Facts: Asthma

Worldwide

Number of people with Asthma 334 million people #1. (GBD, 2008-2010)

Estimated additional 100 million people by 2025. (GINA, 2015)

Singapore

About 5% of adults and 20% of children have asthma #2.

The launch of the Singapore National Asthma Programme (SNAP) in 2001 to improve asthma control

• Hospitalization fell from 7,000 in 1994 to 3,800 in 2004, 

• In the last 6 years, the number of adult patients admitted to ICU has increased almost 30 % annually. (Health Promotion Board, 2013)

One of the five leading causes of disease burden in 65years old and above (5.8%)

One of the four leading causes of disease burden in children (0-14years). (SBD, 2010)

What is Asthma?

Is a reversible narrowing of the airways in the lungs. 

• caused by sensitive reaction of the airways to various triggers 

• can be life-threatening if not properly managed.

Asthma: Mechanism

Why Asthma happens in only certain people?

1. Hypersensitivity body react aggressively to allergen as compared to body without hypersensitivity reaction

• T helper 1 : Th1 helper cells activate macrophages to kill pathogens they have engulfed

• T helper 2 : Th2 helper cells mainly activate B cells to secrete neutralizing antibodies, it reacts to allergen

• Th1 and Th2 has to maintain balance position in the body

• For asthmatic body, Th2 is higher and produce excessive IgE.

• For normal body, Th1 is stronger & Th2 is weaker, so react normally to allergen.

2. Long term inflammation of airway may cause irreversible damage to the airway

3. Asthma can be better after reaching adulthood : Th1 become stronger than Th2; Still have chance of relapse after adulthood.

4. Address root cause: regulate immunity (Th1 ↑ and Th2 ↓)

Why Am I Coughing?

What to know about your cough?

1. Coughing is a common reflex action that clears your throat of mucus or foreign irritants.

2. A cough that lasts for less than 3 weeks is an acute cough. 

• Most episodes of coughing will clear up or at least significantly improve within two weeks.

3. If your cough lasts between 3 and 8 weeks, improving by the end of that period, it’s considered a subacute cough. 

4. A persistent cough that lasts > 8 weeks is a chronic cough.

5. You should see a doctor if you cough up blood or have a “barking” cough. 

• or if your cough hasn’t improved with a few weeks, as this could indicate something more serious.

6. Asthma - Typically, asthmatic coughing involves wheezing, making it easy to identify.

Treatment

Drugs to control the symptom 

1.Preventers/Anti-inflammatory agents  (Inhaled steroids, e.g. Beclomethasone, Budesonide, Fluticasone)

• Reduce swelling and mucus

• Taken daily to reduce the risk of asthma attack or for prevention of airway injury

2. Relievers/ Bronchodilators (Salbutamol, Ipatropium)

• Relax airway muscles, thereby opening the airway wider

• Relieves asthma symptoms within minutes, used in acute asthma attack

3. Asthmatic treatment on different stage

• Early : Anti-histamine, Mast cell stabilizer & leukotriene inhibitors

• Intermediate : steroid based inhaler (Corticosteroides)

• Advanced : steroid (oral or injection Prednisone)

  • Steroid based drug is safe with proper administration by doctor

  • Long-term use can cause bone-thinning, weight gain, high blood pressure and infection, etc..

Self Management

1. Avoid or eliminate factors that trigger Asthma attack

• Use air filtering, vacuum cleaner & frequent cleaning or changing of the bed sheet and blanket to keep away dust mites 

2. Avoid fried food that will increase chances of body inflammation

• Take more vegetable & fruits

3. Exercise especially swimming

• Adapt to changes of surround temperature and humidity and increase the vital capacity of lung

Ganoderma/Lingzhi

Shuang Hor Ganoderma/ Lingzhi

Double Crane/Shuang Hor 

• ~35 year in Ganoderma Research & Development, farming, production and distribution

• Ganoderma product with rich Triterpenoid and Macro-molecular Polysaccharides content

Shuang Hor website : www.doublecrane.com.tw/en/ 

Ganoderma on complementing treatment to Asthmatic & cough

Functions and Benefits

1. Regulate Immune System

• Regulate immune system to prevent over react to allergen

• Alleviate release of histamine that lead to inflammation

• Regulate low Th1 and high Th2 to balance level

2. Improve blood circulation

• Asthmatic lead to poor blood circulation

3. Enhance liver function (detoxification)

• Prevent liver damaged for patient with steroid dependent asthma

4. Remove free radicals & anti-oxidation

• Free radical, especially superoxide (O2-) are increased for asthmatic patients

Ganoderma relieve asthmatic & cough - relevant research

A. Relieve cough & phlegm

1. Relieve cough

• Increase of mucus in the airway leads to cough

• Cough induced mice with ganoderma extract injected, cough is relieved

• Healthy mice with ganoderma extract injected will not cough easily

• Summary : Ganoderma on efficacy of cough relieved and prevention

2.. Reduce phlegm

• Mice with injected ganoderma is able clear the phlegm in the airway

• Asthma mice with ganoderma fed, the BALF protein reduced, thus reduces the phlegm 

• Summary : Ganoderma help to reduces the phlegm

C. Induce immune system for Th1 development

1. Background

• Low Th1 and High Th2 is the root cause of allergy condition

• Chances to induce Th1 is getting less at today environment

  • Th1 induced due to natural healing from illness is getting less due to over-dependent on vaccination, clean environment and over-protective on the children

• Reduction of good bacteria due to over-used of antibiotic will reduce chances of inducing Th1

2. Induce immune system for Th1 development

• Mice fed with LZ Polysaccharides help convert T-cell to Th1

• LZ 8 increases Th1 concentration

• In cell experiment, Lingzhi helps the increase concentration of Th1 and alleviates Th2

Summary : Regulate Th1 and Th2 is the root cause solution for asthma

Other Shuang Hor products that help to relieve asthmatic and cough