance called sulfites, which occur naturally or are added as a preservative. These can trigger an attack or lead to a severe allergic reaction in some asthma sufferers.

Myth 4... Exercise is dangerous for asthma sufferers. Wrong... People can only benefit from the improvement in overall health which exercise provides. Proper warming up procedures and choice of the right level of effort helps to prevent symptoms. The use of a short acting dilator before exercise can prevent symptoms.

Myth 5... Asthma improves in a damp, moist environment. Wrong... A moist atmosphere makes asthma worse. Two common triggers such as mold and dust mites thrive in a moist environment. Some studies show that reducing the level of humidity in the home to a level between 30-35% benefits sufferers enormously.

Myth 6... Aspirin does not cause asthma. Wrong... A number of medications, including aspirin are known to trigger an attack. Some people are "aspirin sensitive" and while not common its use can worsen asthma in people who, for example suffer from nasal polyps.

Having said all that, if I were to give any advice to fellow sufferers, it would be in relation to the issue of the bedroom. Pillows and the warm bedroom air that surrounds them are perfect breeding grounds for those undesirable invisible companions making themselves at home in your bed. It has been estimated that a large proportion of the weight of your pillow may be made up of bugs, dead skin, dust mites and their feces.

Bacteria such as flu, chickenpox, M.R.S.A and C.diff feast on these and can be dangerous to people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly. Tests reveal high levels of "living" contamination on the outside of pillows and where tears or rips occur, those nasty germs can find their way into the filling. Simply changing your pillow case is not enough. You are simply wrapping up something nasty. So the answer is to wash your pillows and cases at least once a month. Replace any damaged pillows, and if possible buy yourself some anti bacterial pillows. Believe me... a great investment.

I hope this article about asthma is useful and improves your life enormously.

Terry Blackburn. Internet Marketing Consultant, living in South Shields in the North-East of England. Author and Producer of http://www.asthmacuretoday.com

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Do I Have Asthma?

ByMelissa M Schulz

What is asthma?

Asthma is a lung disease that affects the airways, It causes obstruction of the airways. Airways plays a very important role as it is responsible for carrying air in and out from lungs. If a person suffering from asthma the muscles surrounding the bronchi constrict, impeding the outward passage of stale air. When your breathing stale air you are not getting oxygenated properly.

What causes asthma? We don't know there is some genetic and environmental factors to cause asthma usually early on in life. These factor include your Parents have asthma, Certain respiratory infections during childhood.

Contact with some airborne allergens or exposure to some viral infections in infancy or in early childhood when the immune system is developing.

What causes an asthma attack well it is causes by what we call triggers and trigger can be from a variety of different things but here are some examples.

1. Animal dander
2. Dust mites
3. Chemical
4. Strong smells (bleach is a huge trigger, also perfume)
5. Tobacco smoke

What happens during an asthma attack?

When you have an asthma attack the airways can close so much that vital organs do not get enough oxygen as needed. An asthma attack is constriction and inflammation process the combination of these two things working against your normal breathing process.

What are signs and symptoms of asthma?

1. Coughing from asthma often is worse at night or early in the morning, making it hard to sleep.
2. Wheezing is a whistling or squeaky sound that occurs when you breathe.
3. Chest tightness, this may feel like something is squeezing or sitting on your chest.
4. Shortness of breath
5. When someone is having an asthma attack their cough is high pitched and they may also vomit up large amount of phlegm due to the inflammation.

How Can Asthma Be Prevented?

Currently, asthma can't be prevented you can take steps to control the disease and prevent its symptoms.

Learn about your asthma and how to control it.
Use medicines as your doctor prescribes.
Identify and try to avoid things that make your asthma worse (asthma triggers).
Get regular checkups for your asthma.

This is a brief description of asthma, If you think you have asthma you should make an appointment with your physician for treatment.

If you are having difficulty breath seek immediate medical services/ visit the Emergency room for diagnosis and treatment.

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Walking Vs Running - What's Best For You?

When considering the issue for walking vs running, there are numerous kinds of factors to consider.

Let's make this much simpler by itemizing all the positives and negatives of walking vs running.

Running Pro's

It's an extremely quick way to get fitter

It's relatively cheap to do

It's simple, you don't need any distinct ability or talents.

You'll get a genuine high after ending your runs

Running Negatives

It's normally too over facing for newbies and anybody who is weighty

It places a large amount of strain on the joints of the ankles, knees, hips and lower back.

You'll have to get hold of a pair of high-quality (often costly) trainers

Most people don't take pleasure in the feeling of forcing themselves out of their comfort zone that far.

Walking Pro's

You are able to walk any place and at anytime.

If you're battling to fit in a walk some day, it's super easy to build up your steps by walking around your house

You actually don't need to have any specialized accessories

Your walking workouts starts whenever you exit your front door

You don't need to get sweaty or work very hard

You can work at different intensities for the way you feel.

It's an exceptionally satisfying type of exercise that is also really sociable

Walking Disadvantages

It's considered being 'too easy'

You have to be constant to see any results

The fitness benefits won't be as fast as with other physical activities

When you're reviewing walking vs running it's advisable to think of your former experiences of exercise and what you really enjoy or dislike about it. If you'd prefer pushing yourself to the limit then you might instantly think that running is the only choice.

However this is far from the truth.

You could consider employing level 4 power walking or possibly quickly walking up a difficult slope on a hill or a running machine. I promise if you walk as quickly as you can on the steepest incline you can use that you'll be shattered by the end of it.

When comparing walking vs running with regards to which is the most powerful choice for you to use to shed weight, then I advise that you look at it like this. Many people would run perhaps a couple times per week when getting started and they'd be successful to run a maximum of 5 minutes in total. This could burn approximately 150 - 200 calories from fat.

However if they as a substitute went for a regular walk for half an hour at a time they would burn significantly more calories, as many as 1400 each week depending on how quick and what surface was walked over.

So there are many reasons to take into consideration before choosing walking vs running, it's not necessarily the obvious option which you may think.

Discover just HOW EFFECTIVE walking vs running can be for burning fat and toning all those hard to reach places.

My name is Jago Holmes CPT, I'm a certified personal trainer and I strongly urge you to read everything on the next page before trying another diet or exercise regime - walking for weight loss

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