To successfully treat and prevent recurrence of asthma we need to understand and — if possible — remove the underlying causes and risk factors. We need to ask: "What else is going on inside the body that might allow asthma symptoms to develop?"
Accurate diagnosis of the factors behind asthma consists of three steps:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Mineral Need | 99% | Confirm |
Heartburn | 19% | Unlikely |
Selenium Need | 13% | Unlikely |
Stress | 0% | Ruled out |
Vitamin B6 Need | 0% | Ruled out |
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity** | 0% | Ruled out |
Adrenal Fatigue | 0% | Ruled out |
A Weight Problem | 0% | Ruled out |
Have you suffered from Asthma?
Possible responses:
→ Never had it / don't know→ Probably had it/minor episode(s) now resolved → Major episode(s) now resolved → Current minor problem → Current major problem |
"Symptoms of milk-protein allergy include cough, choking, gasping, nose colds, asthma, sneezing attacks..." [Annals of Allergy, 1951; 9]
Respiratory complaints among MCS patients include adult-onset "asthma", shortness of breath, and fibrotic lung disease.
Dietary consumption of apples and selenium intake (assessed by food frequency questionnaire) were each associated with a reduced risk of asthma in an English study of adults. [Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2001;164(10): pp.1823-28]
Children with asthma have been shown to have a metabolic defect in tryptophan metabolism. Tryptophan is converted to serotonin, a known bronchoconstricting agent in asthmatics. Studies have shown that patients benefit from either a tryptophan-restricted diet or B6 supplementation to correct the blocked tryptophan metabolism. Pyridoxine may also be of direct benefit to asthmatic patients, since it is a key cofactor in the synthesis of all the major neurotransmitters.
Being overweight increases the risk of asthma. [Arch Intern Med 1999;159: pp.2582-8] Obese people with asthma may improve their lung-function symptoms and overall health status by engaging in a weight-loss program. A controlled study found that weight loss resulted in significant decreases in episodes of shortness of breath, increases in overall breathing capacity, and decreases in the need for medication to control symptoms. [BMJ 2000;320: pp.827-32]
About half of asthmatic patients also have GERD, of which heartburn is a symptom. It is not entirely clear, however, whether asthma is a cause or effect of GERD. Some experts speculate that the coughing and sneezing accompanying asthmatic attacks cause changes in pressure in the chest that can trigger reflux. Exercise-induced asthma does not appear to be related to GERD. Certain asthmatic drugs that dilate the airways may relax the LES and contribute to GERD.