Asthma history: 1981 (asthma and exercise)

So we know now that exercise is good for asthma. In fact, we knew it way back in the 19th century. The problem with exercise and asthma is it's hard to do when you are having asthma trouble, and if you have exercise induced asthma (which 75% of asthmatics do), that's an extra incentive NOT to exercise.

Yet asthma should not be avoided. This we knew way back in 1981, and was part of a lecture we received asthma patients at national Jewish Health back in 1985:

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I. Exercise -- Should not be avoided, even if there is an exercise component

1. Use pretreat when necessary.

A. Why is it important?

1. Improved strength in musculature increases the body's ability to fight off attacks -- particularly in muscles associated with breathing
2. Child will have a healthier appetite and sleep better if he/she is exercising regularly
3. Aids in weight control
4. Can possibly effectively increase lung capacity

B. What kind of exercises?

1. Any exercise is beneficial, providing you know your limits, attend to your early signs of distress, and take pretreats if prescribed
2. Swimming is particularly excellent because it exercises most muscles and teaches breathing control

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Now we would add that the more you exercise, the more tolerant you become to exercise. The more you exercise, the less fatigued you will get, and the less dyspnea you will experience with normal movement.

Exercise is good all the way around. I think in my Asthma Central Shareposts I write about this more often than any other subject regarding asthma, because I find it to be so true. The more I exercise, the better my asthma becomes.

Yet when I go months without exercise, when my life becomes sedentary, I find I get dyspneic even while sitting. I think this is worse for asthmatics than those who do not have asthma. Exercise! Do it! I wrote about this in more detail here.

Asthma history: 1981 (stomach)

I will get to this in more detail in a later post, but the asthma experts of the 19th century noticed that asthma was often worse after eating large meals. Therefore one of the leading asthma remedies was epicac, which induced vomiting.

Yes it is true eating large meals may cause asthma. Even back in 1981, as noted in my handout, "Learning about asthma," I was given upon my NJH visit in 1985. The following was the wisdom provided about nutrition. Of course prior to this was the lecture about exercise, and much of the wisdom is the same as is taught today.

Anyway, here it is:

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II. Nutrition

A. Importance of eating three well-ballanced meals for all people

B. Breakfast should not be skipped -- may be most important meal for all children, especially if child takes morning medications. (helps to coat stomach so meds won't irritate stomach lining)

C. Be aware of food allergies and learn to avoid contact with food allergens. (Sometimes allergic foods are hidden in food recipes, so know what goes into what you eat. For example, many cookies and cakes can contain things like peanut derivitives or peanus oil no readily obvious -- ALWAYS ASK!

D. Avoid becomeing overweight*

1. Carrying extra weight is an extra burned for all organs, especially lungs and heart. Asthma meds like adrenalin already put a strain on the heart.
2. Overeating can make breathing mroe difficult due to stomach pressure on diaphragm. Should be avoided.

History of asthma: 1981 (alcohol and asthma)

I recently wrote a post on the effects of alcohol and asthma as you can see here. I spend hours trying to find proof that alcohol dries out the lungs and has mold in it, when all I had to do was look in the handout I was given when I was a patient of National Jewish way back in 1985.

In the pamphlet I was given titled, "Learning about asthma," the following was written about asthmatics drinking alcohol. I think this was emphasized in the book because in the 19th century asthma was believed to be physiological (all in your head), and alcohol was sometimes recommended to calm the mind and soothe the effects.

Yet while recent studies do show alcohol has some bronchodilating effects, I would imagine the negative consequences of drinking it negate any good results.

So I know some of my teenage friends at National Jewish did some drinking on the side, and this was a warning to them. So since alcohol was perceived to be an issue with teenagers, and many of us were, this was a warning to us:

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C. Alcohol -- becoming the biggest problem with teenagers in the U.S.
1. A habit-forming drug which can cause severe damage to all bodily functions when used in excess, especially stomach, liver and brain cells. In a 14-year-old, cirrhosis of the liver can occur in 20 months of excessive alcohol consumption.
2. Problems for asthmatics

• a. interaction with asthma medications can cause serious problems
• alcohol is made from molds and can cause allergic reaction to those with mold allergies
• dehydration, leading to thickening of mucus in the bronchial tubes, causing more difficulty getting the mucus out
• depresses bodies ability to cough out mucus and fight off attacks

3. Cause many social problems

• 3 million alcoholics between 10 and 19 years old
• 1/2 of all automobile deaths
• 1/2 of all murders
• 1/4 of all suicides
• also child abuse, crime, job absenteeism, shoddy workmanship, job loss are all traced in large part to alcohol abuse

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So you can see that the negative consequences of alcohol on asthma was known way back in 1985. Yet in 1988 when I started college and was pressured into my first few drinks, I had completely forgotten what I had learned just a few years earlier.

Yes, I have noticed that when I do drink my asthma is worse the next day. Coincidence? I think not. Anything in moderation is a good thing. Anything abused, especially alcohol, can lead to poor asthma control for us asthmatics.