Asthma Chinese Medicine

Asthma Chinese Medicine: understanding a deeper holistic meaning of the imbalance. Essentially, asthma is a respiratory condition affecting the airways of the lungs. Signs and symptoms include episodes of wheezing, breathlessness and chest tightness. It can be a serious, life-threatening disease. Living with this condition is challenging, especially for a young child.

Australian Statistics of Asthma

1 in 9 Australians have asthma approximately 2.7 million people.
It’s more common in males aged 0–14, but among those aged 15 and over, asthma is more common in females.
The rate of asthma among Indigenous Australians is almost twice as high as that of non-Indigenous Australians. This is even more marked in the older adult age group.
Asthma is more common in people living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Poor diet and knowledge can effect gut health and immunity.
Interestingly, the prevalence of asthma is significantly higher in people living in inner regional areas compared with people living in major cities or outer regional and remote areas. (Asthma Australia, 2019).

Chinese Medicine, Asthma & Lung Energy

Naturally, Asthma Chinese Medicine can be of useful support to both adults and children with asthmatic signs and symptoms. Dietary therapy, cupping and Chinese Herbal Medicine have been used for over two thousand years to support “lung energy”. The lung energy is the main TCM organ energy that governs breathing. When out of balance it can result in wheezing, shortness of breath and phlegm.

In applying Asthma Chinese Medicine, the treatment principle is tonify the lung energy, resolve phlegm, and strengthen the spleen (digestive) energy.

teddy-teddy-bear-association-ill-42230 — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

TCM Asthma Risks

Hereditary factors
Repeated respiratory infections
Too much phlegm-producing foods – e.g. cow’s milk, cheese, peanuts, sugar, bananas & fruit juice
Irregular feeding as a baby
Food additives – choose fresh food and read the labels
Too much television & computer games – creates internal heat and stress
Bad posture
Emotional trauma
Corticosteriod creams for treatment of eczema – notice how allergies, asthma and eczema often go hand in hand
Allergens
Lingering Pathogenic Factor – the child’s asthma is worse or appeared after being quite sick, then got better but not completely resolved.

Emotional Factors

Often fear follows panic. These two emotions aggravate the situation. It is important to support your child and reassure them that they are going to be okay. Speak to them calmly and lovingly.

Insufficient Spleen Energy

One of the main reasons children are vulnerable to immunity, gut & asthma issues. Because their digestion is weaker than an adults. A human’s digestion is weak at the beginning and end of life. Thus giving your child easier to digest and nourishing food will supplement their health. Much research now discusses the benefits of healthy food for the gut. Such as probiotic foods like kombucha, sauerkraut, miso, yoghurt and sourdough bread. In Sicily, mothers often gave their children a special recipe with one raw egg a day. Which is a Jing tonic and excellent for teeth and growing kids.

Lifestyle Changes for Asthma Chinese Medicine

Being mindful of what you eat makes a big difference in Chinese Medicine. To strengthen the spleen energy and lung energy weakness. Support your child with a sensible lifestyle with rest, good diet, regular meals, and early nights.

To reduce phlegm, you must reduce the foods that create it. Reduce dairy products, peanuts, oranges, bananas, ice-cold food and drinks. Eliminate these completely if the asthma is severe. Following a lung qi friendly diet is very supportive. These aspects encompass asthma Chinese Medicine.

To read more about the Lung energy, its functions and the emotional components involved. Much of this article was inspired by Scott & Barlow, Acupuncture in the Treatment of Children.

Metaphysical Aspects of Asthma

As taken from Louise Hay.

ASTHMA: Unresolved guilt. Smother love. Inability to breathe for one’s self. Feeling stifled. Suppressed crying.
Affirmation: It is safe now for me to take charge of my own life. I choose to be free.

ALLERGY & HAY-FEVER: You are allergic to someone who or yourself denies your power. Irritated to Life.
Affirmation: The world is safe and friendly. I am safe. I am at peace with life.

BABY ASTHMA: Fear of life. Not wanting to be here.
Affirmation: The child is safe and loved. The child is welcomed & cherished.

BREATH: Represents the ability to take in life.

BREATHING PROBLEMS: Fear or the refusal to take in life. Not feeling worthy to take up space.
Affirmation: It is my birthright to live fully and freely. I am worth loving. I now choose to live life fully.

COUGHS: A desire to bark at the world. “Listen to me!”
Affirmation: I am noticed and appreciated in the most positive ways. I am loved.

LUNG PROBLEMS: Depression, grief or fear of life. Not feeling worthy.
Affirmation: I have the capacity to take in the fullness of life. I lovingly live life to the full.

RESPIRATORY AILMENTS: Fear of taking in life fully.
Affirmation: I am safe. I love my life.

Chinese Herbal Medicine Studies On Asthma

One study found that Ping Chuan Yi Qi as the Chinese herbal medicine formula significantly improved lung function and symptoms of acute asthma. It also reduced SABA dosage possibly via decrease of inflammatory biomarkers such as IL-5, IL-8, IL-1β and PGD (Zhang et al, 2018). Wang et al (2017) obtained results that suggest that the herbal formula Ping Chuan Ke Li as an adjunctive therapy to oral montelukast can improve lung function and quality of life in patients with chronic asthma. Long-term randomised controlled trials with follow-up evaluation are still needed to confirm the present results.

Conclusion

The prevalence of clinical immunological diseases such as autoimmune diseases and allergic diseases is increasing in recent years. More and more efforts have been dedicated to develop novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of these immune-mediated diseases. Complimentary medicine such as herb medicine or acupuncture may be of use to asthma sufferers. Many of these herb medicinal components have been found to exert anti-inflammatory activity and modulation of immune response. Although more studies are needed to identify the novel compounds and the treatment, results are promising. Particularly, these herb medicinal drugs are noted with fewer side effects, which might also be useful for possible adjuvant therapy (Lin et al, 2015).

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