Many people, even asthma sufferers, aren’t aware that not all asthma is the same. There are different variations that can have wildly different triggers and treatments. What do you need to know?
Asthma is a very common respiratory condition caused when the lining of the airways become inflamed due to extra mucus that cause the airway to swell up making it hard to breath. Severe Asthma attacks can be life threatening. There is no cure for Asthma.
There are various types of Asthma and if you the most common types are:
- Allergic
- COPD
- Exercise induced
- Occupational
- non-allergic Asthma
It can interfere with the daily activities of people affected by it but it is manageable with the use of rescue or control inhalers. The pharmaceutical drugs used are basically steroids.
For those suffering from Asthma it is important to learn how to manage the triggers and avoid them, have an action plan and know what to do in a severe Asthma attack to restore breathing.
Common triggers can be from :
- exercise
- animal dander
- dust
- air pollution
- fumes
- perfumes
- pollen
- vegetation
- cigarette smoke
- flowers weeds
- blooming grasses
- mold
- insects
- infections
- viruses
- colds
- flu
- pneumonia
- other common seasonal lung diseases
A common type of Asthma is allergic Asthma which is caused by an allergic reaction. This type of asthma is especially hard during spring when then is a lot of pollen in the air or by food allergies to milk, fish, peanuts, eggs, wheat and other foods.
How can mushrooms help?
Our bodies are constantly under attack by viruses, bacteria, parasites and sick cells (rogue cancer cells) that cause many infectious diseases. The white blood cells are part of the defense system our bodies have and they are carried by the blood to communicate and launch immune responses. The immune responses must be aggressive but also controlled and activated by the body only when necessary. If not, then it can develop into auto-immune conditions like Hashimoto Thyroiditis, Lupus etc.
The science is actually fascinating.
A recently published study in Nutrients (Agaricus blazei-Based Mushroom Extract Supplementation to Birch Allergic Blood Donors: A Randomized Clinical Trial.) Shows the results of a clinical trial done in Norway using the ABM mushroom which tested positive for IgE or symptoms of allergy. This study was done before and after pollen season with 60 donors using the ABM mushroom extract orally for 7 weeks. Afterwards the participants filled out a questionnaire regarding their allergic responses like congestion, asthma and medication usage. They also tested the participants their serum IgE levels in the blood. The participants in this clinical trial that used ABM had reduced allergy and asthma symptoms as well reduced usage of medications compared to the placebo group. Also the serum levels of IgE were also reduced in the ABM mushroom group compared to the placebo group.
The study concluded that using the ABM mushroom before the allergy season begins or during the allergy season helps to body to become less sensitive to pollen and other allergens. This is good news for Allergy and Asthma sufferers by allowing the body to control allergic reactions and be less dependent on medications.
The research is promising and encouraging to allergy and asthma sufferers, whether that is you or someone you care about.
If you’d like to talk about how incorporating ABM mushroom extract into your wellness plan could help you breath better, you’re welcome to schedule a free conversation with me any time. View My Calendar
-Kristina Okuda