Most people have heard of asthma but few realize how serious or life threatening it can be. Asthma is a respiratory condition that affects more than 15 million Americans, including 4 million children, and is one of the leading causes of school and work absences. Adults with asthma lose over $850 million each year in wages and parents with asthmatic children lose over $1 billion per annum by staying home from work to care for their children.
Asthma is the most common chronic childhood illness. It affects 5-15 percent of all children and, according to a 1996 study by the National Center for Health Statistics, asthma rates for children have surged 73 percent from 1982 to 1994. One-third of patients first experience symptoms in their first year of life, and 805 are diagnosed by the time they reach school age. The condition is the fourth most common reason children visit the emergency room and it is the most frequent admitting diagnosis to children’s hospitals.
When the respiratory system is working properly, the air we breathe passes in and out of the lungs through a network of airways including the trachea (windpipe) which then branches into the bronchi, the bronchioles, and finally the aveoli (tiny air sacs in the lungs).
Asthma is a respiratory condition caused by an inflammatory response which causes constriction of the bronchial tubes. When the bronchial tubes are temporarily narrowed or blocked by mucus, breathing becomes difficult. During an asthma attack the muscles around the airways tighten, the linings of the airways become inflamed and swollen, and the glands produce an increase in this thick mucus causing even further narrowing of the airways.
An asthma attack can be triggered by different types of irritants including allergens such as pollens, dust, molds, foods, and food additives, cockroaches, and animals; physiological conditions such as exercise or exposure to cold; and psychogenic stress factors. Many people who develop asthma often begin with eczema during infancy or early childhood.
Other conditions associated with asthma are chronic bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, chronic allergic rhinitis, and chronic ear infections. There are several classic symptoms of an asthma attack. The first is recurrent wheezing which is breathing heard as a whistle that may range from loud to no perceptible wheeze if the patient’s airflow is severely impeded. The second is a cough, often hacking, that persists. The next is chest tightness and the last is shortness of breath. People suffering with asthma feel like they simply cannot take a deep breath and breathing out, exhaling, is especially difficult. The symptoms of coughing and wheezing tend to worsen at night.
The traditional medical treatment of asthma includes the use of bronchodilators, steroids, and allergy shots. Many patients, however, find continued use of bronchodilators a necessary way of life since these drugs lose their effectiveness over time requiring patients to take increasing doses of the medication to maintain relief. It is without question that asthma medications can save lives; however, as with all medications there are always adverse effects.
One possible alternative to drug therapy for asthma is chiropractic care and there is mounting preliminary clinical evidence that it may offer relief to asthma sufferers. Chiropractic science is founded on the premise that a proper nerve supply is essential in controlling and regulating bodily function. The nervous system is protected by the spine, consisting of 24 movable vertebrae. When the spine is in its proper position, it protects the nerve pathways.
A proper functioning nervous system should be among the first priorities in solving asthma since it is the nervous system which controls all of our bodily functions. Breathing is controlled primarily by the respiratory center in the brain from which the nerve impulses are sent to the respiratory muscles, causing them to expand and contract.
Nerve impulses also control the tone of the bronchial tubes. The sympathetic system opens or dilates the bronchial tubes and the parasympathetic system closes or constricts them. So, asthma in effect can be thought of as either too much input from the parasympathetic system or too little input from the sympathetic system.
In either case, the result is constriction of the bronchial tubes. This is the reason that the primary drugs used to treat asthma stimulate the sympathetic nervous system to cause an opening of the bronchi to allow for easier breathing.
The Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research recently published information which demonstrates the positive effect of chiropractic with asthmatic patients. In a 1997 study of children with asthma, 90 percent of the subjects reported significant improvement in symptoms following two months of chiropractic care. Every asthmatic should be able to lead a normal, drug-free life. Perhaps, natural alternatives such as chiropractic treatment will be just what many asthmatics need to begin taking a breath of fresh air!
Dr. Ronit Vilan is a Board Certified Pediatric Chiropractor, 1 of only 4 on Long Island, specializing in the care of pregnant women and children. She has an office at 210-15 Northern Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361. You can contact her by phone at 718-279-9485 or www.longislandfamilychiro.com.
