Asthma is the leading cause of chronic illness among children and it is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15 in Australia. Unfortunately, it is very common that the parents of young ones are not able to recognize the early signs of asthma and usually overlook them as a routine ailment which leads to wastage of an effective time frame where asthma could have been easily controlled or treated. It is a growing problem, both for children and adults. In fact, asthma now affects some 20 million Americans, as it has increased by more than 300 percent over the last 20 years.
What exactly is asthma?
Under normal circumstances, there is a clear passage in the bronchi and bronchioles facilitating an effortless breathing process. Asthma is experienced when there is an inflammation of the airways restricting the oxygen that flows in the lungs and which should be expelled outwards after. That means, the small tubes that bring air out of the lungs are swollen and inflamed and sometimes clogged with mucus. This swelling and clogging make it difficult for air to move out freely. Asthma is usually characterized by repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, coughing, chest congestion, and nighttime or early morning coughing. Asthma occurs when the small bronchial air passages in the lungs become inflamed, partially obstructed with phlegm, or tightened due to spasms of the muscles surrounding them. The clinical hallmark of asthma is wheezing and difficulty in breathing.
Asthma in children:
Babies in their first few years of life are prone to the characteristic wheezing sound due to their small air passages. As they grow older the air passages grow bigger and the wheezing stops.
Half of the new cases of asthma occur in children below 10 years of age. It is therefore advisable not to overlook your child’s condition, as it could lead to a build-up of a chronic or severe illness.
Make sure you consult a physician if your child experiences any of the following signs and symptoms
- Coughing that is constant or intermittent without any apparent reason.
- Wheezing or whistling sounds audible when your child exhales.
- Shortness of breath or rapid breathing. This may or may not be associated with exercise.
- Chest tightness.
- Repeated respiratory infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis
- Identifying asthma in infants and the very young is usually difficult. The symptoms might only show up when the child exerting coughing after running.
- Or your child may cough at night or during sleep.
- Coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath also may accompany while crying, yelling and or laughing.
- Infants may have problems during feeding or suckling.
HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES:
Thuja Occidentalis: Thuja Occidentalis is commonly known as Arbor Vitae. This is a deep-acting remedy with a wide sphere of action. It is a constitutional remedy of great use in many disease processes. It has profound action on respiratory organs, skin, genitourinary organs, joints, nervous system, glands, kidneys, blood, etc. It is one of the frequently indicated remedies for asthmatic bronchitis as well as adult asthma.
Antimonium Tart: This drug finds its therapeutic application largely towards the treatment of respiratory diseases, mainly in asthmatic bronchitis. After undergoing the process of potentization, the latent curative powers of this drug are brought to the surface. It is one of the commonly indicated remedies for asthmatic bronchitis.
Kali Carb: It is one of the polycrest remedies having effects on multiple organs and systems in the body. Kali Carb does wonders in cases of asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia. It is also one of the commonly used medicines for hepatitis, Vitiligo, warts, eczema, urticaria, hair loss, and low backache, menstrual bleeding, etc. Other good remedies are: Ars Alb, Bryonia Alba, Carbo Veg, Ammon Carb, Kali Bich, Stannum, Pulsatilla, Spongia Tosta are few based on the symptoms.
It is always advisable to consult an experienced Homeopath before taking any medicine. Dosage and frequency in homeopathic treatment are equally important.