The Importance of a Detailed Study of Asthma Causes and Problems - Essay Example

?Running Head: Asthma Management and Nutrition Supplementing Asthma Management and Nutrition Supplementing [Institute’s Asthma Management and Nutrition Supplementing Asthma management is a widely studied area of research, due to the large number of people who suffer from it throughout the world. According to one research paper (Allan & Devereux, 2011), this is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, with 300 million people suffer from it currently, and projections show that a 100 million more people join to this number of asthma patients by 2025 (Allan & Devereux, 2011). Due to these significant statistics, researchers consider it a serious problem regarding public health, and invest heavily in studying its management. Scientists have studied this disease in detail, paying special attention to the characteristics that predispose one to developing asthma, the lifestyle that makes one increasingly vulnerable to developing this disease and the various manners of managing the disease so that it does not cause the patient too much suffering. Each of these aspects is vital to consider if one wishes to develop a thorough understanding of asthma management and nutrition supplementing. Due to this reason, there is a wide array of research available regarding the management and prevention of asthma, dealing with nutritional aids, nutrient supplements, as well as medications. One group of researchers highlights the significance of first studying in detail, the causes of asthma, and the problems that it causes in a person’s respiratory system. This is a vital point because it furthers one’s knowledge of which physiological aspects the administered medication should aim to control or fix. Their paper goes on to discuss how the cause of asthma is the inflammation of a person’s respiratory system, and how it is due to dysfunctional immune system reactions and irregular airway obstructions. While genetics have some influence in a person’s vulnerability to developing this disease, these researchers consider it more likely to be a cause of changing lifestyles. They cite evidence for this in the fact that amongst the countries that have been experiencing the highest rate of increase in the prevalence of the disease, are developed countries such as the United States and countries within the United Kingdom, each of which have also experienced increases in obesity of the population. Furthermore, these researchers cite different authors who have previously explored the relationship of diet and asthma. They present strong evidence, based on the work of multiple researchers; about how there are three main nutrients that influence the development of asthma. These three nutrients are vitamin D, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUF), and antioxidants (including vitamin A, C, E, selenium, and foods with a high amount of antioxidants) (Allan & Devereux, 2011). These findings have important implications for the management of asthma prevention through nutrient supplementation, since they provide a direct link between physiological deficiencies and the development of this disease. Further research has uncovered the specific significance and role that each of the above factors mentioned above have to play in the prevalence of asthma, which helps one better understand how to manage this disease. One of the most important aspects to study in detail is the role that antioxidants play in asthma management. As mentioned earlier, antioxidants include vitamins A, C and E, as well as selenium and foods rich in antioxidants. Research shows that the consumption of food that has decreasing rates of antioxidants has been one of the main reasons behind the increase of asthma in the United Kingdom. This was apparent from the results of a study that explored the affect on health following a switch, from the consumption of freshly harvested food, to the consumption of processed and stored food. As the food became lower in antioxidants, the prevalence of asthma increased in the population (Wood, 2012). This shows how vulnerable people can protect themselves from developing this disease, by ensuring that they do not make such a drastic switch in their diets, and instead keep a certain amount of antioxidants in their daily nutritional intake. Another study compared the respiratory responses of people following a diet high in antioxidants, with those following low antioxidant diets. The former group experienced a healthier respiratory system, with decreasing symptoms of asthma as compared to the latter group. Furthermore, it showed how the former group had a lot more endurance against the symptoms of asthma, and had more time before they developed into a problematic and full-fledged disease (Allan & Devereux, 2011). This shows how foods rich in antioxidants can be greatly helpful in not only decreasing the seriousness of the symptoms, but can also help control the symptoms and thus prevent the disease from developing altogether. One important factor to note here is that the abovementioned improvements only became apparent once the former group increased their consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables. This shows how whole-foods have a large part to play in this form of asthma management, and that this importance should not be overshadowed by the wide use of supplements in this field. This, however, does not decrease the importance of the other nutrients relevant to asthma management. Vitamin D is another such nutrient, which has shown researchers great relevance in asthma management through nutritional supplementation. However, the research conducted by various different parties so far has been greatly conflicting. Scientists have drafted two main opposing hypotheses. The first one claims that a high and regular intake of vitamin D supplement can often be responsible for the person growing up to develop asthma and allergies. These findings do not have substantial corroboration as of yet, since so far no intervention studies have studied the direct relationship between vitamin D and asthma (Allan & Devereux, 2011). The opposing hypothesis states that insufficiency of vitamin leads to asthma. This hypothesis rests on the fact that Western countries have an increasingly rate of vitamin D insufficiency, due to their decreasing number of outdoor activities as well as their poor nutrition choices that deprive them of nutrition rich in vitamin D. The hypothesis links this with the increasing prevalence of asthma in these Western countries. With several sampling studies, researchers have provided some evidence for this hypothesis, making it a possible theory that could refute the first hypothesis. However, due to the conflicting nature of both these possible relations, it has been impossible to utilize vitamin D as a nutritional supplement for asthma control. Before one can start implementing vitamin D supplements in asthma management, one must be sure that the first hypothesis related to the direct link between increased vitamin D intake and asthma is incorrect. There are several studies in progress currently, which study this link in hope of determining the true relationship between these two. Once these studies are completed, medical practitioners will be able to include vitamin D in the supplements that patients use to help control their asthmatic symptoms. Moreover, researchers have also found a link between asthma and the reduced intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Due to the fear of heart disease, there has been a widespread switch from intake of saturated fats and n-3 unsaturated fats to n-6 unsaturated fats in Westernized countries. This has resulted in a contemporary diet that consists of more vegetable oils and spreads such as margarine (n-6 PUFA), and less fish oil (n-3 PUFA) and saturated fats such as butter and lard. While this has been helpful in alleviating risk of heart disease, it has led to increased chances of developing asthma. This fact is explained by the hypothesis that a reduction of n-3 PUFA coupled with an increase of n-6 PUFA in a person’s diet leads them to develop inflammatory cell membrane related to allergic diseases, resulting in asthma (McCloud & Papoutsakis, 2011). These findings have been followed by several specific studies on the different changes in diet that can affect a person’s risk of developing asthma. An increase in consumption of fish and fish oils can help decrease the risk of asthma in children, while increased intake of margarine and spreads can increase the risk. While this has implications for individuals who want to alter their diets to help decrease risk of asthma, it is not as helpful for individuals who have developed asthma and are seeking alleviation from its symptoms. However, scientists have found a derivative of these fatty acids, which can help alleviate the symptoms of asthma. This was a recent discovery, involving an anti-in?ammatory and Proresolving lipid mediator which is biosynthesized from the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), named Protectin D1 (PD1). The researchers discovered two important facts that support this hypothesis. First, a large source of PD1 is helpful in alleviation of symptoms of asthma, especially in relation to the inflammation caused by the disease. Secondly, they found that in patients with severe asthma, the ability of their physiological systems to produce PD1 was damaged (Miyata, 2012). This has greater implications for asthma management than the simple dietary change of PUFA intake, since it deals with a more direct way of alleviating the symptoms. Apart from nutrient supplementation, patients should also be encouraged to take care of their overall health, since poor health is a leading cause of asthma, especially when coupled with the co morbid diseases. Two of the main health problems that asthma is co morbid with are cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and obesity. Researchers have discovered a strong link between CVD and adult-onset asthma, which has implications of shared causes for each, which could be controlled together for the patient’s better health (Lee, Truong, & Wong, 2012). It should be noted, however, that this related only to adult-onset asthma, meaning that child asthma has no proven link with CVD. Nonetheless, this is an important consideration for designing the method of therapy. Furthermore, asthma has a high association with obesity, in both children and adults. A study examined the health patterns of almost 87000 patients of different nutritionists. While around 20 percent of these populations were found to be obese, there were also a very significant number of asthmatic patients among the obese patients. In fact, there were several diseases co morbid with obesity, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, prediabetes, and sleep apnea. This very blatantly displays the vital need for these patients to take care of their health. In addition, it shows how the symptoms of asthma cannot always be abated without first tackling the problem of the individual’s obesity (Lazorick et al, 2011). This is true for CVD as well as obesity. These co morbidities signal a dire need for the asthma patient to take care of their health in a more holistic manner than to simply take medications and supplement specific to asthma. Unless the patient takes steps to eradicate all the underlying physiological causes and lifestyle choices that predispose them to all these related diseases, they will not be able to develop an effective and lasting approach to asthma management. In order to manage asthma through controlling CVD risk and obesity, one of the most important steps that an individual can take is to manage their diet and lifestyle. Studies show how one of the most important determinants of these factors for a person is the social context, in which they have grown up. As the researchers observe, people who have grown up in a fast-paced, industrialized society are more likely to consume processed and fatty foods rather than fresh fruit and vegetables due to the greater availability of the former and the added convenience that they bring to a busy person. Furthermore, researchers mention how fresh produce is more common in the diets of those people who live in areas where it is cultivated (Moreau, 2012). The essential implication in this information for asthma patients is to be aware of the dietary patterns that their surroundings can make them used to. This way they will be able to make more of a conscious effort to keep their diets healthy and to prevent their lifestyles from getting sedentary. In addition, researchers stress on the importance of not narrowing down the causes of asthma to a couple of specific reasons. According to their extensive research and observation, several factors play a role in the onset of asthma, such as genetic influences, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy food choices, overeating and several psychosocial behaviours. Each of these factors has a bearing on a person’s vulnerability to this chronic disease (Varraso, 2012). Thus, it is very important for anyone wishing to manage a patient’s asthma effectively, to perform a critical evaluation beforehand of each such factor relating to a patient. With all this information at hand, the medical practitioner will be much more equipped to help the patient manage their asthma. Finally, researchers have stressed on the importance of adopting a multi-faceted approach to childhood asthma. They consider inhaled therapy (bronchodialators and corticosteroids) to be the keystone of asthma management, since it is one of the most effective and direct ways of tolerating the wheezing symptoms of asthma (Moreau, 2012). However, one should be careful in relying too heavily on this form of therapy, because research shows that prolonged use of inhaled therapy can lead to a dependency on it. Thus, the administration of this therapy should be accompanied with an information session for the family members of the patient, to explain the severity of the disease and the precautions they need to take in order to ensure the patient’s safety. Furthermore, the medical practitioner should also do a systematic nutritional assessment of the child to identify any related problems, especially in relation to allergies, obesity, reaction of food with their medication and other related issues. This can help administer individualized nutrition therapy that is tailored to the needs of every patient. Finally, the patient should also receive counseling with relation to overall health and weight management, since the link between obesity and asthma is strong (Varraso, 2012). These researchers outline a very important point about asthma management, which is that no one method of controlling the symptoms should be adopted in isolation. Each of the supplements, medication, and nutritional aids mentioned in this literature review hold significance for different aspects of asthma management. Some relate to prevention, while others help with the control and alleviation of this chronic disease. Thus, one should adopt a more holistic approach towards its management, and should incorporate multiple therapies (i.e. nutrition therapy, inhalation therapy, nutrient supplementation and counseling) in order to ensure the maximum benefit of the patient. References Allan, K., and Devereux, G. (2011). “Diet and Asthma: Nutrition Implication from Prevention to Treatment.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Volume 111, Issue 2, pp. 258-268. Lazorick, S. et al. (2011). “Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity Care Received by a State Medicaid Population.” Clinical Pediatrics. Volume 50, Issue 9, pp. 816–826. Lee, H. M., Truong, S. T., and Wong, N. D. (2012). “Association of adult-onset asthma with speci?c cardiovascular conditions.” Elsevier Respiratory Medicine. Volume 106, pp. 948-953. McCloud, E., and Papoutsakis, C. (2011). “A Medical Nutrition Therapy Primer for Childhood Asthma: Current and Emerging Perspectives.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Volume 111, Issue 7, pg. 1052. Miyata, J. et al. (2012). “Dysregulated synthesis of protectin D1 in eosinophils from patients with severe asthma.” Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Volume of September 21, 2012. Moreau, D. et al. (2012). “Asthma, obesity, and eating behaviors according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV in a large population-based sample of adolescents.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Volume 89, Issue 5, pp. 1292-1298. Varraso, R. (2012). “Nutrition and Asthma.” Current Allergy and Asthma Reports. Volume 12, Issue 3, pp. 201–210. Wood, L. G. et al. (2012). “Manipulating antioxidant intake in asthma: a randomized controlled trial.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Volume 96, pp. 534-543. Read More