Pregnant women who have asthma are usually handled not only by an obstetrical provider but also by an asthma specialist. These two medical practitioners must work hand in hand and work as a team to ensure a successful pregnancy up to the delivery.

If being treated for the disease before pregnancy the medication will have to be continued. However, the dosage might require to be altered to avoid any risks to the fetus. Due to hormonal changes in pregnancy, the sensitivity to irritants that trigger an asthmatic attack might alter. Again the way sensitivity alters is unpredictab Since, according to the statistics, pregnancy-induced high blood presssure is a major cause of maternal mortality, intrauterine growth retardation, and prenatal mortality, it’s crucial to identify and take care of the risk factors of these medical conditions.

Asthma is perhaps one of the most common disorders that can develop during pregnancy.

It is also one of the most serious disorders that can develop during pregnancy. Since it is state where the hampering of the most vital process of respiration is concerned it should never be neglected and adequate measures should be taken to relieve the situation.

Different people have different asthma symptoms. This holds true for mothers-to-be, too. Your asthma may be mild, moderate, or severe. Mild asthma causes only an occasional attack, with few symptoms in between. With a new baby on the way, you are very excited. There will be lots of changes in the family. A nursery is in order and you have a lot to look forward to. Concern over asthma in pregnancy is a legitimate concern and one you need to be aware of if you suffer from asthma.

The most important thing to remember about asthma and pregnancy is that this medication is completely safe for the baby. Because asthma medications are inhaled, the drug is going directly to your lungs and will, in most instances bypass the baby.

One of the most important things an expecting mother can do for her unborn child is to quit smoking. Research has shown that smoking during pregnancy can have significant negative effects on the developing fetus. Cigarette tobacco contains approximately 2,500 chemicals that could harm an unborn baby, I read recently that some doctors recommend taking fish oil during pregnancy. Others do not. There may be certain individuals that should not take the supplement, but in general, it is safe for most people, as long as it is a good brand.

Convent Becomes Community Center


Image by kqedquest
In 1995, doctor Washington Burns and his brother converted this 19th century West Oakland convent into the Prescott-Joseph Center for Community Enhancement. The center houses the West Oakland Asthma Coalition, as well as organizations that run a food pantry and offer art and computer classes.

View the companion KQED TV piece on KQED QUEST and discuss it in the QUEST Community Science Blog.

Article by Brucebud

Asthma is a disease of the lungs where the person finds it difficult to breathe. The channels that lead to the lungs are inflamed. They become narrow thus making it difficult to breathe. Sometimes the muscles go into spasm and as a result the channel becomes narrower. The production of mucus increases the breathing difficulty. A person suffering from asthma really finds it difficult to breathe when she/he suffers from the attack. Such a situation often demands immediate medical attention and unless that is provided to the victim it might often be a fatal condition.

What Causes Asthma

There are no definite causes of asthma. Researches have pointed out that it is a result of faulty genes and influence of the environment. The case becomes more serious if both the factors combine together. Apart from this the affected person may also suffer from various allergic diseases which may include eczema and hay fever. The breathing tubes become narrowed down as cells and chemicals enter the lung tissues inflaming the breathing tubes. When the tubes are narrowed down it is difficult for the air to move through the lungs and thus result in breathing difficulty.

Once the airways become hyper-reactive the lungs start to react in an abnormal manner thus leading to an attack of asthma. This leads to the infection in the respiratory tract. The infected person becomes allergic to house dust, smoking and chemical irritants. Emotional depression also aggravates the disease. A person suffering from asthma has to be really careful of all the allergies as well as the surroundings.

Asthma Symptoms

Peak Flow Meters


Image by Asthma Helper
twitter.com/asthmaasthma

twitter.com/asthmaasthma/asthma-news-information

twitter.com/asthmaasthma/asthma-asthma-asthma

twitter.com/asthmaasthma/asthma-asthma

twitter.com/asthmaasthma/asthma

What Is Asthma, Asthma Symptoms, Asthma Diagnosis, Asthma Treatments, Asthma Allergies, Vocal Cord Dysfunction, Asthma & Acid Reflux, Peak Flow Meters, Trend Statistics, Living W/Asthma. Asthma Web Links, Asthma Triggers Causes, Triggers VS Causes, Asthma Causes, Asthma Triggers, Occupational Asthma, Asthma & Altitude, Asthma Home Exterior, Asthma Home Interior, Asthma Pregnancy, Pregnancy Safe Drugs, Asthma Medicine & Pregnancy, Exercise Induced Asthma, Asthma & Exercises, Avoiding Exercise.

Article by Dr Easton Patrick

Asthma is a disorder affecting the air ways of the lungs or bronchioles. Chronic inflammation of the air ways makes a person asthmatic. When a person is attacked by asthma, the air ways or passages of lungs become swollen and filled with mucus. This leads to narrowing of the air ways. Also the muscles with in air ways contract and the air ways are further narrowed down. The narrowing of air ways results in much difficulty in exhaling or breathing out air. As asthmatic attack restricts or obstructs the exhalation of air, it is also known as obstructive pulmonary disease. Asthma is more severe in childhood and youth and the severity decreases as the person ages. It is not possible to cure asthma, but it can be kept under check. The common symptoms of asthma include breathlessness, wheezing, coughing, and difficulty in speaking and chest tightness.

Causes of Asthma

An asthmatic is like to have attacks in response to some common triggers like

1. Inhaling polluted air2. Exposure to tobacco3. Exposure to wood smoke4. Inhaling respiratory irritants like certain perfumes.5. Acid reflux6. Exposure to cold weather7. Sulfites, an additive in certain food items.8. Breathing in certain allergens like dust, molds or animal danders.9. Stress or any other intense emotional excitement.10. Physical exertion.

People with chronic respiratory infections like cold and flu, bronchitis or sinus, those suffering from Hay fever and eczema are more prone to develop asthma. Those having a family history of asthma, have every possibility of getting the disease. Also the occurrence of asthma is closely linked with a woman’s menstrual cycles.

Home Remedies for Asthma

1. One suffering from asthma may hold a jug of honey below his or her nose and take in the smell. He or she will soon be able to breathe better.

Chamaesyce hirta


Image by dinesh_valke
Euphorbiaceae (castor, euphorbia, or spurge family) » Chamaesyce hirta

kam-ay-SY-kee — from the Greek chamai (on the ground) and skyon (fig)
HER-tuh — meaning, hairy

commonly known as: asthma plant, common spurge, sneeze weed • Bengali: barokarni, barokherni • Hindi: बड़ा दुधी bara dudhi, दुद्धी duddhi, लाल दुधी lal-dudhi, मोटी दुधी mothi dudhi • Kannada: achchedida, akkigida, kempuneneyakk • Konkani: दुदुर्ली dudurli • Malayalam: നിലപ്പാല nilappaala • Manipuri: pakhamba maton • Marathi: दुधी dudhi • Prakrit: दुद्धिआ duddhia • Rajasthani: dhedhi-dudheli • Sanskrit: दुग्धिका dugdhika, क्षीर ksira, नागरी nagari, नागार्जुन nagarjun • Tamil: அம்மான்பச்சரிசி amman-paccarici • Telugu: నానపాల nanapala

Distribution: pantropical

References: Flowers of India • NPGS / GRIN • PIER species info

Asthma has dramatically risen worldwide over the past decades, particularly in developed countries, and experts are puzzled over the cause of this increase. The mechanisms that cause asthma are complex and vary among population groups and even from individual to individual. Many asthma sufferers have allergies, and some researchers are targeting common factors in both these conditions. Not all people with allergies have asthma, however, and not all cases of asthma can be explained by allergic response.

There are things in the environment that bring on your asthma symptoms and lead to asthma attacks. Some of the more common things include exercise, allergens, irritants, and viral infections. Some people have asthma only when they exercise or have a viral infection.

Genetic factors: asthma tends to run in families, and many people with asthma also have other allergic conditions such as rhinitis (inflammation of the nose lining). “Allergy” is a hypersensitivity to some proteins foreign to the body; a small dose of the “allergen” will produce a violent reaction in the person concerned.

]]>

Many people with asthma have allergic reactions to particles breathed in through the air, such as animal dander and pollen. These common substances are called allergens, meaning that they cause an allergic reaction. The tendency to react to allergens by having an asthma attack is probably genetic.