My son (6 years old) has pretty severe asthma. He's been to the emergency room a few times and we now have a nebulizer and inhaler at home. His asthma seems to be triggered primarily by colds. Pretty much 100% of the time that he gets a cold the dreaded "cough" starts soon thereafter. He is like 10 for 10 with colds and asthma.
We're really frustrated (and nervous) for his severe asthma attacks. He is too young and we are desperately looking for an alternate natural cure.  Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Hi, Sorry to hear it. You must try Buteyko method to cure asthma. The Buteyko method is proven, safe and very effective. There is no other complimentary therapy that gets the results that this gets. For example, after ten and twenty years of coughing and wheezing, symptoms should be reduced by 50% in two weeks. Patrick McKeown is a renowned practitioner. He is one of a few people in the world to be accredited by the Late Professor Buteyko and his clinics are the highly effective www.asthmacare.ie The book Close Your Mouth and ABC to be asthma free are self help books to teach yourself the Buteykjo clinic method. They are available from www.amazon.com for USA and amazon.co.uk for UK and other countries. Hope this helps.

Very few of the general public and doctors know this fact. Up to 70% of all people who have asthma and allergies could be free of these problems if they just gave up using dairy products!  Most people will not believe this.  It is not what the "experts" tell you.  Try it!

Les

Cold can be a nuisance in itself, but when clubbed with asthma, it can cause major health concerns. In fact, the common cold is a well-recognized cause of asthma attacks. 

A slight respiratory infection in asthmatic children can lead to symptoms such as wheezing and chest tightness. And when that happens, even the asthma medications bring no relief and the condition persists for days and weeks at large. I understand you are already taking reasonable precautions to avoid colds and flu. It would do good to immediately call your doctor, as soon as you realize that your child is coming down with a respiratory infection.

Despite your best intentions to stay healthy, an occasional cold or case of the flu is inevitable — especially in children.  Take anti-viral medication as soon as possible after symptoms of influenza appear. Drink plenty of fluids and relieve flu symptoms with some remedies prescribed by a health practitioner. Quick action can help prevent a severe asthma attack, so if you see it coming, immediately adjust your child's medication quota. Use a peak flow meter to monitor how well your child s lungs are working from day to day.

Make sure your child gets regular exercise and his yearly flu shot and a pneumonia shot if necessary. Keep your child away from the sick room, make sure he keeps his hands clean and forbid him from touching his eyes, ears or nose repeatedly, as these are the gateways for germs to enter the body.

 

But, why and how do colds and flu trigger asthma?

When an individual suffers from asthma, the air passages in his lungs tend to overreact to allergens, irritants and infections — including viruses. As with any asthma trigger, infections cause the airways to secrete substances that cause inflammation and excess mucus. Compounding the problem, viruses can multiply more easily in lungs affected by asthma than in healthy lungs.