What is Asthma?

Asthma is a common chest condition in which there is temporary narrowing of the breathing tubes in the lungs (airways) because they are hyper-reactive and oversensitive. In asthma, these tubes have inflammation and swelling of their linings, increased mucus inside, tightening of the muscles in their walls and therefore less flow of air in and out.

WHAT CAUSES AN ASTHMA ATTACK?

No single cause has been found, but a variety of factors may trigger an attack. A check list of trigger factors is:

  • Infections, especially colds
  • Allergies to animal fur, feathers, pollens, mould
  • House dust, especially the dust mites
  • Cigarette smoke; other smoke and fumes
  • Sudden change in weather or temperature
  • Occupational irritants such as wood dust, synthetic sprays, chemicals
  • Drugs such as aspirin, drugs to treat arthritis, heart problems and glaucoma
  • Certain food and food additives
  • Exercise, especially in a cold atmosphere
  • Emotional upsets and stress

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF ASTHMA?

The main symptoms are breathlessness, tightness in the chest, wheezing and coughing, especially in the night.

SEVERE ASTHMA

Symptoms or signs of very severe asthma are anxiety, blue colour of the lips, cyanosis, ashen grey colour of the skin, fast pulse, rapid breathing, in drawing of the chest wall, difficulty speaking, no response to asthma medication and feeling very sick. These uncommon severe symptoms mean that you should seek urgent medical attention.

HOW COMMON IS ASTHMA?

About 1 child in every 4 or 5 has asthma, usually in a mild form. It usually comes on between the ages of 2 and 7. Most children outgrow by puberty, but a small number get it as adults. Others continue with it. About 1 in 10 adults has asthma.

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR ASTHMA?

Prevention of attacks is the best treatment, and all asthmatics and their families should aim to know the disorder very well and become expert in it.

KNOW YOUR ASTHMA

  • Read all about it
  • Try to identify trigger factors and avoid them
  • Become expert at using your medicine and inhalers. A big problem is incorrect inhaler technique, 34% of patients
  • Know and recognize the danger signs and act promptly
  • Have regular checks with your doctor
  • Learn breathing exercises
  • Work out a clear management plan and an action plan for when trouble strikes
  • Learn the value of a peak expiratory flow meter, for anyone over 6
  • Always carry your bronchodilator inhaler and check that it is not empty

STAY AT YOUR BEST

If you need medications, these should be as simple, safe and effective as possible. This is why inhaled medications are most often used for asthma. There are basically 2 types of inhaled medication that your doctor might advise you to use:

1.      The Asthma preventor such as Pulmocort

2.      The Asthma reliever which is called a bronchodilator

KEY POINTS:

1. GET TO KNOW HOW SEVERE YOUR ASTHMA IS

2. AVOID TRIGGER FACTORS SUCH AS TOBACCO SMOKE

3. KEEP AT YOUR BEST WITH SUITABLE MEDICATIONS

4. GET URGENT HELP WHEN DANGER SIGNS APPEAR

5. HAVE AN ACTION PLAN FOR SEVERE ASTHMA

6. USE YOUR INHALERS PROPERLY AND USE A SPACER IF NECESSARY

7. GET A PEAK FLOW METER TO HELP ASSESS SEVERITY AND WORK OUT YOUR BEST LUNG FUNCTION

Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work

We believe that we should work to be happy, but could that be backwards? In this fast-moving and entertaining talk from TEDxBloomington, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that actually happiness inspires productivity.

These other webpages below may also interest you, click to learn more about your health condition.

Dermatology Problems - Acne, Dry Skin, Warts, Corns & Calluses on Feet

Skin Problems - Treatment for Allergies, Dermatitis, Eczema & Urticaria/Hives

How a Gluten-free Diet can Reduce the

Symptoms of Auto-Immune Diseases

Can a Wheat-free Diet help you to lose weight and reduce Obesity, Heart disease, Auto-immune diseases & Cancer, even Alzheimer's disease & Schizophrenia or reverse Diabetes & pre-Diabetes? Recent research has also shown promising results that a Gluten-free diet showed a reduction in the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Heartburn/GERD, ADHD, Asthma & allergies, even acne.

Watch the following videos by several doctors (Dr William Davies, Dr Sarah Hallberg, Dr Alessio Fasano, Dr David Perlmutter & Dr Rodney Ford) and decide for yourself whether you should adopt a Gluten-free diet if you are suffering from the above-listed medical conditions. Even unexplained diarrhea, headaches/migraines or chronic fatigue has been alleviated by going Gluten-free.

The case these doctors put forward based on research and empirical evidence from thousands of patients is that Wheat and Gluten contributes to this shocking host of diseases and chronic medical problems, and increasing the incidence of celiac disease and Autism.

What does Wheat & Gluten do to your body?

Foods containing wheat have an extremely high glycemic index (70+ out of a possible 100), that is the body suffers a sudden spike in blood glucose after a meal of food containing wheat. Add to that the fact that the wheat we are eating is completely dissimilar genetically to the wheat of the 1950's, after all the genetic modifications and mutations the plant has undergone.

The doctors also point out that Gluten causes prolonged periods of inflammation in the body, leading to many of the diseases most prevalent today. Ironically, foods containing wheat are actually appetite-enhancing and can cause sugar cravings.

William Davis MD - Wheat: The UNhealthy Whole Grain

The wheat of today is not the wheat of our mothers or grandmothers. Modern wheat is the product of genetic manipulations that have transformed its properties. Modern wheat is now a 2-foot tall, high-yield semi-dwarf strain, different in both appearance and multiple biochemical features from traditional wheat. Introduction of this new strain of wheat was associated with the appearance of a long list of health problems, along with weight gain and diabetes.

According to Dr. Davis, saying goodbye to all things wheat provides outsized and unexpected health benefits, from weight loss, to relief from acid reflux and bowel urgency, to reversal of diabetes, migraine headaches, and learning disabilities in children.

Dr. William Davis is author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book, Wheat Belly: Lose the wheat, lose the weight and find your path back to health (Rodale, 2011), now debuting internationally in over ten foreign languages. Wheat belly has helped spark a nationwide reconsideration of the conventional advice to "eat more healthy whole grains."

Formerly an interventional cardiologist, he now confines his practice to prevention and reversal of coronary disease in his practice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. Davis is a graduate of the St. Louis University School of Medicine, followed by training in internal medicine and cardiology at the Ohio State University Hospitals, and training in interventional cardiology at the Case--Western Reserve Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also founder of the online heart disease prevention educational program, Track your Plaque.

Reversing Type 2 diabetes starts with ignoring the guidelines - Dr Sarah Hallberg | TEDxPurdueU

Can a person be "cured" of Type 2 Diabetes? Dr. Sarah Hallberg provides compelling evidence that it can, and the solution is simpler than you might think.

Dr. Sarah Hallberg is the Medical Director of the Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program at IU Health Arnett, a program she created. She is board certified in both obesity medicine and internal medicine and has a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology. She has recently created what is only the second non-surgical weight loss rotation in the country for medical students. Her program has consistently exceeded national benchmarks for weight loss, and has been highly successful in reversing diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Dr. Hallberg is also the co-author of www.fitteru.us, a blog about health and wellness.

Alessio Fasano MD - Spectrum of Gluten-Related Disorders: People Shall Not Live by Bread Alone

The cultivation of gluten-containing grains that were the backbone of the agricultural revolution have also brought with them the manifestation of conditions related to negative reactions to gluten. These include celiac disease, wheat allergy and the "new kid on the block" of the spectrum of gluten-related disorders—gluten sensitivity. The autoimmune disorder of celiac disease is the most widely studied condition on the spectrum. It affects approximately 1 in 133 people, a rate that has doubled in the U.S. every 15 years over the past 35 years. An estimate from the Center for Celiac Research puts gluten sensitivity at 6% of the U.S. population. With current interest in the human genome and microbiome, research is leading scientists to examine the relationship between the intestinal microbiome and gluten-related disorders. Currently the gluten-free diet is the only available treatment for gluten-related disorders.

World-renowned pediatric gastroenterologist, research scientist, and entreprenuer Alessio Fasano, M.D., founded the Center for Celiac Research in 1996. The Center offers state-of-the art research, clinical expertise and teaching for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten sensitivity. Trained in Naples, Italy, as a pediatric gastroenterologist, Dr. Fasano was recruited to the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1993 and founded its Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Puzzled by the absence of children exhibiting symptoms of celiac disease in the clinic, he resolved to uncover the mystery of missing American "celiacs." His perseverance in the face of skepticism about celiac disease in the U.S. eventually led to his publication of the groundbreaking study in 2003 that established the rate of the autoimmune disorder at one in 133 Americans.

In early 2013, Dr. Fasano was appointed Division Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. He brought the Center for Celiac Research to Boston, where he heads the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, based in Charlestown, and is Associate Chief for Basic, Clinical and Translational Research for the Department of Pediatrics at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. He is a Visiting Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Mercola Interviews Dr. David Perlmutter, Author of Grain Brain

Natural health expert and Mercola.com founder Dr. Joseph Mercola interviews Dr. David Perlmutter about the implications of diet to Alzheimer's risk.

Here is a list of the Best Antioxidants and Free Radical Scavengers that you should be taking as dietary supplements daily as recommended by Dr David Perlmutter, author of 'Grain Brain':

  • Tumeric
  • DHA Omega 3
  • B complex vitamins (including Vitamin B12)
  • Vitamin C & D
  • Bacopa
  • Brocolli
  • Alpha-Lipoic acid 300 (ALA)
  • Ashwagandha
  • Resveratrol
  • Milk Thistle
  • Green Tea
  • Probiotics
  • Coenzyme Q10 (coq10)

These nutritional supplements reduce oxidative stress on your brain and body, thus protecting your health.

These other webpages below may also interest you, click to learn more about your health condition.

Travel Health Guide, Gluten Intolerance Symptoms, Learn what is Autism and the Management of Asthma

Healthy Diets for Optimal Health

The information provided in this website is for knowledge purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice.

Should you encounter any medical problem that you are unsure of, always consult your doctor or health care provider for assistance and medical advice.

Dr Don V H LAU   Chairperson of AMDA Singapore

MBBS (Monash), B.Med.Sc.(Hons) (Monash), Grad.Dip.Derm.(Wales,UK)

AMDA International Peace Clinic is a part of AMDA (Association of Medical Doctors of Asia). We are part of the network of AMDA Peace Clinics & Friendship Hospitals around the world. We dedicate part of our profits to AMDA's worldwide Emergency Disaster Aid Relief missions, Social Development projects and Vaccination programmes.

AMDA, founded in 1984 has carried out more than 160 missions in 65 countries over the last 32 years. It has contributed medical expertise and supplies to every major natural disaster since 1984. AMDA holds General Consultative Status with the United Nations ECOSOC since 1995.

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OUR DOCTORS

Dr Shigeru Suganami – Medical Director

Founder & President of AMDA - Association of Medical Doctors of Asia

Dr Don Lau – Resident Doctor

MBBS (Monash), B Med Sc (Hons) (Monash), Dip Pract Derm (Wales, UK)

Chairperson of AMDA Singapore

Dr Lee Sao Bing – Opthalmologist (in-house Specialist)

MBBS, MMed(Ophth), FRCSEd(Ophth), MD, FAMS

Dr Pang Yoke Teen – ENT (Visiting Consultant)

FRCS (ORL), FRCS(EDIN), (FRCSGLASG), FAMS, MBBS