Asthma is a chronic lung condition with narrowed airways and inflammation. It can occur at any age, though mostly children are affected. If a child is diagnosed with asthma, it is important to treat it even if the child may feel good at most of the time. This is because even a mild asthma may result in changes to the airways that speed up and worsen the natural decrease in lung function that occurs as a person ages. An early treatment is also important in babies and small children because they may have more serious problems than adults due to their smaller bronchial tubes.

One review has noted that one-third of fatal asthma attacks occurred in children with mild asthma. Hence, even if a child’s asthma does not appear severe, a right plan has to be developed by working with the physician. Some experts suggest using the rule of two which states that young children should be treated with long-term medications for persistent asthma if they have symptoms more than 2 times a week or use more than 2 canisters of a quick-relief medication per year. Since asthma develops from a complex interaction of genetics, environmental factors, and the reaction of the immune system, no one plan will be effective for all children.

Medications like oral or injected corticosteroids may be used to get the child’s asthma under control before starting with daily medication. They can be taken to treat any sudden and severe symptoms such as shortness of breath. Inhaled corticosteroids like beclomethansone dipropionate, triamcinolone acetonide, fluticasone propionate, budesonide and flunisolide are the preferred medications for long term treatment of asthma as they reduce the inflammation of the airways in the child. They have to be taken daily to keep the asthma under control and to prevent asthma attacks.

Short acting beta 2 agonists like albuterol and pirbuterol are medications that are used to relax the airways and allow the child to breathe easily, during asthma attacks. Apart from these medications, educating the child about asthma is more important. The more a child knows about asthma, the more likely it is to control symptoms and reduce the risk of asthma attack. Instructing the child on how to use a metered-dose inhaler or dry powder inhaler correctly can help him or her control the symptoms and avoid asthma attacks that can result in emergency care. An asthma action plan that contains directions to help the family and the child control asthma attacks at home has to be made. This helps to identify triggers that can be changed or avoided, be aware of the symptoms and know how to make quick deicisions about medication and treatment.

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Babies’ intestinal tracts are not fully developed when they are born, and rely on the unique composition of breast milk to protect their intestinal tracts from infection until they are capable of doing it for themselves. It takes approximately one year for babies to develop their own IgA antibodies, which provide protection from microbes capable of multiplying in he body secretions. Cow’s milk should not be introduced to a baby before one year of age to give the baby’s immune system enough time to build up and defend itself against the foreign particles. For optimal health, it should not be consumed at all. Anything you have to build up immunity to in order to eat warrants steering clear.

The first food that newborns receive from their mothers is called colostrum. It is absolutely imperative to a baby’s immune system and overall health that she is breastfeed for at least the first 5 days after birth to receive this immune-enhancing colostrum. It is high in immunoglobulin IgA (which babies are incapable of developing at this point), and acts to coat and protect the gastrointestinal tract. It also acts as a laxative to help the newborn pass meconium, which makes up the baby’s first bowel movement. Meconium is sticky like tar, is sterile, and has no smell.

There are many other factors that make breast milk the optimal food for infants. It provides the baby with the right amount of nutrients in the right form for the best possible absorption. It is always the perfect temperature, convenient, economical, and it provides the baby with immune-enhancing nutrients that are crucial to optimal health. It is recommended that women breastfeed for the first year of the infant’s life to keep up receiving the numerous benefits to the baby’s health. We personally recommend that breastfeeding occur well into the second year for optimal health, although it does not need to be exclusively.

Cow’s milk is heavily processed, so when ingested into the human body, an immune response occurs to fight the alien particles. Cow’s milk is pasteurized, homogenized, fortified, and sometimes even de-fatted before it hits the shelves in your local supermarket.

Pasteurization occurs when milk is heated to kill any harmful microorganisms that may be proliferating. This process also kills any beneficial bacteria (remember how important IgA is to a baby’s intestinal health) and any other important nutritional elements.

Homogenization is the process of blending milk to prevent the natural separation (between a high-fat upper layer and a larger low-fat lower layer) that occurs when fresh milk is left to stand. During this process, fat gobules are broken down into smaller pieces, and an enzyme called xanthine oxidase is forced from outside the larger fat cells to the inside of these unnatural, smaller fat cells. This prevents digestive enzymes from reaching the XO, allowing some to pass from the gut into the circulatory system where it attacks plasmalogen (which protects arteries from hardening). This is where the immune response comes in. When undigested particles are absorbed by the body, bad things happen in the blood stream and subsequently the entire body. Milk antibodies were found to be significantly elevated in the blood of male patients with heart disease.1

When foods are fortified, nutrients, and usually laboratory-created nutrients at that are added to increase the food’s nutritional composition. Claims about fortification may be good for marketing and sales purposes, but their healthiness is in question. If a label proclaims “added calcium,” the same product may also have some form of added sugar, and added sugar spells trouble. A study by Melvin Page is one of many that shows sugar’s ability to raise the blood levels of calcium through the resorption of calcium from bones.2 So a product that you buy to increase your calcium intake may actually be creating the opposite scenario inside your body.

If you are drinking milk to get your calcium, you may want to search for a better source. Dairy is the number one allergen, and a person who drinks gallons of milk can be calcium deficient. If you react allergically to a food, it is difficult to absorb its nutrients. When an allergenic food is eaten numerous times a day, withdrawal symptoms are likely not to be noticed until the following morning. Pasteurization harms Calcium and destroys enzymes. Skim milk is even worse because it is missing the fat which is necessary for the absorption of Calcium. Milk is also very low in magnesium which is necessary to keep calcium in solution.

When you eat a certain food frequently, such as milk on cereal, drink milk 3 times a day, and eat ice cream or cheese, you are calling on specific enzymes to digest that food. In the case of milk that enzyme is lactase. The same is true of wheat: toast, cereal, sandwiches, etc. The foods you eat most often are often the ones to which you react. Researchers agree that we have a finite enzyme making capability, shown in many rat studies in which those fed half the calories will live twice as long. Human babies lose their lactase forming ability by the age of 2 years, leaving them with a condition called lactose intolerance. The most prevalent symptoms that occur when a baby is reacting to milk are inner ear infections and colic. If you are breastfeeding and drink milk yourself, your baby will also react. It is imperative that both mother and baby eliminate cow’s milk from their diet for optimal health.

Mother Nature knows best. Milk is created by mothers and is a perfectly balanced first food. It is imperative for digestive health. But that’s where our relationship with milk must end, and if you want to improve immune functioning, you must start decreasing the amount of dairy you consume, with an end goal of zero! Do yourself a favour and go one week without dairy, especially if you have any respiratory/sinus problems. Go 4 weeks and you’ll breathe better than you have in a long time. Don’t take my word for it. Do it now!

Amy Coates is a registered holistic nutritionist who believes in the powerful healing benefits of natural, whole foods. There is not one disease that cannot be improved through a change in diet and lifestyle. She is also a contributor to the groundbreaking Eating for Energy ebook that has been helping people worldwide dramatically improve their diet and eating habits. Get your copy today at http://www.eatingforenergy.ca

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Allergies are reactions by immune system that are abnormal in nature to stuff that are usually harmless to majority of the people. When somebody is allergic to something the immune system of that person gets confused and thinks that the substance is detrimental to the body. The substances causing allergic reactions are known as allergens. The examples of allergens are dust, food, plant pollen, medicine etc. The body produces antibodies to protect itself from these allergens. The antibodies make certain cells present in the system to let chemicals to mix with the bloodstream and one of them is histamine. This chemical then acts on nose, eyes, skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and results in allergic reaction symptoms. Exposure to the same chemicals in future triggers same response to the antibodies again meaning every time one comes in contact with the same allergen, allergic reaction is produced in the body.

Allergic reactions can range from mild symptoms like runny nose to more severe ones such as difficulty in breathing. Teenagers suffering from asthma often have allergic reaction to cold and get asthma attack is another example of allergies. Some kinds of allergies trigger multiple symptoms. Allergic reactions in very rare cases also produce severe reaction known as “anaphylaxis” for which the signs are difficulty in breathing, difficulty in swallowing, swelling in tongue, lips and throat and dizziness. This allergic reaction occurs as soon as the system is exposed to substances that trigger allergic reactions like peanut although some reactions are delayed by as much as four hours.

The reasons why people get allergies can be various and one of the reasons could be hereditary but that that does not necessarily mean that children are bound to get allergies from their parents. Some of the common allergens include food, airborne particles, insect bite and sting, medicines, chemicals etc. Food allergies typically occur in infants and usually vanish as the child grows. The list of food allergens includes milk & dairy products, wheat, soy, eggs, peanuts, and seafood. Some people are allergic to stings and bites of certain insects. The venom in the bite is the one which actually causes reaction and can be as serious as anaphylactic in some teens. Some teens are also allergic to airborne particles which are also known as environmental allergens. They are also the commonest of all the allergens. Examples of these allergens include dust mites, animal dander, mold spores, grass pollens, trees and ragweed. Some adolescents are also allergic to certain antibiotic medicines. Another common allergen is chemical, certain chemicals present in laundry detergents or cosmetics can cause rashes that are itchy in nature.

Allergists usually treat allergic problems. They may ask questions like symptoms of the allergy and whether it is hereditary. They may also prescribe certain diagnostic tests like blood or skin test depending on the type of allergy. The best way to treat allergies is to completely avoid the substances that cause allergies. However there are certain medications and injections are also available to treat allergies.

One can follow certain things to avoid allergies like people who have food allergies that contain should peanuts and any food containing smallest amount of peanuts. Also avoid using cosmetic that contain chemicals allergic to the skin. One can also avoid airborne allergies by keeping pets in restricted areas and away from bedroom. Replace carpets and rugs from time to time. Avoid keeping things that accumulate dust. And also clean the room and house frequently.

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