Asthma is an allergic disorder characterized by spasm of the bronchial tubes and excessive excretion of a viscous mucous in the lungs. This can lead to difficult breathing. Asthma occurs as recurrent attacks that range from mild wheezing to a life-threatening inability to breathe.
The number of Americans suffering from asthma and other allergies has risen dramatically over the last 15 years. Some possible reasons include increased stress on the immune system due to changes in environment (such as greater chemical pollution in the air, water, and food), earlier weaning, and earlier introduction of solid foods to infants, food addtivies, and genetic manipulation of plants resulting in food components with greater allergenic tendencies.
Dietary and Lifestyle Recommendations:
- Eliminate food allergies.
- Avoid airborne allergies.
- Follow a vegetarian diet.
- Drink at least 48 ounces of water daily.
- Take a high-quality multiple vitamin and mineral supplement that includes vitamin C and E, flaxseed oil, magnesium and adrenal cortex extract.
Food allergies are a major cause of asthma, especially in children. Cow's milk, corn, wheat, citrus, peanuts, eggs, chocolate, food colorings, mustard, codfish, shrimp, kiwi fruit, hazelnut, cashew nut, almond, garlic and food additives are the major offenders. In childhood asthma, eliminating food allergies and food additives is often all that is needed.
Dietary supplement allergies Recent studies show that early-life supplementation of vitamins A and D, in water-soluble form or in peanut oil, especially during the first year of life had an almost 2-fold increased risk of asthma. But vitamins A and D in oil does not seem to increase the risk of allergic disease during childhood.
COMMON FOOD ADDITIVES AS ASTHMA ALLERGENS
Respiratory allergy to environmental molds is relatively common, and fungal allergen-specific reactions can affect individuals sensitive to them. Some people can develop a serious allergic reaction to a yeast preparation widely used by the food industry as flavoring in, for example, powdered and ready-made sauces. Pasta sauces with yeast extract or mushrooms may contain several molds: Cladosporium herbarum, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Penicillium notatum.
Baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) may contain Malassezia furfur. Malassezia yeasts are a type of fungus that causes different allergic reaction including such skin diseases as pityriasis versicolor, Malassezia folliculitis, seborrhoeic dermatitis, dandruff and sebopsoriasis; neonatal cephalic pustulosis (infantile acne); Gougerot-Carteau disease (a pigmented eruption occurring mainly on the chest, back and neck of adolescent girls); invasive pityrosporosis and facial atopic dermatitis.
Sesame oil allergens Sesame seed allergy is becoming increasingly common, probably because of its use in international fast-food and bakery products. Immediate symptoms include anaphylactic shock, asthma, urticaria (lumpy and itchy rash), and angioedema (swelling beneath the skin).
Allergic reactions to food can be produced by contaminants that cause sensitization. Among these, Anisakis simplex worms can cause seafood infestation, and allergic symptoms (skin rash, anaphylaxis, and asthma) can follow the eating or handling of affected fish. Although seafood is the principal source of human infections by proteins present in chicken meat. Chicken feed usually has a high proportion of fishmeal, which might possibly be contaminated by this nematode. These parasites are known to occur frequently in the flesh of cod, haddock, fluke, pacific salmon, herring, flounder, and monkfish [53]. It was also proven that the allergen/s involved may be resistant to cooking and deep freezing. Hence, severe allergic reactions may result either from infection or, more frequently, from mere exposure to the allergenic protein [54].
Prevention of Allergic Disease in Childhood The development of allergic diseases such as asthma depends on a complex interaction between genetic factors, environmental exposure to allergens, tobacco smoke, air pollution and infections. Preventive measures may address children at risk for development of allergic disease (high-risk infants with both parents or single parent genetically predisposed to allergies), children with early symptoms of allergic disease or children with chronic disease.
Major risk factors in development of allergic disease in childhood include:
- Daily exposed to tobacco smoke is a significant risk factor for recurrent wheezing until the age of 1.5 years.
- Early-life exposure to pets.
- Solid foods introduced too early. To prevent allergic reactions, breastfeeding should be encouraged for at least 4-6 months. Hypoallergenic formula is recommended if exclusive breastfeeding is not possible for the first 4 months.
- Exposure to house dust mite (HDM) may increase the incidence of severe wheeze and sensitization during the first 1-4 yr of age.
- Exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy.
Airborne alergens such as pollen, dander, and dust mites are often difficult to avoid entirely. Measures can be taken to reduce exposure. Make the bedroom as allergy-proof as possible. Encase the mattress in allergen-proof plastic; wash sheets, blankets, pillowcases, and mattress pads every week; and consider using bedding material made from Ventflex, a special hypoallergenic synthetic material.