Hypnosis Can Be A Potent Tool For Overcoming Asthmatic Attacks

Allergic reactions are one of the most prevalent medical problems affecting Americans at present. An allergy is an immune system response to a stimulus from the environment. The body incorrectly looks upon the stimulus as harmful, and attempts to attack it, causing the symptoms of an allergic reaction. The widespread symptoms are an itching or runny nose, irritated eyes, coughing and wheezing.

One very widespread type of allergy is asthma. It is a chronic allergy that directly affects the lungs and air passageways in the body. The air passageways are easily irritated by allergens and a thick lining of mucus builds up. Allergens and other stimuli can trigger an asthma attack, including temperature variations, humidity changes, smoke and pollen. Typically, an asthma attack has several respiratory symptoms, including coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Another symptom of asthma is shortness of breath.

Symptoms of asthma are caused by the air passages reacting to the allergen or trigger. When exposed to a trigger, the air passages become irritated and contract, resulting in the respiratory symptoms. These symptoms may range from mild to life threatening, depending on the severity of the allergy. Any asthma symptom can be terrible, and should be taken seriously.

Asthma is commonly diagnosed in childhood, because symptoms tend to manifest by the age of five. Currently, it affects around 10% - 12% of all children, and has been steadily increasing. There is no explicit known reason for the rise, but risk factors include exposure to cigarette smoke, other allergies and a history of other respiratory infections. Also, the odds of being diagnosed are amplified in males and African Americans.

Presently there are several different types of asthma drugs and treatments that may efficiently reduce symptoms. Two major types of asthma medication are fast-acting medicine to treat symptoms during an attack, and controlling medicine, which is taken regularly to reduce the risk of having an attack. Short-acting Beta-2 Antagonists (SABAs) are bronchodilators, which is a type of fast acting medication that assists in opening air passages and relieving the symptoms of an attack, and are usually administered through asthma inhalers. This type of medicine does not treat the inflammation that causes an attack, but is advantageous when taken during an attack, and will last for three to six hours after it is administered.

Controlling asthma drugs are taken on a regular basis and treats the underlying causes of the asthma attacks. The most common types of this medicine are inhalers containing a steroid that reduces inflammation in the air passageways and lungs and Long-Acting Beta-2 Antagonists (LABAs). The results of long-acting asthma inhalers usually last for twelve hours, and may help reduce the number of attacks that happen while the asthmatic is asleep. A lot of drugs have very serious side effects for some people.

Various types of asthma treatment alternative therapies are presently getting more popular. Some alternative approaches concentrate only on preventative care, such as not smoking during pregnancy or around babies, incorporating a selenium-rich diet or eliminating sources of allergy causing substances in the home. Other treatment methods include reducing weight, increasing Omega-3 consumption, decreasing Omega-6 consumption, acupuncture, relaxation techniques and hypnotherapy. It is crucial to note that any type of alternative therapy is intended to be used in conjunction with medical advice, because fast-acting medications are frequently required for a severe asthma attack.

One treatment that is getting more popular is self-hypnosis or hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy for asthma has the aim of causing relaxation, which can help to prevent or reduce your symptoms when having an attack. Other alternative types of asthma treatment also employ relaxation as a tool to combat symptoms, such as with meditation programs.

Using hypnosis, the individual can treat the emotional elements of an attack, which have the power to make it much more intense. It is human nature to become scared or feel vulnerable when we sense our air supply being cut off. This instinctual reaction really may intensify the severity of an attack. Such feelings of fear and anxiety about having an attack can actually bring on an attack. These emotional causes and reactions are handled with the asthma treatment method of hypnosis.

Hypnosis has been established to be a highly useful asthma treatment. Either with a trained hypnotist, or using one of the many recorded programs on hand, one can easily slip into a relaxing state, and begin to take charge over breathing and bodily functions. One of the best techniques is to learn how to utilize hypnosis to actually abort an impending attack. The self-hypnosis method of asthma treatment is enormously successful, and may work well for those who cannot take or do not want to take prescription drugs on a regular basis. The choice of asthma treatment depends both on the severity of your symptoms and what type of treatment that works well for your symptoms.