Asthma
Asthma can not only be scary for the child or adult but it can have a huge effect on how you live your life. When struggling for a breath its difficult to carry on any physical activity and can impact your day to day living.
To start, it is important to note that there are different types of asthma, not just one as medical communities believe. These include neurological asthma, vagus nerve asthma and phrenic nerve asthma. None of these types and causes of asthma are understood by medical science and research.
Low grade viruses in the body can inflame the nerves and result in limited breathing. These breathing issues can leave doctors wondering. A pulmonologist, for example, might not be sure of the cause of these symptoms, but will most likely assume one of two things: asthma or anxiety. Diagnosing patients that have breathing issues with anxiety is a common occurrence—and they can be linked due to the fact that asthmatic symptoms, including tightness of chest, are nerve related, but the cause of the nerve issues are still not understood. And, when the breath is limited, the adrenals start releasing a lot of adrenaline. For many people, this results in a trip to the emergency room where the ER doctor might think their symptoms are indicative of the flu, anxiety, or a panic attack. Or if an asthma diagnosis is given, patients are often told it’s an autoimmune condition or a genetic condition. This is another incorrect theory. What’s really happening is that there is a low grade viral infection in the body. There are stages a virus like Epstein-Barr virus, goes through and in the later stages, the viruses produce neurotoxins, which are poisons that disrupt nerve function. Medical communities are yet to understand this so they are unable to give you the correct information about what’s behind your asthma, or any answer at all.
From a neurological perspective, when you think about asthma, it is essential to consider the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain into the neck and chest and controls the abdomen and the function of the lungs. Equally significant is the phrenic nerve, which runs through the neck into the chest on each side. Both the vagus and phrenic nerves can do funny things in the chest, especially when there is a viral issue developing. Neuro-asthma, for instance, is common among university students who are staying up late to study and party, and who are under real stress for the first time. What they are likely unaware of is a developing case of mononucleosis (caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, that could have been brewing for years, and which is triggered under stressful conditions). Medical science and research don’t yet know that when a virus is present in the system, neurotoxins are released from the liver, float around in the body, and inevitably touch the vagus and phrenic nerves causing inflammation and irritation in the chest—two of the symptoms of neuro-asthma. Viruses are behind a countless number of chronic mystery illnesses. Asthma is no exception.
Another cause of neuro-asthma is toxic heavy metals, which feed viruses that then excrete the neurotoxins that inflame the phrenic and vagus nerves that are affected in cases of asthma. Both children and adults can be exposed to toxic heavy metals easily. Emotional stress and hardships can also be a trigger to underlying viral or bacterial conditions or lead to the release of excess adrenaline, all of which can lead to the onset of asthma. Emotional neuro-asthma can present with similar symptoms to other brain related asthmas. For any of these types of asthmas, inhalers are often prescribed. While inhalers can ease someone’s symptoms because steroids calm the nerves, they don’t address the root cause and are not a cure.
Environmental irritants can also play a role in asthma. Separate from these different neuro-asthmas is inflamed bronchial asthma.
Inflamed Bronchial Asthma
When irritants are inhaled into the lungs they can trigger the inflammation of the lungs and bronchial passageways. These triggers—i.e. dust, dirt, asbestos, etc.—can be hard to avoid, especially if you are in a line of work such as woodworking, home construction, or engineering. In these environments, the bronchial tubes can become hypersensitive. Inhalers can help ease symptoms temporarily, but if you are suffering from chronic asthma and use your inhaler a lot, you may become immune to the steroids at some point.
So what exactly causes inflammation? When contaminants enter the lungs and the body cannot expel them easily or quickly enough, they cling to the bronchial walls causing irritation. In this case, these contaminants sit on the mucus lining of the bronchial tubes, shifting back and forth as you breathe and your lungs expand and contract. What this means is that these contaminants are essentially acting like sandpaper. As they collect over time, they get stuck in the mucus lining, causing the bronchial tubes to become increasingly irritated. But environmental irritants are not solely to blame. Mucus plays a key role in the inflammation of the lungs and the weakening of the immune system.
The Truth About Mucus
Mucus exists in everyone’s body. At its best, mucus is a protective mechanism. We need to have healthy mucus in order to have a healthy immune system. The throat is an excellent example of this. A thin lining of mucus coats your throat so that you don’t get a sore throat when you speak all day. However, there are places mucus should not be: the liver, the lymphatic system, the bloodstream, or our internal organs. Very simply, our bodies cannot get rid of the contaminants in healthy mucus if we have a build-up of mucus where it does not belong. Why? Excess mucus becomes hardened and putrefied. This keeps whatever irritants that are in your lungs from leaving the body. Unlike this unhealthy mucus build-up, healthy mucus produced when you have a cold is the body’s way of fighting a virus. Healthy mucus allows the body to locate the virus and destroy it. So what causes this excess of mucus anyway? The answer: what you eat. If your diet is loaded with mucus producing foods, the healthy mucus can’t do its job to rid contaminants from the lungs. The body needs to be in good standing to use mucus effectively. Too much mucus increases inflammation, which only prolongs and intensifies breathing troubles and other asthmatic symptoms.
Understanding your body's requirements and addressing the underlying cause of symptoms is crucial. While this process may require some time to resolve (approximately 18 to 38 months), it is possible to reverse the situation, potentially eliminating the reliance on inhalers. Asthma management entails more than just a rapid solution; it involves recognizing the significant improvement in quality of life that can result. This is especially vital for infants and children; addressing symptoms early on increases the likelihood of leading a healthy life without depending on inhalers as they transition into adulthood.