Thursday, November 17, 2011

Asthma in Scott County, Virginia: Don't Be A DOLT

This series of articles first appeared at Associated Content and was inspired by a report in the Virginia Star newspaper. In early March, 2010, researchers studied the incidence of serious health problems in Virginia, identifying which counties reported the highest incidence of these problems and which problems were most common in each county.

The bad news is that Scott County was rated number 83 out of 132 counties and cities. The good news is that at least our five biggest health problems are largely preventable. We don't need more clinics or medication; we need to make better personal health choices.

As I read the list printed in the Virginia Star, a mnemonic slogan leaped off the page at me. Our five most common health problems are Asthma, Drugs, Obesity, Lung cancer, and Tooth loss. Each of us can avoid four of the five by choosing not to be "A DOLT."

Asthma is an allergy symptom with an emotional component, so preventing it may be more complicated for some people than for others. Key to finding the root causes of asthma is knowing that trigger factors may vary, and may be unrelated to the root cause. A child who has chronic sinus or bronchial problems may have a dramatic asthma attack when exposed to house dust, hay, pollen, or animal fur. The child may need to avoid these triggers for a while, but the real cause of the asthma is probably the cause of the chronic problems--something to which the child is exposed every day, like household mold, household chemicals, and/or a severe food allergy or permanent food intolerance.

We used to think that tobacco, specifically Daddy's cigarettes, were what caused children to have asthma. Current research offers good news to tobacco addicts...sort of. Pure tobacco is not a primary allergen, although, like most things in the air, it can be a respiratory allergy trigger. However, the blue mold that forms on tobacco leaves in damp weather is a very common allergy trigger, and the chemicals farmers use to deter it can be toxic or carcinogenic. (Nicotine is also toxic, but bleached white paper is the real carcinogen in cigarettes.)

In the past, Scott County was not known for mold problems. After four damp summers in a row [now five], things have changed. Quaint old houses and buildings, even our school and library buildings, are becoming fungus war zones. Certain old commercial buildings are wafting Stachybotrys spores down the block every time a cloud crosses the sun. This so-called "toxic black mold" is technically allergenic rather than toxic, but it is the root cause of many local people's asthma...not to mention visitors' thinking whole towns, and any souvenirs they might buy there, have a strange unpleasant smell.

Although Stachybotrys is more stubborn than the average fungus, relief for all conditions that may be even partly mold-related begins with dehumidifying your immediate environment. No mold can grow in a dry place. There will always be mold in the soil, and mold spores will always get into the house, but if the house is clean and dry, mold will not be able to grow. It's worth buying dehumidifiers, and spending time cleaning the house and changing the filters, to keep your home fungus-free. (In the long run, keeping the house healthy for everyone is more cost-efficient than buying medication for one asthma sufferer.)

Pet allergies can trigger asthma attacks. The good news is that Scott County is a rural area and has resisted the mania that's caused people in places like Kingsport and Johnson City to demand that pets be kept indoors. Many people react to high levels of pet fur, feathers, "dander," and chemical flea treatments when those things build up in the house, but can safely enjoy having outdoor pets in the yard.

House dust is another trigger...humans generate "dander" too, in addition to the mold spores, chemical residues, ashes, and miscellaneous pollutants that make up house dust. Ways to reduce house dust include dusting and vacuuming frequently (while the asthma patient is out of the room) and getting rid of major dust traps such as carpets and cushions.

Chemicals, especially pesticide sprays, can be a primary cause of allergies. As a child I had a few asthma attacks. All kinds of secondary triggers seemed to cause the milder allergy symptoms that built up before and after these asthma episodes, including flowers, pets, food, and fabrics, but avoiding the triggers didn't really solve the problem...and none of the triggers even caused allergy symptoms after the Environmental Protection Association had done its job of protecting me from the main cause of asthma, which was chlordane spray, which was very popular as a household pesticide in the 1970s. Funnily enough, a lot of kids had asthma in the 1970s and got over it in the 1980s, after chlordane was banned. The link between chlordane and asthma has not been officially acknowledged, but those of us who became asthma-free when chlordane was banned are convinced that it exists. There are better ways to kill weeds and insects.

Although staying inside, away from allergy triggers, may seem like the obvious way to fight asthma, asthma sufferers still need to get plenty of exercise and maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can make asthma symptoms worse. Exercise can reduce allergy symptoms. Diet is also important, since junk food tends to contain secondary allergy triggers. Fruits and vegetables (if tolerated) contain antioxidant nutrients and fiber, which help reduce asthma and allergy symptoms.

Additional home remedies for asthma may be more helpful for some patients than others. In Back to Eden, Jethro Kloss recommended self-induced vomiting as a way to break up an asthma attack or prevent subsequent attacks. I tried this, and it worked more efficiently than buying an inhaler, but there are less disgusting ways to break up an attack and prevent future attacks. The Mayo Clinic site below provides information about purchasing the Clinic doctors' "favorite book of home remedies."

AC's Lyn Lomasi and Maria Roth have more recent experience in fighting childhood asthma. Check out their articles linked below.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES

http://www.cdc.gov/mold/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/asthma/DS00021/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remedies

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1021731/guide_to_natural_remedies_for_asthma.html?cat=68

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1499944/my_sons_experience_with_asthma_and.html?cat=68

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