Acupuncture for Asthma

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Acupuncture for Asthma

• Dawn Balusik
• Licensed Acupuncture Physician
• Certified Chinese Herbalist
• Licensed Massage Therapist

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What is Asthma?

• Asthma is Greek word for breathlessness.
• Recurrent attacks of shortness of breath,
  wheezing, and coughing of phlegm.
• Feeling of suffocation.
• Varies in severity from mild wheezing shortness
  of breath to life threatening respiratory
  failure.

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Asthma Statistics

• 17 Million Americans have asthma
• 5 Million of them are under age 18 (1 in 20
  kids)
• 14 Americans die from asthma daily
• Is the leading cause for kids to be hospitalized
• 100,000 people diagnosed with it in Tampa Bay
  Area
• Expected to rise to 30 Million Americans by 2020

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Asthma Attacks

• Inflammation in Lung airways causes
• Contraction of airway muscles
• Production of mucous
• Swelling of the airways
• Immune system imbalance that causes
  hypersensitivity and inflammation in response to
  a trigger.

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Common Asthma Triggers

• Pollen, Mold, Animal Dander, Dust Mites
• Cigarette smoke, household cleaners, room
  fresheners, candles, incense, varnish, talcum
  powder, chalk dust, lawn pest spray
• Food additives, foods with sulfites
• Emotional stress, fatigue, infection, hormonal
  and climate fluctuations.

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Common Treatments

• Pharmaceutical Medications
• good for life-saving emergency situations
• poor for long-term management
• Do not address underlying cause, only treat the
  symptoms.
• Do not promote overall health wellbeing.
• Do not decrease need for more medication, in
  fact, can cause dependence.

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Asthma Drug Side Effects

• Bronchodilators nausea, vomiting, headache,
  nervousness, restlessness, insomnia.
• Corticosteroids reduce ability to recover from
  trauma/surgery/infection, dry mouth, suppressed
  growth in children, coughing, increased appetite,
  weight gain, fluid retention, mood swings,
  increased cholesterol, osteoporosis, thinning of
  skin, diabetes, cataracts, muscle weakness.
• Antihistamines drowsiness, dry mouth,
  constipation, confusion, nightmares, nervousness,
  restlessness, irritability.

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Oriental Medicine for Asthma

• considers asthma to be an indicator of an
  underlying health imbalance.
• treats the underlying root imbalance, rather
  than just the symptoms.
• considers all lifestyle environmental factors
  when deciding the best course of treatment.
• includes nutritional lifestyle
  recommendations.
• Once the underlying imbalance is taken care of,
  the symptoms resolve, and the triggers lose their
  impact.

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Asthma According to O.M.

• Deficiency of Energy (Qi) of the Lung, Spleen,
  and/or Kidneys. Plus, Accumulation of Phlegm
  (hot or cold type).
• Caused by inappropriate diet, food additives,
  toxin exposure, repeated respiratory infection,
  genetics, emotional strain, lack of exercise,
  overwork, and even the asthma medications
  themselves can further contribute to the
  deficiency.

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Acupuncture

• The data in support of Acupuncture are as strong
  as those for many accepted Western Medical
  therapies.
• .One of the advantages of acupuncture is that
  the incidence of adverse effects is substantially
  lower than that of many drugs or other accepted
  medical procedures used for the same conditions.
  
• - from the National Institute of Health,
  Consensus Statement on Acupuncture.

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Acupuncture for Asthma

• Acupuncture reduces the frequency severity of
  asthma attacks.
• Acupuncture promotes overall health and
  wellbeing.
• Studies show that an average of 73 of patients
  with long standing asthma report a significant
  improvement of their ailments after 10 weeks of
  acupuncture treatment.
• Some patients are able to get off of their
  medications altogether, and never experience
  asthma again!

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Asthma Food Intolerance

• Most asthmatics have some food intolerance that
  is contributing.
• Common problem foods are
• High gluten cereal grains (wheat, oats)
• Dairy products, cheese, eggs
• Refined sugars, chocolate, food additives
• Shellfish, nuts

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Nutrition Asthma

• Obesity a diet high in saturated fats is found
  to increase incidents of asthma.
• Diets rich in vegetables, fiber, natural vitamins
  and minerals, and poly-unsaturated fats have much
  lower incidents of asthma.
• Replacing sodas, coffee, alcohol and juices with
  8 glasses of water per day makes a profound
  difference in phlegm production.

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Chinese Herbs for Asthma

• have been used for 3000 years.
• are prescribed in formulas that combine herbs
  synergistically to be more effective and to
  moderate any harsh effects.
• are very safe, with few to no side effects.
• address the underlying root cause, as well as
  the symptoms.

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15
Conclusion

• Acupuncture Oriental Medicine is a safe,
  natural and effective long-term management of
  asthma. It addresses the underlying root cause
  of the problem, and builds the health of the
  entire person, reducing, and in some cases
  altogether eliminating, the symptoms.

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