About the Asthma Clinic
Q: My reliever medication gets me through my asthma attacks. How do I know if my asthma is poorly controlled?
A: Your asthma is considered to be poorly controlled if you use your reliever medication more than 4 times per week, excluding use during exercise.
Q: I take a corticosteroid and regularly use a bronchodilator; I’m concerned about herb/drug interactions. Is it safe to take Chinese Herbs while I’m on medication?
A: Absolutely. Our practitioners are trained to avoid potentially harmful herb/drug interactions. Most of our clients are able to wean off long-term medications and drastically reduce if not eliminate the need for reliever medication. We work with our clients to document lung capacity and ensure they are armed with the information necessary to communicate with their MD so that they are able to safely reduce medication.
Q: My doctor told me to avoid asthma triggers. I got rid of my cat, switched to hardwood flooring, bought hypoallergenic bedding and a HEPA filter and I’m still having attacks at home! I don’t know what else could be triggering me, any suggestions?
A: Asthma attacks can be triggered by a wide variety of factors both environmental and internal. Hormonal fluctuations, dietary and digestive irregularities and stress can contribute to asthma as much as pets and dust mites. The good news is that Chinese Medicine treats the whole person based on his/her individual constitution. Many of our clients report positive "side effects" such as decreased stress, symptom free menstrual cycles and improved digestion, all of which help to limit asthma attacks.
Q: How long will I need to be treated for?
A: Our discounted asthma programs offer 3 months of treatment catered to each patient's individual presentation. Your doctor will see you for approximately eight visits over the three month period. If more time is needed to clear asthma completely, one visit approximately every 3 weeks should be sufficient. These subsequent visits will be billed on a per visit basis.
Q: How do you treat asthma?
A: Our asthma clinic is based on chinese herbal medicine. Your practitioner may perfom acupuncture or employ other modalities if necessary. Dietary and lifestsyle modifications are usually beneficial, but the daily consumption of chinese herbs is often sufficient to bring the system back into balance.
Q: Will my asthma be gone forever, or will it come back some time in the future?
A: Studies have shown that treatment with Chinese herbal medicines have the effect of rebalancing the body's immune function such that it overreacts with less force to asthma triggers. The body's constitution, according to TCM, creates a tendency for it to gravitate towards the same particular imbalances. Once balance is achieved, it is more difficult to be knocked back into imbalance. When early signs of labored breathing occur, it is recommended to return to your TCM doctor for a quick tuneup. Over time, these tuneups are required less and less.
