What is asthma?

One in 10 children and one in three adults suffer from chronic asthma.

An acute asthma attack is caused by inflammation in the airways of the lungs, causing contraction and narrowing of the airways (bronchioles), restricting airflow and making breathing very difficult.

Chronic asthma is a lung condition characterized by frequent asthma attacks and requiring medical management to prevent and minimize acute attacks.

This can take the form of conventional Western medicine, homeopathic or naturopathic treatment. While many asthma attacks are relatively mild and can be treated and controlled at home, some are more severe and …

By D.S. Braun – Certified Aromatherapist, Certified Reflexologist

Introduction

In the holistic health care field many healing modalities have become the subject of interest and study for healthcare providers, holistic practitioners and the general populace alike. Many are finding that the combination of two or more therapies brings quicker, more complete relief from physical, emotional, spiritual and mental maladies than does one modality alone. For the purposes of this discussion, I am going to focus on the practice of using Aromatherapy to complement and enhance the benefits of Reflexology.

Many people are aware of the positive aspects of …

Thimerosal is a chemical preservative that contains ethylmercury and thiosalicylate. It is a light colored crystalline powder that is found in personal care products, make up and childhood vaccines. It is also found in ophthalmic and otolaryngolic medications, antitoxins, topical and intramuscular steroid preparations as well as intradermal tests.

The use of thimerosal in children and adults with autism can produce unwanted side effects and patients and their families should communicate their desire for alternative means of immunization. Physicians also usually recommend that siblings of those with autism take the same precautions. …

Asthma is a disease of the lungs where the airways become blocked or narrowed causing difficulties in breathing. These effects are usually temporary, but they cause shortness of breath, breathing trouble, and other symptoms. Asthma is a chronic disease affecting nearly 20 million Americans. Worldwide, asthma prevalence ranges from 1.9 percent to 36.7 percent in various countries, according to the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Children.

Asthma is commonly divided into two types: allergic or extrinsic asthma and non-allergic or intrinsic asthma. Although asthma can cause severe health problems, treatment can control it and …

Food allergies are becoming more and more common across America. Whether that’s because children are being exposed earlier to allergens or because the gene pool is getting weaker and weaker with each passing generation the reasons aren’t clear. What is clear is that each year millions of Americans have allergic reactions to food.

Most food allergy reactions are mild. Symptoms are easily managed at home and families may not even report them to their doctor, especially if they don’t recognize that their symptoms are a result of a food allergy. But, some …

Acute and chronic pain effects over 100 million people in the United States each year. While pain is best known and characterized as subjective, meaning only the person who is experiencing it can explain what it feels like, pain is often called the Universal equalizer.

Pain affects people differently. What may be perceived as only a minor nuisance to one person, may be completely debilitating to someone else. Pain is a warning that something isn’t quite right. Pain is not a disease in itself but the result of an underlying condition or due to injury. …

Long eyelashes have long been a symbol of beauty and are also considered a sign of femininity in many ancient and modern cultures.

Because of this, many women are interested in how to grow longer eyelashes or enhance the length of their eyelashes artificially, using mascara, false eyelashes and eyelash extensions. On the other hand, Hadza  women are known to trim their own eyelashes.

An eyelash is one of the hairs that grow at the edge of your eyelid. Eyelashes are designed to protect the eye from dust and debris and perform many …

Main complaint: A 25 years old male complains of eczema, which comes and goes particularly during stressful periods. The skin itches and patient has experienced eczema for 10 years.

History of present illness: Patient experiences itching in the elbow crease and behind the knees. The eczema is often symmetrical and occurs in both areas during stressful times in his life. They are itchy, without differentiation, the itching seems uncontrolled and can often affects the patient’s sleep, because of this, he feels very tired. He tends to feel hot and is irritable.

The eczema tends not to ooze, …

Many individuals suffer from migraines without really understanding the inner workings of one. It is usually true that when you thoroughly understand something you are better able to deal with it. Seeing how dealing with a migraine can be difficult at best, knowing in advance what you might expect can be comforting.

There are many signs and symptoms of an approaching migraine. The signs and symptoms will be different one patient to the next and one attack may not be like another even with the same individual. The migraine is experienced in separate stages starting with …

The skin is the largest organ on our body. For an adult, the skin covering the body can reach over 20 square feet of skin. It is also the most exposed organ in the body which makes it more prone to germs and bacteria which cause skin diseases and skin disorders.

Acne is a common skin disorder which causes pimples. Pimples develop when hair follicles under the skin clog up. Many pimples form on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. It can affect anyone ranging in age from 10 to …