A link between what kids eat and asthma? Food as medicine or for prevention......not so crazy of an idea!
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
Showing posts with label asthma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asthma. Show all posts
Puffers/Steroids don't work for wheezing children
The details are little bit vague, but I recall going to a doctor when I was younger and being prescribed puffers for wheezing symptoms. The doctor said it was for prevention. And that's the advice many children are given when it come to wheezing. My parents are big believers in Traditional Chinese Medicine and didn't believe in steroid use (ie. puffers) for prevention so I went off it. I've never experienced any wheezing or asthmatic symptoms since that one summer. Lucky for me I guess and lucky that I didn't continue taking the steroids.
Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine is now advocating that most steroid use for children prone to wheezes and colds is largely ineffective. This article reported on two studies conducted. One involved British preschoolers who were admitted to hospitals for wheezing attacks. Those treated with the steroids had the same recovery period as those given fake pills. The second study was on Canadian kids taking steroids for prevention. The results showed that preventive steroid use had modest improvement with the wheezing, but the side effect of possible stunted growth outweighed the benefits.
Even I was surprised by this research because steroids are quite effective at opening the airways, especially during asthma attacks. For those of you with asthma, it's still important to carry your puffer, but if your child experiences transient wheezing episodes (like I did), you should consult your doctor about this latest piece of research.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine is now advocating that most steroid use for children prone to wheezes and colds is largely ineffective. This article reported on two studies conducted. One involved British preschoolers who were admitted to hospitals for wheezing attacks. Those treated with the steroids had the same recovery period as those given fake pills. The second study was on Canadian kids taking steroids for prevention. The results showed that preventive steroid use had modest improvement with the wheezing, but the side effect of possible stunted growth outweighed the benefits.
Even I was surprised by this research because steroids are quite effective at opening the airways, especially during asthma attacks. For those of you with asthma, it's still important to carry your puffer, but if your child experiences transient wheezing episodes (like I did), you should consult your doctor about this latest piece of research.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
C-Section deliveries increase risk of allergies & asthma
In the past few years, the number of caesarean section deliveries have been increasing. It has become fashionable to do so with the media reporting a number of celebrities asking for this procedure. Unfortunately a recent study conducted by a team of scientists from the University of California at San Francisco presented their negative findings to the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto recently. They stated that babies born by C-Section have weaker immune systems than those born vaginally, which may explain the increased risk of developing allergies and asthma.
A few month ago, I attended a two day lecture on the benefits of probiotic therapy in children and it relates to the recent news announced by these California researchers. Probiotics are the good bacteria that populate our gastrointestinal tract. Please see my previous post on the benefits of probiotics: http://naturopathicessentials.blogspot.com/search?q=probiotics
Babies born vaginally are exposed to the flora/bacteria from the mother's vaginal tract which is usually good. C-section babies are first exposed to bacteria from the environment by a baby or mother touching objects and putting their finger into the infant's mouth. This set of bacteria are different from the ones that the infant would have received from a vaginal birth.
A large scale clinical trial is being conducted into the UK into whether probiotic therapy with newborns will help to decrease the risks of developing atopic conditions like eczema, allergies & asthma. This research looks promising!
So given a choice between a C-Section or a vaginal birth, I recommend the latter.
A few month ago, I attended a two day lecture on the benefits of probiotic therapy in children and it relates to the recent news announced by these California researchers. Probiotics are the good bacteria that populate our gastrointestinal tract. Please see my previous post on the benefits of probiotics: http://naturopathicessentials.blogspot.com/search?q=probiotics
Babies born vaginally are exposed to the flora/bacteria from the mother's vaginal tract which is usually good. C-section babies are first exposed to bacteria from the environment by a baby or mother touching objects and putting their finger into the infant's mouth. This set of bacteria are different from the ones that the infant would have received from a vaginal birth.
A large scale clinical trial is being conducted into the UK into whether probiotic therapy with newborns will help to decrease the risks of developing atopic conditions like eczema, allergies & asthma. This research looks promising!
So given a choice between a C-Section or a vaginal birth, I recommend the latter.
A better alternative than Aspirin to prevent asthma.
The latest study from the U.S shows that regular aspirin use may reduce the risk of asthma. The postulated benefit comes from the anti-inflammatory effects of aspirin. Inflammation is a part of almost every disease process so it explains why aspirin benefits many conditions.
But why take aspirin when you can you can eat more curry or drink ginger tea or take fish oil supplements? There are many ways to decrease inflammation in the body, why not incorporate more positive lifestyle changes into your day. Not only will you be targeting the asthma if that's your concern, but you'll be making greater contributions to your health as well. For example, eating more fish will give you the needed omega 3 fats that your body needs, in addition to decreasing inflammation & pain, helping stabilize mood & stress and decreasing your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Or take tumeric, the main ingredient in curry - it also decreases pain & inflammation, reduces your risk of developing alzheimers, it's anti-microbial, it's an anti-oxidant and it's anti-cancer.
But why take aspirin when you can you can eat more curry or drink ginger tea or take fish oil supplements? There are many ways to decrease inflammation in the body, why not incorporate more positive lifestyle changes into your day. Not only will you be targeting the asthma if that's your concern, but you'll be making greater contributions to your health as well. For example, eating more fish will give you the needed omega 3 fats that your body needs, in addition to decreasing inflammation & pain, helping stabilize mood & stress and decreasing your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Or take tumeric, the main ingredient in curry - it also decreases pain & inflammation, reduces your risk of developing alzheimers, it's anti-microbial, it's an anti-oxidant and it's anti-cancer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)