Asthma: When Your Lungs Are Overprotective

Image by VSRao from Pixabay⁴

What Is Asthma and What Causes It?

Asthma is the most prevalent chronic lung disorder with approximately 8% of Americans of all ages affected.¹ Characterized by repeated episodes of wheezing and breathlessness, asthma is caused by and contributes to a chronic inflammatory state that makes the lungs overreact to triggers such as allergens, cold air, and exercise. In response to these triggers, the body releases even more inflammatory chemicals which cause the bronchioles or tiny airways in the lungs to constrict and increases mucus production and thickness which leads to an exacerbation with more severe wheezing and trouble breathing.² Since the lungs are more reactive, things like paint fumes, chemicals from plastics production and use, open fires, and vehicle exhaust can all cause a worsening of symptoms, and potentially be part of what causes asthma to develop initially.³

It is unclear what exactly the relationship is between asthma and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), but they are often found together and trigger one another, so it is important to work on treating both at the same time, for example, changing habits that cause GERD, such as eating foods one is sensitive to or lying down after a meal, to prevent the stomach acid and GERD symptoms from irritating the lungs and causing an asthma exacerbation.⁵

Whatever the trigger, the result is an excess of inflammatory chemicals being released from various types of cells in they body’s immune (defense) system, and in asthma, it is the small tubes in the lungs that are being most affected by the inflammation. The lungs are trying to keep whatever the trigger is from getting further into the body, unfortunately, to do that means that air is also not being allowed to get in as it should.²

What Should I Eat to Help with My Asthma?

Because asthma is caused by chronic and acute inflammation, changing your diet to reduce inflammation is your best bet. People with asthma should generally avoid sulfites from dried fruits and food additives, like artificial sweeteners and colors, while eating more anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and fish. The simplest way to find specific foods that may be causing inflammation is through what is called an elimination diet, though the purpose is simply to recognize how certain foods affect you, not to eliminate long term if not necessary to do so. To test how your body responds to individual foods, the first step is to determine which foods to test. If there are multiple foods/food groups you want to test, plan ahead and avoid all of them for 2-4 weeks, then reintroduce them one group at a time with at least 3 days between introducing new foods. Again, pay attention to how you feel. If symptoms return or worsen, take it out again and put it at the end of the list to try again later. The ultimate goal is to which specific foods you may need to avoid long term. A common trigger for excess inflammation in asthma is dairy, so should be included in foods to test using the elimination diet method. If you have seasonal allergies, you may also want to look at what foods are cross reactive when them. For example, people who are allergic to ragweed, may also react to bananas, melons, cucumbers, and zucchini.⁶

Foods that are high in antioxidants like and vitamin C like citrus fruits can be especially beneficial, but you do need to be aware of possible interactions with medications. For example, Advair diskus is a common preventative medication for asthma that interacts with grapefruit.⁷ Caffeine is known to relax muscles and open airways so adults may find two to three cups of coffee a day to be helpful.⁸

What Supplements Can Help?

Because of their anti-inflammatory properties, omega 3 fatty acids are a long-term plan for helping lower inflammation in the body, thereby potentially reducing the severity of asthma in the long term. It can take several months for effects to be noticed. It also has the added benefit of being beneficial to health generally, so whether it improves the asthma symptoms or not, you will likely find benefit.

Magnesium is commonly used intravenously for severe asthma attacks. Oral magnesium supplements may be beneficial for improving asthma as it can decrease symptoms, but it does not improve pulmonary function. Magnesium gluconate or magnesium glycinate are best tolerated. Magnesium supplements can cause diarrhea.⁶ One way magnesium could be especially beneficial is if stress or anxiety are a trigger for your asthma, because magnesium can be calming to the body, relaxing the muscles, etc. and if your body is better able to handle the stress, this could in turn help with asthma management.⁹

Who Else Can Help Me?

Chiropractic is an option for helping with quality of life in people with asthma. The basis of chiropractic is reducing subluxations in the spine thereby taking pressure off of nerves and improving communication throughout the body. Chiropractic adjustments have the potential to help improve communication to the lungs and lessen asthma symptoms. Though chiropractic adjustments have not been consistently proven to improve lung function, they are able to help with the spinal and muscular effects that having asthma can cause. Improvement in rib cage mobility, muscle relaxation, etc. make it worth considering chiropractic care.¹⁰

By finding and eliminating triggers, you can help prevent asthma exacerbations and improve your quality of life in general. Lowering inflammation in general can help improve your breathing and allow you to feel better overall.

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References

1. Centers for Disease Control Asthma. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_national_asthma_data.htm accessed January 24, 2022.
2. Barnes PJ. Pathophysiology of asthma. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1996;42(1):3-10. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2125.1996.03721.x
3. Whyand T, Hurst JR, Beckles M, Caplin ME. Pollution and respiratory disease: can diet or supplements help? A review. Respir Res. 2018;19(1):79. Published 2018 May 2. doi:10.1186/s12931-018-0785-0
4. Image by <a href=”https://pixabay.com/users/vsrao-8105725/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4051083″>VSRao</a&gt; from <a href=”https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4051083″>Pixabay</a&gt;
5. Ates F, Vaezi MF. Insight Into the Relationship Between Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Asthma. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2014;10(11):729-736.
6. Rakel, D. Integrative Medicine 4^th ed. Elsevier; 2018.
7. Advair Diskus (Fluticasone, Salmeterol). Natural Medicines Database [database online]. Therapeutic Research Center, 2021. Accessed January 25, 2022. https://naturalmedicines-therapeuticresearch-com.scnmlib.idm.oclc.org/
8. Escott-Stump, S. Nutrition & Diagnosis-Related Care 8^th ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2015.
9. Boyle NB, Lawton CL, Dye L. The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety. The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety. Magnes Res. 2016;29(3):120-125. doi:10.1684/mrh.2016.0411
10. Kaminskyj A, Frazier M, Johnstone K, Gleberzon BJ. Chiropractic care for patients with asthma: A systematic review of the literature. J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2010;54(1):24-32.