Seventh-day Adventist® Church

World Asthma Day will be celebrated on May 3, 2022 with the aim of increasing awareness on how to control this respiratory problem and other allergic diseases.

Asthma is a long-term condition affecting children and adults. The air passages in the lungs become narrow due to inflammation and tightening of the muscles around the small airways. This causes asthma symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. These symptoms can get worse at night or during some exercises.

Some common triggers are dust, colds, smoke, fumes, changes in weather, grass and tree pollen, animal fur, feathers, strong soaps and perfumes and sensitivity to some foods.

Barbados has a very high incidence of Asthma with an average of 10, 348 cases every year based on asthmatic attack data provided by the Accident and Emergency Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

If you suffer with Asthma, it is important to:

• Use your inhaler daily if necessary
• Learn and avoid your triggers
• Avoid becoming overweight
• Practice deep-breathing during exercises to help increase the lungs’ capacity. Controlled breathing also reduces stress which can induce asthma
• Consider a diet rich in plants, fruits and vegetables to reduce the build-up of inflammation and irritation to your lungs
• Avoid lots of processed and sugary foods which increase inflammation. This includes reading your labels.

A 2016 study in Nutrition Research Reviews concluded that supplementing with Omega 3 could also benefits asthma. This can be found in fish, fish oils, walnuts, chia seeds and flax seeds.

Don’t forget your Vitamin D…….spend some time, at least 20 minutes, in the sun daily.

Last and by no means least, ask God for healing. He is the same yesterday today and forever. His power to heal and love people has not changed.

Matthew 10: 1 says “ And He called to Him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal EVERY disease and EVERY affliction.