Naturopathic Approaches to Care of Children and Adolescents with Asthma and Allergies

90 Pages·2013·21.68 MB·English

by  Rebecca Takemoto

Naturopathic Approaches to Care of
Children and Adolescents with
Asthma and Allergies
Darin Ingels, ND, MT(ASCP)
Ingels Family Health
2425 Post Road, Suite 100
Southport, CT 06890
[email protected]
Who has allergies and asthma?
  According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma
and Immunology, more than 50 million people in the U.S.
have some form of allergy.
  Allergic diseases affect more than 20% of the population.
  Allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic disease in
the U.S.
  According to AAAAI, more than 10% of children under
the age of 17 have allergic rhinitis and 8% have food
allergies.
  According to the CDC, 7.1 million children have asthma
in the United States (9.5% of all children).
  The incidence of asthma and allergies continues to rise
each year.
Pathophysiology of Asthma
.
Pathophysiology of Asthma
Pathophysiology of Asthma
Pathophysiology of Asthma
Types of Asthma
Extrinsic asthma (493.00)
a.  Atopic (Allergic): most common type of asthma
triggered by environmental allergens such as dust,
mold, pollen, foods, etc.
b.  Occupational: chemical inhalation
c.  ABPA: aspergillus spores
Intrinsic Asthma (493.10)
a.  Nonreaginic: URI
b.  Cold or exercise induced
c.  Pharmacologic: drug-induced reactions, such as
aspirin-induced asthma
Asthma vs. RAD
Reactive Airway Disease (RAD) is a term used to describe a
multitude of obstructive airway symptoms, but is not
necessarily asthma.
RAD tends to be transient in nature, where asthma is a
chronic condition.
RAD does not necessarily need to have the inflammatory
component and may only involve bronchoconstriction.
Most children under the age of 5 are diagnosed with RAD as
ascertaining a diagnosis of asthma is prohibitive.
Only 30% of children under the age of 3 who wheeze will
go on to develop asthma1
1. Medscape : http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/800119-overview
Symptoms of childhood asthma
•  Wheezing (whistling sound) when breathing
•  Coughing, often worse at night or lying down
•  Tachypnea: be aware of norms for children
Newborns: 30-60 bpm
Toddlers: 20-40 bpm
•  Labored breathing
•  Complaints of chest hurting
•  Reduced energy
•  Feeling weak or tired
Diagnosis of Asthma
1.  Medical history: when symptoms occur, family
history, other allergy symptoms, known triggers,
pets, school exposure
2.  Physical exam: wheezing, allergy signs, eczema
3.  Spirometry is the gold standard test for
diagnosing asthma, but not reliable for children
under 5. Reduced FEV1, FVC which improves
with bronchodilator.
4.  Peak Flow Meter: reduced PEFR