Asthma

Asthma Specialist

The wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing caused by asthma are symptoms faced by about 8% of all children. At Southern California Integrative Wellness Center, Edmond Sarraf, MD, works closely with children and their parents, helping them find individualized and natural treatments to alleviate their symptoms and cure the underlying disease. To get help for your child, call the office in Los Angeles.

When children have asthma, the airways in their lungs become inflamed and irritated, which causes:

• Swelling in the small airways
• Contraction of muscles lining the airways
• Production of excess mucus

These changes make it hard to breathe, which marks the beginning of an asthma attack.

Asthma is a chronic condition, so the airways stay inflamed and at risk for flaring into another asthma attack.

What Symptoms Will I Develop Due to Asthma?

Asthma causes one or more of these symptoms:

• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Chest pain or tightness
• Coughing (especially at night)

One type of asthma called cough-variant asthma causes just one symptom: a dry, chronic cough.

What Triggers an Asthma Attack?

Patients experience an asthma flare-up when something irritates their lungs. There are many possible allergic and nonallergic asthma triggers, but most patients have a few specific triggers that usually cause their asthma attacks.

Any allergen can cause an asthma flare-up. Some of the top allergy-related triggers include pollen, pet dander, molds, and dust mites.

A few of the most common non-allergic triggers include:

• Cold air
• Tobacco smoke
• Air pollution
• Specific odors (perfumes and chemical fumes)
• Stress and strong emotions
• Upper respiratory infections

About 90% of patients with asthma develop exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, which occurs when physical activity causes an asthma attack.

What Natural Treatments Can Help Asthma?

Dr. Ed specializes in providing natural treatments that serve as alternatives to traditional medications. If your child has allergies, he helps you develop a plan to avoid the allergens as much as possible, then develops a natural treatment plan to address the allergy.

Numerous homeopathic and herbal remedies can relieve acute asthma attacks and cure the underlying disease. Dr. Ed can start homeopathic or herbal treatments while you continue to use medical inhalers to maintain your airways, then gradually discontinue your medication as your condition improves.

Dr. Ed firmly believes in the value of food as medicine, and a variety of nutrients can help support asthma treatment. After evaluating your child’s nutritional status, he recommends dietary changes and supplements to support their lungs and overall health.

To learn about natural treatments for asthma, call Southern California Integrative Wellness Center.