Mustard Plaster: Does It Work, Safety, Other Remedies - Healthline
Mustard Plaster: Does It Work, Safety, Other Remedies - Healthline |
- Mustard Plaster: Does It Work, Safety, Other Remedies - Healthline
- Dr. Zorba Paster: Asthma treatment is improving, but it is still important to control risk factors - The Spokesman-Review
- Homeopathic remedies for asthma: Types, effectiveness, and risks - Medical News Today
| Mustard Plaster: Does It Work, Safety, Other Remedies - Healthline Posted: 30 Sep 2020 08:13 AM PDT [unable to retrieve full-text content]Mustard Plaster: Does It Work, Safety, Other Remedies Healthline |
| Posted: 30 Sep 2020 10:09 AM PDT  By Dr. Zorba Paster For The Spokesman-Review We talk a lot about heart disease, stroke, cancer and, of course, COVID-19, but we don't spend as much time talking about asthma and how to control it. Asthma is on the rise. It continues to grow year by year. One in 12 people, or 25 million in the U.S., have asthma. Back in 2001, it was 1 in 14 in a significantly smaller population. So where might this be coming from, how can we prevent it, and how can we treat it? First up, treatment options have improved over the last decade. Inhaled steroids, medications that reduce inflammation and mucous production, have improved dramatically. Asthmatic wheezing can interfere with everyday and sports activities, so vital for kids growing up. The wheeze, the cough, the difficulty catching your breath often respond to "rescue" inhalers, but they have side effects if they're used too much. That's where long-acting steroid inhalers – steroids that coat the bronchial tubes and are, for the most part, not absorbed into the body – can keep the airways open and allow you to breathe normally. Still, 10 Americans die from asthma every day. In 2017, 3,564 people died from asthma, with many of these deaths avoidable given proper treatment and care. So preventing asthma in the first place is really what we want, just like we prevent heart attacks by eating right and exercising. What causes asthma can be elusive. That's where a British Medical Journal study comes in, showing that pollution, smoking and other curious factors fit into the asthma puzzle. In Denmark, there is one health insurance company, the government. So the statistics they have are really good. They examined records for more than 3 million children born between 1997 and 2014 looking at who got asthma and who didn't, who developed persistent wheezing – not a one-and-done affair. An estimated 123,000 kids identified with asthma, most developing it by age 2. Then researchers looked at where these children lived. The Danish have really good information on where air pollution is – from cars, factories, power plants, home heating, etc. They further looked at whether or not the parents smoked, what their level of education was, how much they made – all the other things we know affect health and wellness. By the way, the missing link in many studies are the socio-economic factors that affect health care. The Danes wanted to measure this, trying to figure out the asthma puzzle. Keep in mind that all Danes have excellent access to medical care and stronger social net than we have. They found that moms who smoked during pregnancy were more likely to have asthmatic kids. Somehow, the smoke the moms inhaled while the baby was developing in the womb made that baby more likely to be an asthmatic child and, therefore, an asthmatic adult. It wasn't just smoking in the house after the kid was born that had an effect, something we've known for years. But the effect of tobacco smoke in a pregnant woman somehow went through the placenta, making the child more like to become a wheezy kid. This prenatal pollutant is important to recognize, reminding women again and again that smoking during pregnancy is bad, bad, bad for a baby. But the next factor they found was that kids who lived in areas with more air pollution were more likely to develop asthma. The fine particles in the air affected their lungs, producing a lifetime of problems. It wasn't just outside pollution but inside pollution such as heating with wood. Many in Wisconsin heat with wood, though not as many as in Vermont, where 38% of all houses burn wood for heat. A wood stove not properly vented can be one source of air pollution that's part of the asthma mystery. My spin: Change the risk factors you can control. No smoking during pregnancy, no smoking around your child ever. If you burn wood, make sure the stove is well vented so you don't spew fine particles into the air. The other factors including education, income and where you live are not an easy fix. But it reminds me that staying in school in order to get a better job has far-reaching effects for you and your family. Stay well. Dr. Zorba Paster is a family physician and host of the public radio program "Zorba Paster on Your Health." He can be reached at askzorba@doctorzorba.com. |
| Homeopathic remedies for asthma: Types, effectiveness, and risks - Medical News Today Posted: 04 Jun 2019 12:00 AM PDT  Many practitioners claim that homeopathic medicine can help with asthma. Does homeopathy help, and is it safe to use with asthma? Asthma is a chronic condition that can cause the airways in the lungs to become inflamed and narrow. This makes it hard for the person to breathe. Asthma can cause symptoms that included shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing. To date, no studies prove that homeopathic remedies work for asthma. Nonetheless, it may be safe to try homeopathy in combination with traditional asthma treatment if a healthcare provider approves it. People should not use homeopathic remedies to treat asthma attacks. There is no evidence that they will work, and this could lead to a life-threatening situation. In this article, we look at the types of homeopathy people use for asthma, their effectiveness, and possible risks. The American Lung Association say more than 26 million people in the United States have asthma, including more than 6 million children. While there is no cure for asthma, traditional treatment is effective for managing symptoms when a person is under the care of a qualified health practitioner. However, some people are interested in natural remedies, such as homeopathic medicine, to help manage and treat their asthma symptoms. Homeopathy, also called homeopathic medicine, is a holistic or natural treatment that people use for a variety of diseases and conditions. Active ingredients in homeopathic remedies are usually natural substances, such as flowers, herbs, or minerals. Homeopathy uses the concept of "like cures like," which means that the remedy consists of a diluted substance that, when taken in a higher dose, can potentially cause symptoms similar to the person's condition or other symptoms. The amount of active ingredient in a homeopathic remedy is very small. Homeopathic remedies are made by diluting the amount of active ingredient several times until it is miniscule or undetectable. Homeopathic principles state that a higher dilution makes the remedy more powerful. In homeopathic treatment for asthma, a person takes a minute amount of a substance that causes asthma-like symptoms. Many studies have looked into the effectiveness of homeopathy for asthma symptoms, and the results are mixed. In a 2004 Cochrane review of research into homeopathy and asthma, the researchers concluded that there is "not enough evidence to reliably assess the possible role of homeopathy in asthma." Individual studies have suggested that homeopathy can have some benefits, however. A 2018 double-blind study on 140 adults with bronchial asthma found that adding homeopathic remedies to usual asthma treatment was more effective than the usual treatment with a placebo. In a review of studies that researchers did in India, participants had used one or more of the following homeopathic remedies or plant extracts:
Other research shows unclear or inconclusive results about whether homeopathy can help with asthma. A 2019 review found that studies on homeopathic treatment for asthma had bias, incomplete reporting, and small sample sizes. However, a 2015 review said that homeopathy did appear to help with reducing the frequency and intensity of asthma attacks but the authors could not draw firm conclusions. The authors stated that these results did not come from randomized controlled trials but from observational studies that looked at the subjects' symptoms. Many medical experts believe that homeopathy is not effective. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) state that there is little evidence to support homeopathic remedies as effective treatments for health problems. Nonetheless, people do use homeopathic remedies, with 2.1% of the United States population reporting the use of homeopathy in a 2012 national survey. Respiratory conditions, such as asthma, were one of the most common ailments for which people used homeopathic remedies. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have warned people "not to rely on asthma products labeled as homeopathic that are sold over the counter (OTC)." This is because the FDA has not evaluated these products for safety and effectiveness. According to the NCCIH, many products labeled as homeopathic are highly diluted, but others can contain large amounts of active ingredients. Some of these ingredients could cause side effects or interact with drugs a person is taking for medical conditions. For these reasons, people should always speak to a doctor before taking any homeopathic medications. Traditional asthma treatment may involve taking certain medicines and avoiding asthma triggers. A person and their healthcare practitioner can decide what treatments work best. A person may need to keep track of asthma symptoms and triggers by using a journal. Finding out what causes asthma flares is an important part of treatment. Common asthma triggers include:
Some people with asthma may need to take medicines that can help keep asthma under control and prevent asthma attacks. A person must take these medicines regularly, even if they are not having symptoms of asthma. These are known as long-term control medicines. Another part of asthma treatment involves rescue medicines, also known as quick-relief medicines. A person uses quick-relief medicines during an asthma attack. These are usually in the form of an inhaler or nebulized solution. Sometimes, a person may also need oral or injectable corticosteroid therapy or other medications to treat an asthma attack. If severe, hospitalization may be required. If a person cannot quickly get their asthma attack under control, they should seek emergency medical care. During an asthma attack, quick-relief medicine should allow them to breathe freely again within 15 minutes or less. If the person does not have quick-relief medicine and is having an asthma attack, they or someone with them should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. It is also an emergency when the person:
In addition, the American Lung Association say a person should call their healthcare provider if they:
People who have asthma should see a doctor regularly and at least once a year to be sure their symptoms are under control. They should not try to use homeopathic remedies or other treatments on their own without a doctor's care. People who have frequent asthma attacks, for instance, may need to try a different long-term control medicine regimen with guidance from their doctor. They may also need to look at triggers and determine whether they have any new ones or need to take different steps to avoid their triggers. Many people with asthma lead healthy lives with proper management of their asthma. Following a doctor's plan with medication and avoiding triggers means people with asthma can carry on with normal daily activities. Most activities, including sports and exercise, are possible for people who have asthma. In fact, the American Lung Association recommend exercise for those with asthma, as long as they are working with a doctor to keep their condition well controlled. Exercise improves overall health and the well-being of the lungs, which benefits people with this condition. If a person wishes to try homeopathic remedies or other natural treatments, they should discuss it with a doctor. Although evidence is limited, homeopathy may be safe to try in combination with traditional asthma care for some people. It should not replace traditional, proven medications or the advice of a healthcare practitioner. |
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