Imagine not being able to run, or play, or living in fear of being unable to take a deep breath.  Imagine being literally tied to medication, medication that may cause you to develop cataracts, or to not be able to fight off simple illnesses, or develop osteoporosis.  Medicine that damages your lungs every time that you use it, that may send you into analphylatic shock, that may even trigger an even worse attack than the one that you are using it to “treat”.  Imagine thinking that you have no choice but resign yourself to this life.  This is reality for over 34 million American, 1/3 of whom are children, who have been diagnosed with asthma.  

It is so prevalent that it has worked its way into all aspects of our culture.

Asthma (or the diagnosis of asthma) is an exploding epidemic in this country and in the developed world.  Since 1980 asthma rates in the U.S. have almost quadrupled.  There are a number of reasons for this:  vaccine recommendations per child in the US has tripled in the same time frame (vaccines change the way our immune system works, leading to sensitization of and inflammation in airways), lack of exposure to bacteria due to antibiotics and antibacterial soaps, pollution, the increase of pro-infammatory foods such as grains, sugars, and milk in our diets, the increasing lack of activity and exercise in our lifestyles, and poor posture related to the increase in TV, video game, computers, and other sitting activites in both children and adults.  (A comparison between asthma rates in the US (very high) and under-developed countries (very low) demonstrate these reasons nicely.  Underdeveloped countries (and even developed countries such as those in Europe and Japan) don’t mandate nearly as many vaccines as the US, live a much more active lifestyle, don’t each nearly as many processed foods, and are typically exposed to bacteria and dirt in much more natural ways.)

There are good news though.  Both research and our clinical experience have demonstrated that it is possible to help people with asthma throw away their inhalers and take back their lives naturally.  Its for this reason that we have decided to declare March Asthma Awareness Month here in our office.  We have set a goal of helping at least 25 people overcome their asthma and start living their lives again, start running, and playing, and stop living in fear.

We need your help!  Each and everyone of us knows someone with asthma who could benefit from our help.  Simply give them our information, or even better yet, make them an appointment with Sarah or Monica.  There are no prizes, gifts, or giveways for doing so.  Just the joy in knowing that you have helped someone change their life!