One very prevalent type of allergy is asthma. It is a chronic allergy that directly affects the lungs and airways in the body. The airways are easily aggravated by allergens and a thick lining of mucus builds up. Allergens and other stimuli can induce an asthma attack, including pollen, smoke, temperature variations and humidity variations. Usually, an asthma attack has several respiratory symptoms, including coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Another symptom of asthma is shortness of breath.
Symptoms of asthma are caused by the air passageways reacting to the allergen or trigger. When exposed to a trigger, the airways become irritated and constrict, resulting in the respiratory symptoms. These symptoms may range from mild to severe, depending on the severity of the allergy. Any asthma symptom can be intimidating, and should be taken seriously.
Asthma is most often diagnosed in childhood, as symptoms tend to manifest by the age of 5. At present, it affects around 10% - 12% of all children, and has been steadily increasing. There is no definitive known reason for the increase, but risk factors include exposure to cigarette smoke, other allergies and a history of other respiratory infections. Also, the odds of being diagnosed are raised in males and African Americans.
At present, there are numerous different types of asthma medications and methods of treatment that may efficiently reduce symptoms. Two chief types of asthma medication are fast-acting medicine to treat symptoms during an attack, and controlling medicine, which is taken on a regular basis to lower the chance of having an attack. Short-acting Beta-2 Antagonists (SABAs) are bronchodilators, which is a type of fast acting medication that assists in opening airways and easing the symptoms of an attack, and are typically given through asthma inhalators. This type of medicine doesn't treat the inflammation that causes an attack, but is good when taken during an attack, and will last for 3 - 6 hours after it is given.
Controlling asthma medicine is taken regularly and treats the underlying causes of the attacks. The most common types of this medicine are asthma inhalers containing a steroid that reduces inflammation in the air passageways and lungs and Long-Acting Beta-2 Antagonists (LABAs). The results of long-acting asthma inhalers typically last for twelve hours, and may reduce the number of attacks that take place during sleep. Several medications have very harsh side effects for some people.
Several types of asthma treatment alternative therapies are currently becoming more popular. A few alternative approaches concentrate solely on precautional care, like not smoking during pregnancy or around children, including a selenium-rich diet or eliminating sources of allergens in the home. Some other modalities include reducing weight, increasing Omega-3 consumption, reducing Omega-6 consumption, acupuncture, relaxation techniques and hypnotherapy. It is important to note that any type of alternative therapy is supposed to be used in conjunction with medical advice, as fast-acting medications are frequently required for a severe asthma attack.
One modality that is getting more popular is self-hypnosis or hypnotherapy. Hypnosis treatment of asthma has the purpose of triggering the relaxation response, which can help to prevent or diminish your symptoms when having an asthma attack. Some other alternative types of asthma treatment also employ relaxation as a tool to combat symptoms, such as with meditation programs.
Using hypnosis, one can treat the emotional elements of an attack, which have the capability to make it much more severe. It is human nature to get anxious or feel threatened when we experience our air supply being cut off. This instinctual reaction actually can and will intensify the strength of an attack. Such feelings of fearfulness and dread about having an attack can really bring on an attack. These emotional causes and reactions are handled with the asthma treatment method of hypnosis.
Hypnosis has been proven to be a highly useful asthma treatment. With a trained hypnotherapist, or using one of the many recorded programs obtainable, one can quickly slip into a relaxing state, and start to take control over breathing and bodily functions. One of the best techniques is to learn how to utilize hypnosis to actually abort an impending attack. The self-hypnosis method of asthma treatment is very successful, and may work well for those who can't take or do not want to take prescription medication regularly. Which asthma treatment you choose depends both on the seriousness of your symptoms and what method of treatment that works well for your symptoms.
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Alan B. Densky, CH is certified by the NGH. He has perfected many hypnosis techniques that are effective asthma treatments. His Neuro-VISION NLP website offers a large range of self-hypnosis programs. Visit and enjoy Free self-hypnosis videos, articles, and newsletters.
