Homeopathy can offer healthy solutions to this most challenging illness.
ASTHMA AND WHAT HOMEOPATHY CAN OFFER. Asthma is becoming a very common condition affecting five per cent of the population at one stage of their life. In the Western world up to ten per cent of children have the disease. Humans have long suffered from breathing problems for example the powerful Roman leader Seneca the younger suffered. However, it without question that the problem has increase enormously in the last fifty years in line with the general deterioration in our immune systems and increased levels of atmospheric pollution. In asthma the bronchial tubes in the Lungs narrow and this makes it more difficult to breathe. Symptoms that occur in asthma are chest tightness, coughing, wheezy breathing and shortness of breath. These symptoms may only occur when the body is working harder for example when walking, running or going upstairs. It is said to be a reversible because the episodic attacks can come and go. House dust may provoke an asthma attack if there is a history of allergies as may exposure to cat, dog or horse hair. People who suffer from hay fever may find out that they get asthma-like symptoms too. It is a help to know if asthma is due to allergies so that homeopathic treatment can address that problem directly. Asthma patients may have a personal or family history of hay fever or skin problems as these conditions are often related. Conventional treatment by your doctor is by medication which seek to control and manage symptoms rather than treat the under lying cause. Bronchodilators Salbutamol (Ventolin, blue). They are designed to act on the muscles of the air ways and help the air flow through. You can think of the air ways as tunnels, which narrow down when there is asthma. The bronchodilators act to widen the tunnel allowing a greater flow of air. Then there are the steroid inhalers (preventers, brown) such as Becotide which is used to do the maintenance work keep the airways (tunnels) free of debris, they act to reduce inflammation. The above treatments should not be stopped suddenly and without careful thought and in consultation with the prescriber. Sometimes patients do not like the thought of taking these drugs and of the side effects that can occur. The side effects Salbutamol (reliever) are generally thought to be mild and steroid inhalers (preventer) used short term are less problematic then if used long term in large doses. Initially homeopathic treatment may be used alongside conventional treatment but eventually we wish for a reduction in inhaler use usually starting with the steroid (preventer). The plan would be to hopefully wean the patient off then provided that homeopathy gives a result as good as or better than that obtained with inhalers. Homeopathic treatment So what homeopathic treatments are available to treat asthma? Asthma like any other condition can be treated with homeopathy in various ways. According to Dr Russell Malcolm, homeopathic doctor, “Homeopathic treatment can be highly successful for asthmatic patients”. The idea is to find the remedy, which reflects the similimum of the case. By similimum, I mean the remedy that best matches the patient’s personality, physical and mental state. This would offer a deeper prospect of healing. There are also remedies that can be given as well for the direct cause (if known) of the asthma for example homeopathic preparations of house dust mite, grasses and pollen etc. In practice homeopathy would seek to relieve the symptom of the condition to a point were conventional treatment may be reduced or even withdrawn if that was the wish of the patient in consultation with their health care provider. Additionally support can also be offered to carers or parents especially when the patient is a dependant child. It is recognised that there is a lot of worry involved and the way this is handled can make a big difference to the outcome. The success rate for better control of asthma in adults could be figured in the range of 50 to 65%, depending on the extent and the severity of the problem, according to Dr Shah. The process will vary from patient to patient as treatments are largely individualised. At the first consultation information is gained about the person’s condition current medication and medicinal history. Afterwards remedies will be offered and instructions given regarding there administration along with lifestyle advice and nutritional suggestions as required. Follow up is usually in four weeks but I can be contacted between appointments if the patient has any questions or needs support.