ASTHMA IN CHILDREN
Causes of asthma
The causes of child asthma are classified into two groups: -
(1) Atopic or Extrinsic (external) factors.
(2) Non – atopic or intrinsic (internal) factotors.
ATOPIC OR EXTRINSIC(EXTERNAL) FACTOR: -
The word atopic means that there is definite history of allergy. The word extrinsic means that Some external factors are responsible
for increasing the asthmatic Attacks. There are numerous factors. They comprise of a wide range of Allergy, which includes allergens
such as food allergens Pollution (industrial pollution), chemical (pest control),environmental factors pollen dust mites)Cats,
cockroaches, and fungi etc. temperature intolerance (affected by the change in atmospheric temperature.
Atopic asthma can be further divided into the following types: -
(i) Atopic asthma with involvement of respiratory tract only.
(ii) Atopic asthma with involvement of other system.
(i) Atopic asthma with involvement of respiratory tract only: -
(a) With rhinitis: - In some patients there are symptoms of, such as sneezing and running of nose, and after some times patient develops the symptoms
of asthma.
(b) Atopic asthma with larynges - trachea bronchitis: - In such cases there are symptoms such as hoarseness of voice, cough with or without
expectoration, dyspnoea, pain in the chest etc. There will be involvement of larynx, trachea or most commonly bronchi with asthmatic
episodes.
(ii) Atopic asthma with multiple system involvement: -
This can be furthered divided into: -
(a) Dermato respiratory syndrome
(b) Gastro –respiratory syndrome
(c) Miscellaneous
NON - ATOPIC OR INTRISIC (INTERNAL) FACTORS
There is no allergic factor in this kind of asthma. In the intrinsic factor, not every one who is exposed to the pollens develops asthma. This means that every individual susceptibility is probably the most important aspect, when we try to understand the causative factors responsible for child asthma. In other words asthma is not a merely a disease of lungs but of immune system, asthmatic episode is an outcome of the fundamental tendency or the susceptibility, which is genetically determined. Hereditary influence also decide the predisposition to asthma as children with the family history or asthma or allergy or eczema are most prone to asthma as compared to their counterpart who do not have such a family history emotional stress and psychological trauma are often found to induce either as acute episode or an on going recurring attacks of asthma. In the lights of the homoeopathic philosophy, every disease process is a result of genetically determined tendencies, which is called “miasms” DR.Hahnemann, was the first to identify the miasmatic influences affecting the disease process.
FAMILY HISTORY OF AN ASTHMATICS: -
In the treatment of bronchial asthma it is very important to have a detailed family history. Confirmation of family history of asthma is direct blood relations must indirect blood relations, one must ask about asthmatic or any other bronchial history in father, mother, brothers, sisters, and children. Family history of malignancy, tuberculosis, diabetesmellitis,suppression of skin disease, sweat, fever
SYMPTOMS OF ASTHMA
Asthma in children comprises of a set of variable symptoms. The onset of asthma may have typical cold and coryza , running of nose , sneezing , nose block sore throat , with or without fever. The symptoms might settle to the chest producing cough and congestion, leading to the typical “chest spasm” which is described as a “wheeze” in common language. The wheeze obstructs the lungs tubes to give a sense of breathlessness called as dyspnoea. The breathlessness when intense or prolonged given panting weakness and exhaustion due to inadequate oxygenation.Coughing may be constant accompanied symptoms, which may be either a spasmodic barking hacking or violent.The quality of cough may be either dry or wet. There may be secretion of fluid in the lungs tubes producing even more difficult respiration.It may come out as sputum (Expectoration) many time process of expectoration itself may bring more strain and hence breathlessness.Sometimes, release of sputum or expectoration may give relief in breathlessness due to partial cleaning of the air passage.There is a possibility that the attack of asthma may begin all of a sudden without any cold or cough. The cases are not very uncommon where parents would find children waking up in the middle of night with severe attack of asthma.It may be noted that cough may be absolutely absent during the entire episode of asthma. Some of factors, which influence the level of severity during an acute attack of asthma, may be noted with interest. Some children have a predisposition to have the attack getting worse during some specific, say 2 or 3 AM early morning or on rising up in the morning. Some children would feel comfortable only during certain body posture such as sitting erect or lying or particular side of body. Some are better when being carried on shoulder some are better setting, some feel better after having little warm water while some are better if the door and windows are open.If we carefully examine the symptoms of asthma, we shall find that although the basic symptoms remain the same, the exact symptoms vary from child to child. This suggests that every case of asthma call for individual attention in order to cure it.
The diagnosis: -
The clinical symptoms of cough, wheezing and labored breathing are suggesting of the diagnosis of asthma. The attending physician when asculates the chest with the stethoscope, a diagnostic bronchospasm (wheeze) may be found which may confirm the diagnosis.Additional clinical test with a small device called Spiro meter, which is used to decide the flow of air inhaled and exaled. In brief this device is used to judge the extent of the airway obstruction Spirometer are also called pulmonary functions test (P.F.T.)
The homoeopathic approach to treating child asthma: -
Homoeopathy is scientific medical alternative for treating a wide range of chronic ailments. The basic approach in homoeopathy is to evaluate the disease of child hood asthma in its extent where by a lot of emphasis is given to the patient as a whole besides minutely studying various various aspects of the child asthma.Homoeopathy firmly believes in enhansing body’s own defense mechanism to maintain healthy status. The homoeopathic treatment is aimed at enhancing body’s own healing capacity so that the human system does not react adversely to the allergens which are considered factors affecting asthma.When we hear the medical fraternity declaiming child hood asthma as an incurable entirely. We homoeopath feel sad and upset because this disorder is absolute curable. In my clinic I had treated so many cases shown reducing in frequency of attack with in four months.80% of the suffers have settled with one attack of asthma once in a year or less with in one year of treatment. It may be mphasized that treatment has been found effective not only at our clinic but at the hands of thousands of practitioners in different parts of the world during last 200 years.Children suffering from asthma when treated homoeopathy not only there asthma is cured well controlled but also they became stronger individuals with enhanced resistance power. This is because Homoeopathy does not treat asthma but treats the patient as a whole.
Treatment of acute attack of asthma: -
It is possible to treat an acute attack of asthma in children with correctly chosen homoeopathic medicine. However it requires careful study of every episode as one requires to evaluate the factors which may have precipitated the attack, the exact symptoms, the factors which make the attack worse or better etc. However in some cases if modern medicines (dilators or anti allergic drugs) are administrated during the severe attack, when the child asthma is on medication, it does not interfere with the homoeopathic treatment.