Asthma is a disease that intermittently affects the lungs. When it strikes, the lungs become inflamed and the airways narrow. The sufferer’s chest tightens, breathing becomes difficult or wheezy, and a persistent cough may develop – especially at night.Asthma can be triggered by allergies or have its onset from a stressful period of life such as an infection, a grief, or even the birth of a baby. Thousands die from asthma each year. It is a serious disease that is increasing in frequency.For children and adults alike, the struggle to breathe during an asthma attack can be a frightening experience. While conventional medications relieve many of the symptoms of asthma, they cannot cure it. With homoeopathy, it is a different story. Your immune system’s job is to protect you from bacteria and viruses. If you have allergies, though, part of your immune system works too hard. It may attack harmless substances — like cat dander or pollen — in your nose, lungs, eyes, and under your skin.When your body meets an allergen, it makes chemicals called IgE antibodies. They cause the release of chemicals like histamine, which cause swelling and inflammation. This creates familiar symptoms like a runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing as your body tries to remove the allergen.What Is Allergic Asthma?If you have allergic asthma, your airways are extra sensitive to certain allergens. Once they get into your body, your immune system overreacts. The muscles around your airways tighten. The airways become inflamed and over time are flooded with thick mucus.Whether you have allergic asthma or non-allergic asthma, the symptoms are generally the same. You’re likely to:CoughWheezeBe short of breathBreathe quicklyFeel your chest get tight
COMMON CAUSES for Allergic Asthma1. Allergic (extrinsic/ atopic) Asthma – This type of asthma usually starts in childhood and is often preceded by eczema. But most of the young adults (<35 yrs) developing asthma also fall in this category. Genetic factors also play a significant role i this. In this type of asthma the allergen leads to production of excessive (IgE) immunoglobulins.2. Infective or Intrinsic Asthma – This is not hereditary or allergic, but may be caused by, or at least associated with upper respiratory tract or bronchial infection which is usually viral.3. Emotional Asthma – Psychological factors (like anxiety, emotional stress etc) are often considered to be the sole cause of some asthmatic attacks, but it is still not certain whether it can be the sole cause or is only a precipitating factor.4. Occupational asthma – This can occur in certain industries in which there is exposure to metallic dusts (esp. platinum salts), biological detergents, toluene diisocyanate, polyurethane, flour and dust from grains etc.What ever may be the cause, it ultimately leads to paroxysms of bronchial obstruction produced by widespread bronchial spasm accentuated by plugging of the bronchi with excessive mucus.Asthma – WHAT TO DIFFERENTIATE FROM?BronchitisCardiac asthmaRenal asthmaIsolated attacks of non-paroxysmal dyspnoeaAsthma – COMPLICATIONSApart from chronicity, usually no complications.Pneumothorax, emphysema, or areas of consolidation or pulmonary collapse may occur in very advanced cases
.HOMEOPATHIC APPROACHGeneral Approach – Homeopathy is a system of medicine which tries to ‘cure’ this disease, instead of trying to provide symptomatic relief. While dealing with a case of asthma, a homeopath not only records the symptoms of the disease but also studies the medical history, family history, physical and psychological characteristics of a person. This helps to find the cause, the precipitating factors, and the hereditary tendency etc. Of special interest to a homeopath is the history of suppression of skin disease. Homeopaths believe that when there is a tendency or predisposition for a disease – it first manifests on the less vital organs, towards the periphery (like skin). If this manifestation is suppressed than the disease shifts inwards, The fact that in children asthma is often preceded by eczema is observed by the allopaths also. This fact is written in all their textbooks of medicine. They say that children often ‘move-out’ of eczema and ‘move-into’ asthma. But they are unable to make a correlation. Homeopaths believe that the suppression of eczema with topical preparations, does not cure the disease/sensitivity of the person, it merely drives it inwards.Now after ascertaining the symptoms and the cause, the homeopath tries to find a medicine which matches the symptoms as well as the general characteristics of the person. The medicine so selected is administered to the patient.towards the more vital organs (like lungs, heart, brain etc).It is often (not necessarily) observed by homeopaths that when a right medicine is given, the asthma disappears but the old eczema or skin rash (if it was there originally) reappears for some time, before finally disappearing itself. This reappearance of old symptoms is seen as a reversal of disease process and is considered a very good prognostic sign by
homeopaths.MEDICINES – There are lots of medicines in homeopathy for asthma symptoms and it is not possible to list them all here. Some of the common medicines are ars-alb, ipecac, lachesis, pulsatilla, spongia, sulphur, ignatia, antim-tart, hepar-sulph, nat-sulph, tuberculinum etc. The selection of medicine varies from patient to patient.Aconite – excellent remedy during acute attacks of asthma that will ease breathing and coughing. Symptoms are often accompanied by marked anxiety, fear, restlessness.Ars-alb – asthma with great anxiety and restlessness, often worse around midnight and lying down, better by sitting up and warm drinks.Anti-tart – is a good asthma remedy for children and the elderly; especially useful when the asthma has been caused by an infection. The cough will have coarse rattling in the chest on both inspiration and expiration. The patient will be worse lying down and at night generally. They may be irritable and want to be left alone.Ipecac – good for asthma patients who suffer from coughing spasms resulting in vomiting or retching. It’s also best for asthma that comes with mucus or phlegm in breathing tubes.Carbo-veg – used for severe acute attacks of wheezing with significant belching and flatus. Patient feels very weak and may collapse.Kali-carb – this remedy often indicated in asthma, especially when the attack comes at night, after midnight, from 2:00 am to 4:00 am.Bell – this remedy works when there are violent spasms of asthmatic breathing attended by constriction of chest with redness of face.Aspidosperma – an effective remedy in asthma with difficult respiration. It is often used as a palliative.Blatta orientalis – remedy for asthma with or without bronchitis. It is often used as a palliative.Lycopodium – for asthma due to excitement by anger or emotion with fanlike motion.Pulsatilla – cough with green discharge. The patient must sit up during the asthma crisis and is better with fresh air. Even fanning may help them feel better.Sulphur – this asthma remedy acts well when asthma is due to suppression of eruptions.Natrum-Sulph – indicated for attacks during wet weather or in rainy season. This asthma remedy acts well when the patient gets attacks every change of season.
