Asthma is defined as a disease characterized by increased responsiveness of the trachea and bronchi to van stimuli, and is manifesteo by widespread narrowing of airway passage that changes in severity either spontaneously or as a result of treatment. It is characterized by periods of coughing, difficult breathing and wheezing. Attacks are brought on by the spasms of the smooth muscles that lie in the walls of the smaller bronchi and bronchioles, causing the passage-ways to close partially. The patient has trouble exhaling and the alveoli may remain inflated during expiration.
Usually the mucus membranes that line the respiratory passage-ways become irritated and secrete severe excessive amount of mucus that may clog the bronchi and bronchioles and worsen the attacks. About 75 percent asthma patients are found to be allergic to edible or air-borne substances. Others are sensitive to the proteins of harmless bacteria that inhabit the paranasal sinuses, nose and throat. Asthma might also have a psychosomatic origin.
Attacks of asthma are being sponsored by both physical or psychological factors. It may be triggered by emotions, environmental extremities (extreme cold exposures) and viral infections. Asthmatic attacks may also be generated and triggered in brain itself. A person who is allergic to a particular medicine may get asthmatic attack merely on looking at that medicine. Emotion generating thoughts lying in the subconscious level lead to asthmatic attack and the individuals who are unable to express their feelings may also be prone to that.
This disease is regarded primarily as a subacute inflammatory disease of airways. Multiple complex mechanisms are involved in this reversible airflow obstruction. The sensitized tissue mast cell plays a pivotal role in asthma by degranulating and releasing mediators such as histamine, bradykinin, chemotactic factors, platelet-activating factor and metabolites of arachidonic acid such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Neural factor may augment this response. These mediators act locally to effect broncho-constriction, cellular infiltration, platelet activation, increased vascular permeability, oedema and increased secretion of mucus. Besides mast cells, other lung cells, including eosinophils, neutrophils and lymphocytes, play important roles in the immuno-pathogenesis of airways inflammation in asthma.
Bronchitis is basically the inflammation of the bronchi and is characterized by hypertrophy and hyperplasia of seromucous glands and goblet cells lining the bronchial airways. The typical symptom of this disease is a productive cough, in which a thick green-yellowish sputum is raised. Cigarette smoking remains the most important cause of chronic bronchitis, whereas other factors that influence the development of the disease are the family history, air pollution, carbon monoxide, respiratory infections and deficient antibodies, particularly IgA antibodies.
Preksha — Yoga mangement
Shat kriya – Jal neti and kunjal
Yogic kriyas – Of respiration and chest
Asanas – Paschimottanasana, Bhujangasana, Matsyasana, Hridaya stambhasana and Naukasana
Pranayama – Suryabhedi, Anulom-Vilom and Ujjayai (all without kumbhaka)
Kayotsarga – 30 minutes, twice a day
Preksha – Perception of Deergh shwas and Samvritti shwas preksha
Anupreksha – Contemplation of health of trachea and bronchi
Life-style changes – To adhere strictly with time schedule for daily routine and to avoid stay in polluted atmosphere