help prevent and reduce asthma symptoms and attacks.
2. Short-acting and long-acting beta agonists (bronchodilators) which operate to relax the muscles in the airways, making breathing easier. Typically, the short-acting beta agonists (relievers) are used to treat acute, or sudden, asthma attacks.
3. Leukotriene modifiers which help to control asthma by blocking substances associated with the inflammatory process.
In terms of the pathology of asthma, Schachter (2004) states that these involve bronchial spasms and/or constriction of the smooth muscles of the bronchi or airway tubes, leading to a narrowing of these passages, inflammation and edema of the inner lining of the bronchi (thereby causing even greater narrowing of the airways), and increased mucus production.
Schachter (2004) also notes that increased mucus production is associated with the development of mucus plugs; these can operate to further block air from getting to the little air sacs in the lungs, thus preventing oxygen from getting into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide from leaving the bloodstream. There is also evidence of allergic phenomena on a cellular level, with allergy cells (called eosinophils) and this can result in further inflammation of the airways. This allergic mechanism almost always involves the substances known as platelet activating factor or PAF and histamine, to a lesser extent. In addition to causing inflammation, this allergic reaction also contributes to bronchial hyper responsiveness.
Schachter (2004) also points out that in addition to medical treatment for asthma, many patients (both young and old) receive a variety of complementary or alternative treatments that can include changes in diet, exercise, yoga, aromatherapy, and massage. The next section of this paper discusses the effects of massage on asthma.
According to Dupler (2004), alternative or complementary treatments for asthma include: dietary and nutritiona...