More
and more babies, children and adults are suffering from asthma.
More than 17 million Americans have asthma. The number of cases
increased by 75% between 1980-1999; it continues to increase.
According to the just-released report from the Pew Environmental
Health Commission at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health,
"America is in the middle of an asthma epidemic – an epidemic
that's getting worse, not better."
What is
asthma? The word asthma originates from an ancient Greek word
meaning panting. Essentially, asthma is an inability to exhale.
When you inhale, you breathe oxygen into your lungs through
progressively smaller airways called bronchioles. Your lungs
contain millions of bronchioles, all leading to alveoli: microscopic
sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. Once the
exchange is made, you breathe out carbon dioxide.
While inhaling
oxygen, you are also breathing in other airborne particles,
which I'll refer to as "irritants." In the body's natural survival
system, the lungs respond by constricting when exposed to any
irritants. If the body is working properly, the irritant is
either coughed or sneezed out or the bronchioles relax so that
the irritant can be released with carbon dioxide. People with
asthma are unable to relax the bronchioles; the breath gets
trapped and the panting begins. Because the bronchioles cannot
relax, they become inflamed. This signals the immune system
to deliver white blood cells and other immune factors to the
airways. These so-called inflammatory factors cause the airways
to swell, to fill with fluid, and to produce thick sticky mucus.
This not only makes the breathlessness and the inability to
exhale properly worse, it also creates a phlegm-producing cough
and wheezing. If the breath cannot get out, you suffocate and
die.
Twenty-five
years ago, when I was told I was going to die because of this
disease, I did research on the cause, treatment and cure of
asthma. I found that the cause was unknown. The triggers were
pollutants (air and household), animal dander, emotions, hormones,
and food allergies. The treatment was usually oral and inhaled
corticosteroids and there was no cure. Twenty-five years later,
I find that the cause is still unknown to orthodox physicians
and researchers. The triggers are still pollutants (air and
household), animal dander, emotions, hormones, food allergies
and everything from thunderstorms to cockroaches. Researchers
attribute the escalation of the disease to the increase of pollutants
in the air.
The treatment
is still oral and inhaled corticosteroids along with one or
more of the following: antileukotrienes, cromolyn sodium, nedocromil,
inhaled beta2-agonists, methylxanthines, and anticholinergics.
And there still is no cure. Interesting! I had asthma. I had
allergies to animals, dust pollen –
almost everything. I spent most of my younger years in bed or
visiting the doctor. I couldn't run and play with the "normal"
kids because my asthma was so bad my chest would constrict with
pain and I would wheeze and gasp for breath.
After 25
years of trying to cure me, the doctors gave up and admitted
that the drugs that were keeping me alive were also killing
me. Dissatisfied with the results of my own research, I studied
how the human body works. I found out the facts about health
and disease. I discovered that most disease is preventable and
that the cause of most disease is toxicity. The only diseases
that are not preventable are rare degenerative genetic conditions.
Common diseases and conditions such as cancer, diabetes, obesity,
arthritis, asthma, and the rest, are pervasive, preventable
and totally unnecessary. I also found that the mind and emotions
play a large part in the overall health of the body. I knew
the first thing I had to do was believe I could get better.
It took only two weeks on a water only fast for my body to clean
up most of the toxins. I can still remember the first deep breath
I took without pain. I cried. Now I eat mostly organic fruit
because fruit provides the organic nutrients supplied by nature,
without toxins. Also, learning to breathe properly is a must.
I used yoga and visualization. My friend Anita worked with the
Buteyko Breathing Method and has had incredible results. Taking
responsibility for my body was the most frightening thing I
have ever done, because it went against everything I was told.
Remember that the research told me there was no cure and the
doctors told me I was going to die. But I made changes, and
the rest is history. I'm alive today, I'm healthy – and
I have two dogs!
Do you have
asthma? You can choose to be part of the epidemic or be free
of this crippling and scary condition by taking responsibility
for your body, cleaning out the toxins, being positive and trusting
yourself.
Visit
Roe Gallo's web site at www.roegallo.com
Don's
Comments:
Getting all dairy and grain products out of the diet, and being
properly hydrated (with water only) are two key factors in the
elimination of asthma.
Back
to Articles Page