Asthma and scuba diving

Should asthma sufferers take the dive?
In many countries scuba diving for asthma sufferers just isn't possible owing to it being prohibited, but in other countries it isn't. So what's the problem here? Basically what's going on is insurance. Insurance company policies differ from one country to the next, so scuba diving schools have to play it safe or risk not getting covered. The fact that very few asthma sufferers have died while scuba diving doesn't really play a part in the equation. As with all other insurance policies, the question is a hypothetical 'if' and not based on any real world facts. Last year, which saw some 5,000 scuba diving related accidents, only one was attributed to having suffered an asthma attack whilst underwater.
The powers that be (and don't forget that these powers tend to be doctors), justify their prohibiting asthma sufferers from practicing scuba diving because of the false idea that if they were to get an asthma attack under water they wouldn't know how to breathe. They state that "the limiting factor for asthmatics is adequate ventilatory capacity underwater." This does not take into consideration though, each individual's own personal needs and abilities. Asthma is a disease that effects different people in different ways. Some get asthma attacks from being close to dogs and other animals while others do not. Some people are very sensitive to cold, dry air and some others aren't. There are literally dozens of possible triggers that can set off an asthma attack, and no two asthma cases are exactly alike.
In scuba diving, the main triggers for the onset of an asthma attack are the cold air which divers have to breathe, and people who are particularly susceptible to strong emotions like fear, excitement and anger. These can be controlled, however, and without the use of drugs. Alternative methods for bringing asthma under control are becoming more and more important in asthma sufferer's lives. Yoga for example, and other breathing techniques can have an amazing effect on people with asthma. The author of this article is very pleased to say that her asthma
was completely cured in this manner, and would love to see more experts in the field getting involved.
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Asthma is not just a summer disease

Watch your asthma this winter
When summer is here an asthma child's parents are usually getting prepared for the worst. It is the time for high pollen counts that can cause havoc to an asthma sufferer. But the winter months can be just as bad, if not worse. Winter is the cold and flu season when everyone should be on their guard. If you or a family member has asthma, you need to take special precautions during these months to watch out for any symptoms developing that could increase the severity of an attack.
There are more than 200 different strains of cold and flu virus for you to choose from that are known as Rhinoviruses. It is estimated that 80% of all children who have to be attended in hospital for attacks are suffering the effects of one these. If we only had rhinoviruses to contend with there wouldn't be such a big problem during winter. But if you add the three types of flu virus, viral infections, and parainfluenza to the list it can make winter seem like a never ending ordeal.
The secret to an illness free winter is prevention. There are lots of things we can do to minimize the risk of catching a cold or flu and worsening our asthma. Keep a close eye on news reports in your area for epidemics and if possible try to steer clear of large crowds. If that means not taking your kids to a ball game, then so be it. The amazing thing about children who have asthma is that the majority of them are extremely responsible for their age and fully understand why they have to take special precautions. If you know of anyone in your circle of friends or relatives who are coming down with something ask them not to visit. Make it a habit of everyone in the household to regularly wash their hands with soap and hot water. Most viruses are spread this way. When we cough we have the habit of covering our mouths with our hands, but this only succeeds in moving the virus from one point to another. Coughing into a tissue then throwing it away is a much better option. Never forget to wash your hands before and after handling food, medication and going to the bathroom. If there is more than one asthma sufferer in your house don't allow them to share inhalers and make sure you clean them after use.
Children don't have the immunities that adults have so are prone to this kind of illness. But by being better informed about asthma
, and with common sense and good hygiene, the winter months can again become wonderful months.
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Can pollution cause my asthma?

How to live in a dirty world
We now know (and even governments are beginning to admit it) that pollution is growing daily and is a key factor in the explosion of the number of asthmatics around the world. There is practically no country that hasn't seen a rise in pollution levels and the amount of asthma sufferers in the last twenty years. Whether it is the black smoke coming out of car exhausts, large chemical plants or smoke from cigarettes, people are feeling its effects on their health in an increasingly alarming number.


Maybe what is the saddest and also the most frightening problem with asthma is that children are particularly at risk. As their lungs are still growing and as a result have to breathe faster than adults, they are more prone to smoke and other pollutants found in the air. Children are also more susceptible to developing asthma if they live in a smoke filled house or the area where they live has a high smog count.


People who already have asthma have seen it getting worse in recent years. More sufferers are finding themselves being treated in hospital when before they could cope by themselves.


So what can we do you reduce pollution? Well short of being elected president in your country and bringing in new laws to curb pollution emissions, not too much. The first solution is to make your house smoke and pollution free. If you smoke, quit. It may sound like an impossible task, especially if you have been at it for many years, but ask your doctor to give you some advice and you will be amazed at the treatments that are now available to make it easier. Don't let other people smoke in your house, either. If you really can't stop smoking then find a place such as the garden, balcony or window and only smoke there. By limiting the amount of places in the home containing cigarette smoke you will go a long way to controlling your children's asthma



. Another very important cause of asthma is smog from vehicle emissions. Use your car less, if you are going to the corner shop then walk! Buy a bicycle, ask work colleagues if they would like to start a car pool with you. It may seem like a grain of sand in an ocean but doing your bit will eventually produce results.


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The main culprits in an asthma attack

Who's to blame for the increasing amounts of asthma cases?
Asthma cases are still rising. Compared to studies made twenty years ago the difference is amazing and frightening. We as people tend to want to find someone or something to blame when things go wrong. But in the case of asthma, do we blame the governments for not doing enough to lessen its impact on society, or do we blame ourselves for not knowing enough?


Asthma is a genetic lung disease, which means that our fathers could have gotten it, as well as our grandfathers and great-grandfathers. The fact that most of them didn't makes us want to blame the government. They are the ones responsible for polluting the environment. But are they really the bad guys this time? It is true that pollution has grown by astronomical proportions over recent years, and the cases of asthma have grown at the same rate, especially in the great industrialized countries. At the same time, people exercise less, have a worse diet and smoke.


Passive smoking is now beginning to make the news. Studies have shown that smoking around children can significantly increase the chances of them suffering asthma, and can definitely bring on an asthma attack. Everybody who smokes knows it is a bad and unhealthy habit, so blaming the governments for this seems a little absurd.


At a time when there is more information available for more people than at any other in the history of civilization, we do seem to be ignorant of a lot of things. All the information we could ever desire is just a Google click away. It is true that the governments could teach the children about asthma,


and other related diseases, but isn't education supposed to begin in the home? Because we are busier than ever before we have less time to be with our children to educate them properly.


So maybe the answer to the question is to blame the government for not blaming us! In the past information was strictly controlled by 'the powers that be'. But that is not so much the case these days and people can not use this as an excuse. To protect the future of our children we have to learn. We have to find as much information as possible and pass it on to them so they won't make the same mistakes as we have made.


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Causes of Endometriosis

Endometriosis is largely a mystery. While it is true that scientists and doctors understand how the condition progresses, the symptoms it creates, and even how to treat it, the rationale behind its actual cause is not fully understood. In fact, it is true that there may be several potential causes of endometriosis. It is also possible that the cause of endometriosis may be a combination of several different factors or just one. Different people may develop endometriosis for different reasons. What can be ascertained from current information and research is that endometriosis is not even close to being fully understood.

When discussing the cause of endometriosis, it is important to realize that there may be many different causes. As scientists and researchers continue to unravel the double-helix of the human genome, it is becoming increasingly en vogue to attribute the cause of a myriad of conditions to genetic information. Heredity is a leading theory of the development of endometriosis. In fact, the chance of developing endometriosis increases for women when a close blood relative has also developed the disorder.

Another possible cause of endometriosis may be due to several environmental factors. It is understood that since environmental pollution is higher than it has ever been throughout human history that excess toxins may be responsible for a variety of health related conditions. It could be that mercury, lead, and other heavy metals in the air and water contribute to the onset of endometriosis.

Furthermore, there are a large number of potentially hazardous chemicals in the environment that may put the immune system in a weakened state. It is not surprising then, that another possible cause of endometriosis may be the failure of the immune system to adequately fight off hostile invaders. If you know anything about immunology you would understand that the immune system is constantly under attack. If endometriosis is caused by some kind of auto-immune reaction or a pathogenic organism, then the functionality of the immune system may hold the key to the condition. Therefore, it is important for women with endometriosis to keep their immune system functioning at top levels through maintaining a balanced diet and taking regular exercise.

It is also believed that an over production of estrogen may be the linked to endometriosis. Estrogen is a female hormone and since only females develop endometriosis, it may be the key to understanding this potentially severe and incurable condition. When hormones are out of balance the body is not properly regulated. This can lead to a host of problems. Hormone imbalances may be to blame for endometriosis as well as a variety of other conditions.

The causes of endometriosis may not be fully understood, however, the theories available seem to logically fit. It may be that all these factors work in conjunction with one another in some way or that one of these causes stands alone. Only time, solid research, and the evolution of medical understanding will provide the answers scientists so desperately seek.

To learn more about how to treat endometriosis please visit the following site:
Treating Your Endometriosis

Keeping an asthma diary

Keep your health in your hands
Asthma is a strange disease. Though it effects over 20 million people in the US alone, no two cases are exactly alike. Doctors now know that it is a genetic condition, meaning it is passed down from generation to generation (see it was your father's fault all along), but what varies greatly are the triggers which set off an attack. A trigger can be any external effect (such as cold air, animals, dust, etc) which our bodies react to. Each sufferer has different tolerance levels to different triggers, which would be great if we knew what our own particular triggers were. But we don't, and herein lies the problem.
Do you get an asthma attack when you are or have been near dogs? How about when exercising? In these cases the cause of the trigger is quite obvious. But what happens when you aren't so sure? By keeping a diary we can pinpoint the exact triggers our systems are susceptible to. In order for it to work properly though, it has to be detailed. Note down all the exercise you do and your body's reaction to it. On one particular day did the exercise have negative results? Why? What was the weather like? Describe the room where you exercised. If the room is where you habitually go to exercise, was there something different about it on that day? Make a list in your diary of all the food you eat. It's not much good just writing 'pizza', as that doesn't give us much detail. Try to write down as many ingredients as possible, as a lot of foods are known to be triggers.
This all may seem like too much hard work, but after only a few days of writing in your diary you will soon see a pattern emerging. Another very important use of your asthma diary is to note the results of what is called a Control Pause. Do this in the morning on arising. After you breathe out normally, measure the time before you need to take in another breath. Some people cannot manage even one second while others can quite naturally last for 40 seconds or more. You can increase your control Pause by doing breathing exercises. Many people have found that their asthma
attacks stop when they have a Control Pause of greater than 20. This gives them the confidence to lead a normal life.
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What is asthma?

Everything you always wanted to know about asthma but didn't
Asthma is the disease of the twenty-first century. If Typhoid and Cholera have had their day, then they only made room for a new epidemic. The fact that asthma doesn't make the news headlines all the time is simply because it is not as dramatic as the two former diseases. It still kills, but because hundreds at a time aren't falling down dead, the media doesn't really want to know about it. Believe me, asthma has the potential to be even worse than both Typhoid and Cholera put together.
We have all heard of asthma, but do we really understand what it is and how it effects our bodies? Well settle down, because I'm going to tell you all you need to know. Put basically, asthma makes the tube from our lungs to the outside world narrower. As this tube gets narrower, we find it harder and harder to breathe. There are three factors that effect the breathing tube. The muscles in our throat contract, the lining of the tubes becomes swollen, or mucus builds up and we feel like we are being strangled from the inside out. When this happens it is called an asthma attack, and that's when the real problems start. Panic attacks can often begin and the sufferer feels as if they are drowning. They may also get pains in their chest. Imagine not knowing you had asthma and thought it was a heart attack.
Now we know what it is, but we also need to know why this happens. Unfortunately no one knows for sure why we get asthma. It is generally assumed that it is genetic and not infectious. Studies are now starting to show that social changes like the environment, smoking and obesity are exacerbating factors. Asthma is a very individual disease, meaning that it effects different people in different ways. Some are especially susceptible to pollen, others to cigarette smoke or even wine and dogs. These are called triggers and there are many different kinds. Apart from the aforementioned pollens, smoke, wines and dogs, other triggers include cold air, dust mites, exercise and even laughing and talking. The trick to controlling asthma is finding out what you are particularly susceptible to. This could take a while but the benefits are obvious.
But there is good news for the asthma sufferer. With good care and armed with plenty of knowledge to keep this disease under control, there is no reason what so ever that the person effected can't have a normal, healthy life.
One theory that many have applied successfully is that asthma is a defence mechanism our bodies use to keep the right balance of different gases in our lungs. When they retrained their breathing to get this balance right all the time, they found their asthma treatment
went away!
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