The Multiple Pieces of the Asthma Puzzle

Asthma is now at epidemic levels in the U.S., affecting up to 8% of the population. The Western medicine model that asthma is caused by an environmental exposure that triggers an excess immune response is true to a degree, but represents only a small slice of the pie. Clinging to that narrow understanding of asthma, and dispensing drugs accordingly, continues to be the gold standard of Western medical care. It is a travesty that the Western medical profession insists on treating a huge public health problem with a theory now relegated to the Stone Age. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. As soon as you start to understand the modern science on the subject then one of the first things you realize is that Western medicine itself has helped cause this epidemic with their overuse of antibiotics.

The most recent study¹ on this subject is incredibly telling. The surfaces of our bodies are lined with foreign bacteria. The main concentration of such foreigners is in the digestive tract, but there are also natural inhabitants on the skin, sinuses, vagina, and mouth. Researchers have generally believed the respiratory system is sterile of such foreigners. However, new technology has enabled them to measure the bacterial content of bronchial epithelial brushings. The researchers found that the degree or severity of the asthma problem was directly related to the amount of foreign bacteria lining the lungs. Those with the worst case had the most bacteria and the most different types of bacteria. This is a dramatic finding.

“We know fairly little about the diversity, complexity and collective function of bacteria living in the respiratory tract, and how they might contribute to diseases like asthma,’’ said Yvonne J. Huang, MD, the paper’s first author. She is a research fellow and clinical instructor in the UCSF Pulmonary Division. “Traditionally, the airways have been thought to be sterile. However, this study suggests this is not the case. Certain asthma patients who require inhaled corticosteroid therapy possess a great abundance of bacteria compared to healthy individuals, and have an increased relative abundance of specific organisms that is correlated with greater sensitivity of their airways.’‘

While the research did not explain how the bacteria got there, there is plenty of other science that does. The part of the immune system that patrols the respiratory barrier with the outside world is called the mucosal immune system, working similarly on all surfaces of the body that interact with the outside world, including your digestive lining. Problems in any one area cause potential problems in other areas, even if the areas are not directly and physically connected. In other words, if the immune system in your digestive tract can’t “see problems” and respond to the need to keep bacteria in balance then this same immune problem can happen anywhere on mucosal surfaces. We have known for years that sinus problems and skin problems are like a chicken and egg with digestive problems.

I have previously explained that researchers have proven the early use of antibiotics increases asthma risk, as well as creates an overgrowth of Candida Albicans . This sends highly inflammatory signals to the respiratory system that contribute to the development of asthma. I have explained that even one or two rounds of antibiotics are adequate to change the balance of power into a hostile situation. I have also explained how these hostile bacteria cause the immune system to malfunction and friendly flora² helps train the immune system to not hyper-react. It is not a difficult process to connect all these dots and understand the extreme problem of the overuse of antibiotics towards the creation of an asthma epidemic.

True enough, there are other important factors under the heading of increased inflammatory burden and a lack of ability to handle the inflammatory burden. These include a stressed pregnant mother that unfortunately programs her baby’s nerves and immune system to be prone to hyperness, a factor made worse if a child’s early environment is unstable and stressful. In addition to antibiotics, the use of Tylenol is also associated with increased asthma risk.   

If nutrients that help quench inflammation are lacking in a child, then the risk for asthma also goes up. For example, vitamin D is the prime nutrient needed for immune system tolerance that prevents hyper-reactions such as those that involve asthma. A lack of vitamin D is found in those with asthma. Likewise, the primary anti-inflammatory mineral is magnesium, found in fresh fruit and vegetables. The lack of this mineral is also associated with asthma. The bioflavonoid quercetin, found in apples and onions, has been shown to help asthma. This means that part of fixing asthma involves reducing stress wherever possible, boosting up anti-inflammatory nutrition, and improving diet quality.

Getting back to my basic point, it is not really a mystery as to why foreign bacteria find their way into the respiratory systems of those with asthma. High dose oregano oil may be one of the best remedies, as it knocks down germs and inflammation without causing bacterial imbalance and Candida overgrowth. Fixing the digestive tract and sinuses would be the next priorities if these are problems.  Doing everything to keep your immune system in better working order so you don’t “need” antibiotics in the future is another really good idea. To be fully clear of the problem a person must be able to exercise without inducing an onset of symptoms  a sign that the problem is actually much better.