Christiana Chiropractic, PC ...... (315) 409-0014

Download or Print This Article

Protect Your Child From Asthma: 10 Steps to Preventing Respiratory Disease

Sure, you worry about your child breaking an arm or coming down with an ear infection - but do you worry about your child developing asthma? If not, maybe you should. Today, 4.8 million children and adolescents in the United States suffer from asthma (Vital and Health Statistics 1995;10:193). A whopping 5.8 percent of children under the age of five have the disease, reflecting a 160 percent jump in cases since 1980. And, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, more than 10 million missed school days per year are asthma-related. Statistics like these can be frightening for parents and rightfully so - no parent should have to watch a child suffer through this often debilitating - and sometimes lifethreatening condition. Unfortunately, many parents fail to realize that they can take steps to prevent their children from developing asthma. As a prevention specialist, Dr. Christiana can help you take advantage of groundbreaking research focused on the prevention of childhood asthma. For instance, it appears that although there is a genetic component, environmental factors also playa significant role in the genesis of respiratory disease. According to one study, "With the evidence now available, it seems reasonable to assume that interventions which are based on our current knowledge of risk factors could achieve a 50% reduction in the prevalence of asthma in the next generation of children." (Eur Respir J 1996;9:1545-55.) So don't wait until your child develops breathing problems to learn about asthma now is the time to focus on prevention! Look to Dr. Christiana to start developing your asthma-prevention strategy. How exactly can chiropractic help Following are 10 key components to the asthma-prevention formula advocated by Dr. Christiana. 1. Schedule a Chiropractic Check-Up for Your Child The physical traumas of birth and learning to crawl and walk can wreak havoc on your child's spine. These events often produce areas in the spine where movement is restricted or bones are out of alignment: dysfunctional segments know as vertebral subluxations. Chiropractors, like Dr. Christiana, are experts at detecting and removing vertebral subluxatiollS. How are these back problems related to asthma? Although studies are conflicting, research indicates that chiropractic adjustments - gentle maneuvers that remove vertebral subluxations - may prevent breathing problems. One study emolled 81 children with asthma. After two months of chiropractic care, 90 percent of subjects reported a significant improvement in quality of life. The report concluded, "chiropractic care, for the correction of vertebral subluxation, is a safe nonpharmacologic health-care approach which may also be associated with significant decrease in asthma related impairment as well as a decreased incidence of asthmatic attacks." (J Vertebral Subluxations Research 1997;1:418.) 2. Stay Away From Smoke It's never too soon to focus on asthma prevention. If you're a momto-be, you can start before your baby is even born. While you're expecting, eat healthy foods and avoid tobacco smoke - smoking during pregnancy amplifies your child's odds of developing asthma. According to one Australian study, "almost 13% of asthma and asthma wheeze in 0- to 4- year-old Australian children in 1989 to 1990 was estimated to be due to maternal smoking." (Aust N Z J Public Health 1998;22:781-6.) Once your baby is born, take care to limit his or her exposure to smoke. Many experts believe that secondhand smoke can skyrocket a child's risk of asthma. 3. Start Smart Elective Cesarean section, or Csection delivery, is a growing trend among today's parents - and one that is often encouraged by the medical establishment. However, how you choose to deliver your baby may impact his or her risks of asthma. Late-breaking research presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology demonstrates that the stress of a Csection delivery raises the level of chemical markers of allergy in the blood of a newborn's umbilical cord. This research indicates that Csection delivery predisposes infants to allergies and atopic diseases, including asthma, say scientists. Breast-feeding can further cut your infant's risk of breathing problems (Allergy Clin lmmuno/ 1999;103:110). 4. Avoid Allergens Studies show that indoor allergens can precipitate the onset of childhood asthma (Toxieo/ Lett 1995;82-83:47-53). Specifically, limit your youngster's contact with smoke, dust, mites, cockroaches and cats. Experts believe that constant exposure to these allergens may "turn on" a genetic "switch" in some children, resulting in asthma. 5. Go Outside and Play Encouraging your child to engage in physical activity may ward off asthma, say researchers. "The consequence of sitting for three or more hours per day - in front of a television, video or computer - are decreased activity, increase obesity and increased exposure to indoor allergens," e plains asthma specialists Thomas A.B. Platts-Mills. "Prolonged sitting may also influence lung mechanics and predispose children to asthma." A great way to promote physical activity is by visiting local playgrounds and emolling your little one in gymnastics or other sports programs. One note of caution: If your youngster already has asthma, exercise and outdoor allergens can provoke an attack. So, if your child has breathing problems, make sure to check with a health-care professional before emolling him or her in a sports program. 6. Awesome Alliums Research in guinea pigs demonstrates that chemicals in foods known as alliums (such as garlic, onions, leeks and shallots) may block the inflammation response in astim:ta (Int Areh Allergy Immuno/1992;97:'1-7). 7. Antioxidant Intake Antioxidants like vitamins A,C and E, selenium, carotenes, grape seed extract and co-enzyme Q 10 may help keep lung tissue healthy and repair damage caused by asthma, although more research is needed. You can boost your cqild's intak of antioxidants by increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables. In addition, speak to your chiropractor about safe antioxidant supplements specifically formulated for children 8. Go Green! Caring for the environment will not only help Mother Earth - it will also help your child's lungs. Air pollutants have been tied to the recent jump in asthma rates. What can you do to fight air pollution? Get involved with community environmental action groups, carpool, recycle and choose environmentally fuendly products. 9. Go Fish! Oily fishes, including salmon, sea bass and mackerel, are loaded with a lipid called omega-3 fatty acid. A bounty of scientific evidence indicates that diets rich in omega-3 prevent cardiovascular disease. Now, recent studies suggest that omega-3 may also deter asthma. One experiment looked at 468 youngsters in Australia. Children who ate fresh, oily fish at least once per week were much less likely to develop asthma, compared with kids who did not eat oily fish (Med J Aust 1996;164:13740). 10. Say No to NSAIDs You may have heard that aspirin is dangerous for young people under the age of 18 because of the risk of Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal condition. And here's another reason to avoid giving your child aspirin: it may aggravate asthma. Scientists have determined that approximately 10 percent of adult asthmatics are aspirin sensitive, meaning that taking aspirin provokes sthma attacks (Allergy Proe 1992;13163-73). Researchers speculate that other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including Orutis@, Advil@, Motrin@ and Nuprin@, may also initiate asthma. So, rather than relying on drugs with potentially ,harmful side-effects, make an appointment for a chiropractic checkup today!

Our purpose is to educate and adjust families toward optimal health