ASTHMA: FACTOR 1- KEEPING WARM
This relates to the basic law of physics regarding the expansion and contraction of materials due to heat and cold. Because asthma is primarily the result of muscles that are in a state of sustained contraction it makes sense that body warmth is necessary for the expansion needed to effect their release. My experience with treating asthma is that even though the allergens that initially caused the contraction have been removed from the diet and ambient air, the muscles will not let go if any part of the body is cold.
This chilling of the body factor is something that many of my asthma patients have never taken seriously. Most of them were victims of a perennial summer mentality that makes them wear shorts, open neck shirts and get around in bare feet all winter. These people are usually avid fresh air buffs who make good use of breezes to air-condition their homes in summer. What they fail to realise is that comfort-bringing summer breezes become disease-bringing draughts in winter. Because, in most parts of Australia, summer can be so long (up to seven months during good years) they fall into the comfortable habit of wearing less and less and leaving doors and windows open all year round.
I’ve had asthma patients arrive in my office for their first consultation dressed in shorts, shirt and thongs in the middle of July, complaining that it’s a cold day! In fairness to them it’s usually one of those brilliantly sunny winter days that we often get. Unfortunately those sunny days usually have a cold southwesterly wind blowing off the Snowy Mountains. In sheltered pockets out of the wind the temperature can be as high as 21-22°C. Walking around the corner can bring you face to face with the cold south-westerly whose chill factor can suddenly reduce the ambient air temperature to 8-9°C. If the full force of this southwesterly is caught on bare neck and chest (open neck shirt) it will immediately chill it—and the muscles of the windpipe—sending them into spasm. This is despite the fact that the rest of the body may be sufficiently warm, which it would be if a cardigan was being worn.
Another thing that asthma sufferers have in common is that they tend to wear cardigans rather than crew or polo neck jumpers. Although heavy woollen cardigans may well raise their body temperatures to a comfortable level they do nothing to prevent local chilling of the neck, chest and windpipe muscles. Crew or polo neck jumpers and scarves are a must for asthma sufferers. Without them they just don’t get better. They must be worn all winter long whether it’s windy or not as southerlies can spring up at any time and without warning. The belief that one can’t stand things up around one’s neck has to be vehemently disputed, and then changed.
Gymnasiums are notorious for draughts. Don’t work out at aerobics or weights unless you’re wearing a crew or polo neck sweater, cotton in summer, wool in winter. Perspiring in a draught gives asthma attacks if the perspiration is not absorbed from the skin by a sweater.
Other erroneous beliefs that must be disputed and changed are:
1. I can’t sleep without the bedroom window open.’ All my former asthma patients have learned to sleep with it closed during winter. Open windows cause significant chilling when our body temperature drops during sleep. Cold air coming into the room at this time causes your body temperature to drop just that little bit more and when the temperature drops that extra degree the body’s resistance also drops. When this happens the bacteria and viruses that live naturally inside you (particularly the nose and throat area) gain the upper hand. They are able to multiply and infect you. That is why colds are called colds. This chilling effect also causes muscular contraction, that is, asthma. Chills cause colds and coughs at night, and colds and coughs cause asthma. Even if your bedroom window is open only a little bit, enough cold air can enter the room in a six to eight hour period to cause the chilling of the body. This is especially so if the sleep is restless and the blankets are being thrown off. This restlessness could be caused by dust mites in the mattress and pillow or by having a warm bath or shower before bed. The latter causes a rise in body temperature, enough to kick the blankets off and predispose yourself to chills. Night sweats—a symptom of allergy—can also cause this.
2. I don’t need to wear a warm dressing gown and slippers on rising.’ This attitude will guarantee you will ‘never lose your asthma. Sudden changes of temperature even for a minute or two duration will throw the windpipe muscles into spasm. Make sure you heat the whole house at night. Going from a warm room to a cold room causes windpipe spasm. You can leave windows and doors open through the day while you are out of the house but close them when you get home. Airing your bedroom in this way will ensure plenty of fresh air for the sleeping hours. Although the bedroom window must be closed at night, the bedroom door may be left open.
Don’t sit over a heater to keep warm when you’ve got a window or a door open. Even though the front of you is warm your back is being chilled and this will give you asthma. Close all windows and doors in winter. Don’t worry, there’s ample air in the house. Use door socks as most draughts are created by the gaps under doors.
By conscientiously avoiding draughts, sudden changes of temperature and dressing warmly you will notice, as so many of my patients do, that you will not only avoid asthma attacks over winter, you won’t suffer from colds or ‘flu either.
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