One very widespread type of allergy is asthma. It is a chronic allergy that directly affects the lungs and air passages in the body. The air passages are easily irritated by allergens and a thick lining of mucus builds up. Allergens and other stimuli can bring on an asthma attack, including pollen, smoke, temperature changes and humidity changes. Usually, an asthma attack has various respiratory symptoms, including coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Another asthma symptom is shortness of breath.
Symptoms of an asthma attack are caused by the air passageways reacting to the allergen or trigger. When exposed to a trigger, the airways become irritated and contract, resulting in the respiratory symptoms. These symptoms may range from moderate to life threatening, depending on the severity of the allergy. Any asthma symptom can be upsetting, and should be taken seriously.
Asthma is commonly diagnosed in childhood, because symptoms tend to manifest by the age of 5. At present, it affects around ten to twelve percent of all children, and has been steadily mounting. There is no conclusive known reason for the rise, but risk factors include exposure to cigarette smoke, other allergies and a history of other respiratory infections. Also, the odds of being diagnosed are amplified in males and African Americans.
At this point in time there are numerous different types of asthma medicines and treatments that may efficiently diminish symptoms. Two main types of asthma medication are fast-acting medicine to treat symptoms during an attack, and controlling medicine, which is taken regularly to decrease the chance of having an attack. Short-acting Beta-2 Antagonists (SABAs) are bronchodilators, which is a type of fast acting drug that facilitates opening airways and relieving the symptoms of an attack, and are typically administered through asthma inhalers. This type of medicine does not treat the inflammation that causes an attack, but is advantageous when taken during an attack, and will last for three to six hours after it is given.
Controlling asthma medication is taken regularly and treats the underlying causes of the attacks. The most universal types of this medicine are inhalers containing a steroid that reduces inflammation in the airways and lungs and Long-Acting Beta-2 Antagonists (LABAs). The effects of long-acting asthma inhalers typically last for twelve hours, and may lower the number of attacks that happen while the asthmatic is asleep. A lot of medicines have very harsh side effects for some people.
Various types of asthma treatment alternative therapies are presently becoming more popular. Some alternative approaches concentrate just on precautional care, such as not smoking during pregnancy or around babies, including a selenium-rich diet or eliminating sources of allergy causing substances in the home. Some other treatment modalities include taking off weight, increasing Omega-3 intake, diminishing Omega-6 intake, acupuncture, relaxation techniques and hypnotherapy. It is significant to note that any type of alternative therapy is intended to be used in conjunction with medical advice, because fast-acting medications are often required for an acute asthma attack.
One method that is becoming more popular is hypnosis or hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy for asthma has the goal of causing the relaxation response, which can serve to prevent or diminish your symptoms when having an attack. Some other alternative types of asthma treatment also employ relaxation as a way to eliminate symptoms, such as with meditation programs.
Using hypnotherapy, the individual can treat the emotional elements of an attack, which have the ability to make an asthma attack much more severe. It is human nature to get scared or feel vulnerable when we experience our air supply being cut off. This instinctual reaction in reality may heighten the strength of an attack. Similar feelings of fear and dread about having an attack can actually bring on an attack. These emotional causes and responses are handled with the asthma treatment method of self-hypnosis.
Hypnotism has been established to be an extremely powerful asthma treatment. With a trained hypnotherapist, or using one of the several recorded programs available, an individual can easily slip into a relaxed hypnotic state, and start to take charge over breathing and bodily functions. One of the best techniques is to learn how to use self-hypnosis to actually abort an impending attack. The self-hypnosis method of asthma treatment is tremendously successful, and may work well for those who cannot take or do not want to take prescription medicines regularly. Which asthma treatment you choose depends both on the severity of your symptoms and what method of treatment that works well for your symptoms.
Alan B. Densky, CH is certified by the NGH. He has perfected several hypnosis and NLP methods that are powerful asthma treatments. His Neuro-VISION self-hypnosis website provides a large range of hypnotherapy programs. Visit for Free hypnotherapy videos, articles, and newsletters.