Asthma in Children

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Asthma in Children

By Dr P M Sharma

 

Asthma is a lung disease characterized by difficulty in breathing,

expiratory wheezing, cough with sputum and some time fever.

 

In infants and small children, it occupies the respiratory system

because of small airways. Certain precipitating factors may be cause

of further narrowing. This narrowing produces a unique wheezing sound

during breathing.

 

Accompanying infection in the respiratory system turns the problem

severe to dangerous. Emergency treatment is advised in such cases.

 

Asthma in children and infants is a major health problem showing

steady increase in prevalence both in developing and develop

countries. The incidence of childhood asthma in Asian countries

varies between 5.2 percent in Taipei to 30 percent in New Zealand and

10 percent to 17 percent in other countries.

 

Seventy-four percent of asthma attacks in children are experienced in

children less than 5 years of age and 26 percent in less than one

year of age. The ratio of male and female incidence is 2:1.

 

PROGNOSIS

 

Children, who are treated early before major damage has taken place,

could lead normal lives. Others may have recurrence of infection with

failure to thrive. Still other may end up with crippling disease,

chronic respiratory insufficiency and septic complications. These are

all the potential life-threatening situations. Parents need to act

fast in case of children having been diagnosed asthmatic.

 

AYURVEDIC CONCEPT

 

According to Ayurveda it is either Beej dosha (genetic) or Sahaj

(acquired).

 

If it is due to genetic causes (having a history of asthma patients

in the both families of parents) then this is to difficulty to treat,

but Sahaj type in easy to treat.

 

In some cases this has been observed that after 8th or 9th year of

age the problem may be vanished spontaneously.

 

>From the dosha perspective asthma results on account of disturbed

vata and kapha doshas. Both doshas get out of balance almost

simultaneously.

 

MANAGEMENT

 

Management of childhood asthma through Ayurveda is a comprehensive

therapeutic modality in itself, and requires competent Ayurvedic

doctors to handle the cases. Some of the drugs that are commonly

recommended (but NOT recommended by this author or AugustAyurveda.com

for self-prescription) are:

 

1. Kumar kalyan ras

2. Abhrak bhasm

3. Poaval tristhi

4. Ras sindhur

5. Kastooribhairav ras

6. Siddh makardhwaj ras

7. Haridrakhand

8. Balrogantak ras

9. Arvindasava

10. Kafaketu ras

10. Punarnava swaras