• YOGA FOR ASTHMA

Definition:-

Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways, which causes attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.

Alternative Names

Bronchial asthma; Exercise-induced asthma

Causes:-

Asthma is caused by inflammation in the airways. When an asthma attack occurs, the muscles surrounding the airways become tight and the lining of the air passages swell. This reduces the amount of air that can pass by, and can lead to wheezing sounds.

Most people with asthma have wheezing attacks separated by symptom-free periods. Some patients have long-term shortness of breath with episodes of increased shortness of breath. Still, in others, a cough may be the main symptom. Asthma attacks can last minutes to days and can become dangerous if the airflow becomes severely restricted.

In sensitive individuals, asthma symptoms can be triggered by breathing in allergy-causing substances (called allergens or triggers). Triggers include pet dander, dust mites, cockroach allergens, molds, or pollens. Asthma symptoms can also be triggered by respiratory infections, exercise, cold air, tobacco smoke and other pollutants, stress, food, or drug allergies. Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) provoke asthma in some patients.

Symptoms:-

  • Wheezing
    • Usually begins suddenly
    • Comes in episodes
    • May be worse at night or in early morning
    • Gets worse with cold air, exercise, and heartburn (reflux)
    • May go away on its own
    • Is relieved by bronchodilators (drugs that open the airways)
  • Cough with or without sputum (phlegm) production
  • Shortness of breath that gets worse with exercise or activity
  • Intercostal retractions (pulling of the skin between the ribs when breathing)

Emergency symptoms:

  • Extreme difficulty breathing
  • Bluish color to the lips and face
  • Severe due to shortness of breath
  • Rapid pulse
  • Sweating
  • Decreased level of alertness, such as severe drowsiness or confusion, during an asthma attack

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

  • Nasal flaring
  • Chest pain
  • Tightness in the chest
  • Abnormal breathing pattern –breathing out takes more than twice as long as breathing in
  • Breathing temporarily stop

Yogic cure:-

                 [1]Shatkarma                                                         {Purificatory techniques}

{a} kunjal                                                {volitional stomach wash }

{b} sutra neti                                           { Nose-wash by string }

{c} jala neti                                             {Nose wash water}

{d} Kapal bhati                        {Lungs and brain wash by breathing}

{e} vastra Dhauti                   {Stomach wash by muslin cloth strip }

            [2]Yogasanas:-                                                         {Posture}

{a} Paschimottanasana                               {Posteriar  stretch }

{b} Shavasana                                            {Corpse }

{c} Vakrasana                                            {Twisted }

{d} Supta-vajrasana                                   {Lying adamantine}

{e} Shalbhasana                                         {Locust}

{f} Matsyendrasana                                   {Spinal twist}

{g} Bhujangasana                                     {Cobra}

{h} Shirsasana                                          {Head stand}

{i}  Dhanurasana                                      {Bow}

{j}  Ustrasana                                           {Camel}

{k} Padmasana                                        {Lotus}

{l}  Akarna dhanurasana                         {Strung bow}

{m} Sarvangasana                                   {Shoulder stand}

{n} Matsyasana                                      {Fish}

{o}  Pad-hastasana                                 {hand posture }

{p}Uttith- lolasana                               {Raised lotus}

  [3] Pranayama                     {Body-mind energizing breathing practice}

{a} Surya bhedna                         {Right nostrilar pranayama }

{b} Anulome vilome                  {Alternate nostrilar pranayama }

{c} Bhastrika                             {Bellows pranayama }

{d} Ujjayi                                  {Hissing pranayama

[4] Bandhas:-                                                 {Bands}

{a}Maha bandh

{b} Uddiyana  bandh                       {Abdominal lock}

{c} Moola  bandh                            {Anal lock}

[5]Mudra:-                                                       {Finger –posture}

{a} Linga mudra

[6] Dhayan                                                                {Meditation}

 

 [7] Yogic diet:- YOGIC DIETSTYLE ADVICE FOR   PATIENTS  SUFFER­ING

FROM  BRONCHIAL ASTHMA.

Dietary Instructions for Asthmatics

  • They should take fixed meals at regular intervals
  • Avoid consuming any food item(s) known to be allergic to
  • Take light meals, particularly at night, preferably before

sunset.

  • Avoid in-between meals.
  • Take meals in peaceful atmosphere avoiding any emo­tional stress and strain.

Foods to be Avoided by Asthmatics

  • All those foods the patient finds himself to be allergic to
  • All types of cold dishes and cold drinks at come-what-may all
  • All types of alcoholic drinks under whatever compelling situations
  • Curd, yoghurt, butter-milk and curd preparations.
  • Raw bananas, sour and bitter fruits like lemon, oranges, mausambis etc.
  • Pickles, chutneys, sauces, vinegar, tam­arind, rnarketed-chaats, and other such sour and bitter food preparations.
  • Potatoes, arbi, Yam (Zimmi kand), Colocasia (Kachalu) and other such heavy and mucilaginous food items.
  • All non-vegetarian foods including fish and eggs.
  • Buffalo’s milk and its products.
  • Chewing tobacco in any form and avoid smoking, beedi, cigeretts, huka and cigar etc.
  • Rice and New Jaggery.
  • Fried foods, too much of butter, fats and oils and whole milk with cream.
  • Raw tomatoes, raw mangoes, ladies finger’s, brinjals, legumes (peas, beans etc.), rajmah, urd dal, lobhia and shakarkandi and their preparations.
  • Tea and Coffee and other intox­icating drinks.
  • Rich Indian Sweets viz. Gulab-Jamuns, Rasmallai, Burfi, Rasgula etc.
  • Curried and highly spiced foods in­cluding too much salt (75g per day).
  • Refined wheat flour ‘maida’ and its preparations.
  • Chocolates heavy fried cheeses and nuts.

Foods Allowed for Asthmatics :

  • Spinach, green bananas, green papa­ya, bitter gourd, and all other seasonal vegetables except those listed under the heading “Foods to be Avoided”.
  • Grapes, raisins,  papaya,  pumpkin, blackcurrants (munakke) dates, pears (sweet),  apples,  and all other fruits except those listed under the heading “Foods to be avoided”.
  • Goat milk and cow’s milk.
  • Whole meal bread, maize, jowar, bajra and wheat.
  • All light pulses like moong washed, arhar, masur and chana dal.
  • Sprouted pulses like moong, channa, masur, wheat etc.
  • Cottage cheese.
  • Honey, jaggery and sugar.
  • Amla, fenugreek (methi seeds), saunth (dry ginger powder) and trifla (mixture of Harar, Bahera and Amla), and ani­seeds (saunf).
  • Mild condiments and spices like garlic, ginger, asfoetida (hing), cumin seeds (jeera), turmeric (haldi), long pepper (pipli), black pepper (kali mirch), cin­namon (dalchini), cardamom  (chhoti elaychi), and cloves (laung).

Food items especially known to be beneficial for Asthmatics

  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and 2 teaspoon honey to be taken twice daily on empty stomach.
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder mixed with 1 cup warm goat’s or cow’s milk to be taken twice daily.
  • 1 cup milk boiled by adding one-half teaspoon of powdered long pepper (pipli) or ginger (saunth), to be taken twice daily after straining, on empty stom­ach.