Spring is in the air.....

It is that time of year again.....asthma sufferers beware! Here at Botanical Health Magazine our emails are overloaded this week with asthma questions, so we decided to do another Q &A with Dr. Judy Caporiccio. She calls this "Asthma for Dummies".

Q. Is All Asthma The Same?

A. Asthma is a chronic condition. This means that while it often looks like it goes away for awhile, the inflammation of the air passages remains present all the time. However, in some instances, this inflammation may go unnoticed for long periods of time. As long as the air passages are inflamed, asthma can flare up at any time. This is one of the reasons that an awareness of the triggers that cause the flare-ups is so important in preventing asthma episodes.

Allergic asthma - Allergic asthma is most common in children and adolescents. Usually, but not always, the allergies that cause the asthma appear before the age of 35. An asthma attack or episode occurs when a person comes into contact with something to which he or she has developed an allergy.

Nonallergic asthma - This type of asthma is most common in middle-aged adults. Asthma attacks may occur in response to triggers such as exercise, cold air, or respiratory infections. The allergic mechanism is not responsible for the asthmatic reaction.

Q. What makes my breathing passages so sensitive to triggers?

A. The underlying cause of the sensitivity in the airways is inflammation. Inflamed airways are highly reactive to triggers. In other words, they are easily irritated and respond by contracting, swelling, and filling with thick mucus. Some of the breathing passages don't have much supporting cartilage in their walls the way the windpipe does. As a result, they are not very "stiff" and are easily squeezed closed. Think of them as tiny tubes with thin muscle fibers wrapped around them like "rubber bands." If the "rubber bands" (airway muscle) tighten, the thin-walled passages are more easily choked off, making you short of breath.

Here are some of the natural remedies that I recommend to my patients:

*Quercetin - Quercetin is a phytochemical that is part of the coloring found in the skins of apples and red onions. It's powerful antihistamine action may help to relieve allergic symptoms and asthma symptoms.

*Salmon Omega - A higher intake of omega-6 fatty acids causes cell-signaling processes that result in inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids shift the processes in the body away from inflammation. In this way, omega-3 fatty acids can help to modulate a component of the asthmatic mechanism.

*Aller-C - is a potent combination formula used to moderate the inflammatory response.

*Cromolyn - Cromolyn sodium (also called sodium cromoglycate) is a mast cell stabilizing drug. It is available as a nasal spray to treat allergic rhinitis, and as an inhaler to treat asthma.