Asthma is an inflammatory condition that causes the airways to the lungs and bronchial tubes to become so inflamed that they cut off the air supply to the person who suffers from asthma. The common treatment for asthma is that of a steroid inhaler. However, more and more asthma suffers are making the decision to turn to alternative treatments. One of the most common alternative treatment for asthma is the use of an anti-inflammatory diet.

An anti-inflammatory diet is believed to calm symptoms of asthma because the body is less likely to inflame the bronchial tubes and airways to the lungs. Here is an overview of what an anti-inflammatory diet consists of.

Fruits and Vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are a part of every person diets but under the anti-inflammatory diet there are specific fruits and vegetables that are believed to reduce inflammation. Those on an anti-inflammatory diet are told to eat seven or more servings of strawberries, oranges, blueberries and spinach. Any fruit or vegetable that contains a high amount of phytochemicals will help with the diet.

Eat Protein. Under the anti-inflammatory diet a person is recommended to eat at least two healthy sources of protein. Protein that comes from fish, nuts, beans and chicken are recommended. It is advised to cut out red meat as that can be the source of inflammation.

Healthy Fats. It is recommended that those on the anti-inflammatory diet consume at least two to three types of health fats. Healthy fats can come from plant oils, avocados, soybean oil and flax oil. Coconut oil, butter, shortening and other fats are considered “unhealthy” and could be the cause of inflammation.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are a great way to encourage the body to reduce inflammation. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in salmon, flax oil, eggs and fish oil.

Asthma is a common childhood illness. In fact, over the years more and more children are developing asthma. This can present a challenge to parents who have to handle their child’s asthma. Luckily, there are a handful of things that parents can do to lessen the chances their child has of suffering an asthma attack. Here is a look at what can be done to reduce the chances of an asthma attack in your child.

Identify Triggers. Most forms of asthma have what are known as triggers. These are elements, activities and environmental factors that can trigger an asthma attack. Try to identify what asthma triggers your child has. Triggers can be anything from exercising, running, dust, dander and pollen. This will allow you to make sure your child is not exposed to these triggers and reduces the chance of them having an asthma attack. This will also allow your child to know what to stay away from so they do not suffer from an asthma attack.

Regularly Use the Peak Flow Test. Your doctor might give you a testing device known as the peak flow tester. While you do not have to use this multiple times a day if you use this regularly you will be able to identify when your child might experience as asthma attack.

Identify Symptoms. Make sure that you sit down with your child and make sure that they know what the symptoms of asthma attacks are. It is a good idea to make sure that you inform babysitters, school authorities and even team coaches about the asthma attack symptoms as it will allow them to identify if your child is suffering from an asthma attack.

While you cannot prevent your child from getting asthma you can prevent their exposure to triggers and activities that might cause an asthma attack. By reducing their exposure to these elements asthma attacks can be reduced.

Diagnosing asthma can be tough. Most of the time unless an asthma sufferer is around a trigger for an asthma attack they show no symptoms of the illness asthma. This means that  a doctor or health care provider cannot readily view the symptoms that the patient goes through. However, this does not mean that asthma cannot be diagnosised. Here is a look at what your doctor or health care provider will do to try and diagnosis asthma.

Oral History/Family History. Asthma can be diagnosised with a few simple questions. The doctor will ask when you experience asthma symptoms, what types of symptoms you have and even if you notice a trigger. They will ask you about previous health conditions and even family history. All these questions will help get the diagnosis that you need.

Spirometry. A spirometry is a lung function test that can be performed right in the doctor’s office. It will test the amount of air that a patient can inhale and exhale. This is a great way for doctors to try lung flow and see the difference between asthma treatment and no asthma treatments.

Peak Flow Testing. Peak flow testing is another testing option. It relies upon patients to do self testing at various times of the day and track the results. The test requires that a patient take a deep breath in and blow into an object that will measure the airflow. This is very helpful to track long term results as well as help a patient understand when they might experience an asthma attack or show various symptoms of an asthma attack.

Chest X-Ray. Chest X-rays do not normally diagnosis asthma. However, these tests can eliminate other conditions such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Sometimes the lungs and bronchial tubes might appear on an x-ray to be inflamed which can be a sign of asthma. Though x-rays are rarely used to diagnosis asthma alone.

One of the most common ways that doctors and health care providers diagnosis asthma is through a series of tests known as lung function tests. There are several types of lung function tests that can be run. Here is a look at some of the various types of lung function tests that can be performed.

Spirometry. This is the most common type of lung function test that is performed by doctors to diagnosis asthma. It measures the amount of air you can inhale as well as the amount of air that you exhale. This test is done by having the patient breath into a tube that will push a ball up in order to allow you to measure how much air you take in. This test is done in the doctors office. Many times it will be done once without the asthma treatment and once with the asthma treatment to see how well it is treating the asthma.

Flow Volume Loops. This is another common type of lung function test that is performed for diagnosis of asthma. This test is similar to the spirometry where it requires the patient to have to breathe out forcefully. However, it will also require that the patient breathe in repeatedly and the air is measured from there. If the air flow decreased by 20% after the test it could be an indication that asthma is present.

Diffusing Capacity. This is a test that is commonly used with smokers to determine if they are exhibiting signs of asthma. This test requires that the patient breathe in for ten seconds and then exhale. The amount of air is measured from there. If the test comes out normal it could mean the smoker has asthma, however, lower levels mean that COPD is present in the smoker. COPD and asthma are commonly confused due to the similar symptoms they have.