The Simplest Asthma Solution

Home
>
Alternative Medicine
>
The Simplest Asthma Solution

The Simplest Asthma Solution

During the Democratic convention the Reverend Al Sharpton quoted a shocking statistic: One third of the children in Harlem suffer from asthma. This shouldn't be completely surprising since asthma cases have been consistently increasing over the years, especially in the cities, escalating recently during the rollback of some key environmental laws, but it is a trend we must turn back.

While parents have only limited control over the environment where they raise their children, there is a personal environmental decision they can make that may dramatically reduce the symptoms their children experience. It all comes down to detergent, and not just any detergent. It is the detergent that they use to wash their children's clothes and sheets. The biggest selling detergents in the United States contain large amounts of irritating phosphates, which are not only a major irritant to the skin and respiratory system, but a source of serious pollution, and a component in global warming.

If you are wondering if your laundry detergent contains phosphates just read the label, it is listed there. In most industrialized countries phosphate detergents are outlawed for good reason, but in the United States the chemical industry has a strong lobby and cheap phosphates help manufacturers keep their costs low, so their use continues. The next time you walk though the laundry detergent section of your supermarket, take a deep breath and notice how much the smell irritates your nose and lungs.

What kinds of detergent contain low, or no phosphates? Baby detergent! No mother would dream of washing their newborn's clothes and sheets in the family's powdered detergent! That would give their baby's delicate skin rashes, not to mention an increase in crying and crankiness. There are many readily available natural detergents that are phosphate-free and it's worth the time to find them.

We have noticed tremendous improvements for both children and adults when their clothes and sheets are consistently washed in a phosphate-free detergent. By itself this change may not alleviate all of the symptoms of asthma and those related skin rashes, but it clearly removes an insidious irritant from the equation.

It might be helpful to explain why this simple change is so effective. Testing in Europe shows that, while sleeping, people are between two thousand and ten thousand times more sensitive to chemical and electromagnetic pollution than while they are awake. When a child's pajamas are washed with a chemical irritant and they sleep on bedclothes containing those same toxins, their immune system is challenged nightly, during a time when they are most vulnerable. Their body's nutritional reserves are consumed in that battle and they are less able to defend themselves from the pollutants they encounter during their day. Asthma and allergies are not produced by a single irritant, but by an accumulation of minor irritants that eventually overwhelm the body's ability to adapt. It is not a huge leap to imagine that removing a respiratory irritant from the sleeping environment, where a person spends one third of their time, is going to produce an improvement in a child's ability to breathe.

Drs. Ralph & Lahni DeAmicis are Naturopathic Physicians. Their educational program, The 10 Minute Herbalist, seeks to put the knowledge of everyday good health into everyone's hands. Information about their program and publications is available at www.SpaceAndTime.com.

In The News:

FOXSports.com
 <div><a class ...
FOXSports.com
FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 30 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, Daytona 500-winning crew chief and broadcaster. He earned 23 Cup wins as a crew chief, including two victories in the prestigious Daytona 500, ...

and more »

CBS News
Colonoscopy Alternative Reduces Cancer Rates, Research Finds
BusinessWeek
By Nicole Ostrow on May 21, 2012 An alternative to colonoscopy that only looks at a portion of the colon rather than the whole intestine reduced cancer rates, a study found. The screening, called flexible sigmoidoscopy, was associated with a 21 percent ...
Colonoscopy Alternative Reduces Cancer Deaths, Study ShowsWall Street Journal (blog)
Simpler colon cancer screening alternative cuts death risk, study findsCBS News
Less invasive alternative to colonoscopy reduces colorectal cancer deathsSTLtoday.com

all 249 news articles »

The Republic
Ditch euro? Many Greeks already are
BusinessWeek
Instead of euros Arabatzis takes TEMs, a Greek abbreviation for Local Alternative Unit. A small but growing minority in about a dozen Greek towns are using an alternative exchange system to help them survive the crisis.
Ditch the euro? As crisis swirls, many Greeks already are _ with alternate ...Washington Post
News Summary: Local currencies take root in GreeceThe Associated Press

all 139 news articles »

'Geuro' an Alternative to Greek Euro Exit: Deutsche Bank
CNBC.com
Greece's best chance of survival may be to stay in the euro but opt for its own parallel currency or “Geuro,” according to Deutsche Bank's head of research, Thomas Mayer. In a research piece, Mayer said the Geuro would help Greece balance its primary ...

and more »

Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
Pet owners seek alternatives to traditional boarding
Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
Other alternative options can be sought on Craigslist.com and HousesittersAmerica.com. Photos by Jason Getz Melissa Cazorla had two problems when she and her husband moved to the Atlanta area from Virginia Beach: their Labrador-whippet mix and their ...

Why We All Need to Think About Alternative Credit
Huffington Post (blog)
Alternative credit is something we'll all need to think about, though perhaps not first thing in the morning. Before I joined eCredable, I spent the prior seven years at the credit reporting agency Equifax. I got up close and personal with the credit ...

and more »

IBNLive.com
Mamata wants alternative to taxing poor, price hike
IBNLive.com
PTI Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said an alternative must be found to taxing the poor and raising the prices of essential commodities whenever economic problems cropped up. Without elaborating on her 'alternative', ...

and more »

Tasmania Mercury
Opposition outlines its alternative budget plans
ABC Online
By Damien Larkins - Cross media reporter The Tasmanian Opposition says its alternative budget offers hope, but it would cost hundreds of public sector jobs. The Opposition Leader Will Hodgman delivered his financial plans in Parliament today.
Libs outline alternative budgetTasmania Mercury
Homebuilder bonus planTheMercury.com.au
Libs urged to identify safe jobsYahoo!7 News

all 23 news articles »

Manito's Alternative High School program graduates 136
Chambersburg Public Opinion
A filmmaker, Dunbar graduated from Manito s Alternative High School program. CHAMBERSBURG -- Mercedes McClain is 17 and in a hurry. She was enrolled in Franklin County Career and Technology Center, studying cosmetology when she had a change of plans.

Syria: An Alternative Choice
FrontPage Magazine
In the midst of the current revolutionary chaos in Syria, there is a clear voice of reason that seeks to create a free Syria that is democratic, Western-oriented and federal in structure. That voice belongs to Sherkoh Abbas, President of the Kurdistan ...

and more »

Google News