Introduction to Asthma and Homeopathic Remedies for Asthma Patients

1. Introduction to Asthma and Homeopathic Remedies for Asthma Patients Dr. M. Ahmed Director ( Research& Dev., & International Relations) Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies in Homeopathy (BCASH) & Country Representative World Homeopathic Awareness Organization ( WHAO) 11 March 2008

2. What Do We Mean By Asthma? • Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways. This inflammation often causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing, mostly at night or in early morning. • This is often linked to allergies, heredity and various environmental factors causing increased airway inflammation and resulting in recurring attacks of wheezing, coughing, chest constriction & labored breathing. • Asthma symptoms varies from patient to patient, but most typical symptoms are coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and tightness in chest

3. Diagnosis of Asthma Major diagnostic criteria of asthma: 1.Cardinal Features of Asthma  1.1 Recurrent cough   1.2 Paroxysmal respiratory distress 1.3 Wheeze 1.4 Chest tightness 2. Recurrent Attack 3. Features of Eosinophilic inflammation : Sputum Eosinophlia 4. Obstructive defects, sometimes partially reversible by drug 

4. Major Diagnostic Symptoms of Asthma. Recurrent wheeze ( Respiratory distress) • wheeze following playing or physical activities ( Respiratory distress) • Chronic night or early morning cough( causes awaking the child) • Chronic unproductive cough without apparent cause • wheeze or cough when exposed to dust ( Respiratory distress) • Associated atopic problems of allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis • Family history of asthma is positive • Serum IgE level is elevated • Air flow obstruction

5. Classification of AsthmaSOURCE : (National Asthma Education & Prevention Program,USA) • 1. Intermittent Asthma: Between the attacks, patient is symptom free and pulmonary function (PF) is normal. • 2. Persistent Asthma -:Frequent attack (coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath at night or early morning at least more than two occasion in a month) .In between the attack patient may or may not be symptom free and PF is mostly abnormal (except in mild persistent). Sub divided in to:

6. Classification of asthma contd. • 2.1 Mild Persistent Asthma: Usually patients have nocturnal attack of more than 2 times per month • 2.2. Moderate Persistant Asthma: Usually patients have almost daily attack • 2.3. Severe Persistant Asthma: Usually patients have dyspnoea to some extent continuously for 6 months or more

7. Classification of Asthma Contd. • 3.Acute exacerbation : Loss of control of any class or variant ( mild to life threatening attack) • 3.1 Mild: it is dyspnoeic (can talk in sentences ) • 3.2 Moderate: It is more dyspnoeic(can not complete a sentences in one breath ) • 3.3 Severe: severely dyspnoeic(talks in words and may be restless, even unconscious)

8. CLASSIFICATION OF ASTHMA CONTD • 4. Special Variants : • 4.1 Seasonal Asthma: Relation to certain pollens and molds appearing in the environment during specific season. • 4.2 Exercise Induced Asthma: Exercise Induced Asthma or Exercise-induced bronchospasm is experienced on exertion particularly during attack.. • 4.3 Drug Induced Asthma: Some drugs, e.g. Aspirin may cause asthma symptoms to appear (almost1 in 30 cases). • 4.4 Cough Variant Asthma: Presents with chronic cough and sputum eosinophilia, but without the abnormalities of airway function seen in asthma.

9. Classification of Asthma Contd. OCCUPATIONAL ASTHMA: • Occupational asthma may be defined as asthma induced at work by exposure to occupation related agents, which are mainly inhaled at the workplace.

10. Brief Overview Of Asthma in Bangladesh • 0.7 million peoples are suffering from asthma of which 0.4 million are children (National Asthma Survey of Bangladesh ,1999) • Usually big cities like Dhaka and Chittagong are exposed to asthma because of massive air pollution and industrial and automobile exhaust. • Recently coastal areas have showed sharp rise of asthma cases due to lung infections, allergy and pneumonia, the physicians said quoting a study. • The average number of asthma cases in Dhaka and Chittagong cities remain around 4.1 percent, while number of such casescrossed over nine percent in coastal areas.

11. Brief Overview Of Asthma in Bangladesh Contd. • Indoor pollution is very high in the coastal belt while the outdoor pollution was minimal (Institute of Diseases of Chest and Hospital (IDCH) • Inhalation of smoke from cooking burners and fluctuation of temperatures owing to cyclone and storms have been contributing significantly for spreading child asthma in the areas( Asthma Association) • It is said that pneumonia and bronchiolitis in childhood are the main reasons for causing asthma. • People having allergy are four times more susceptible to asthma than that of those who are free from allergy.

12. SOME MAJOR HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES 0F ASTHMA • Ipecac. • Ars. alb. • Ars iod. • Blata orient. • Aralia racemosa • Nat. sulph • Antim tart. • Kali bich. • Apis mel. • Iberis. • Conval. • Lachesis • Naja etc - depending on the symptoms.

13. Some Specific Nature of Attack and Their Homeopathic Remedies

14. Bibliography • Boericke , William , 1927. Homoeopathic Materia Medica • Nash, E.B. 1981. 'Leaders in Homeopathic Theraupatics' • National Asthma Education & Prevention Program, USA