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:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Natural Pain Management!

Life in today's hectic society is going more and more... Read More

Strengthen the Immune System Naturally

"Among the most exciting applications of herbal medicine lie in... Read More

Will This Years Flu Paralyze The US And Canada?

According to the Associated Press on August 26th, the US... Read More

Focus Your Light: Earning Money From Home When You Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome /Fibromyalgia

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome /Fibromyalgia makes you extremely tired, exhausted and... Read More

Stuttering Self Help

I am Stephen Hill from Birmingham in England. I started... Read More

What is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a non-toxic system of medicine used to treat... Read More

Back Pain and Pain in Other Extremities: If Nothing Else Has Worked, Try Doing Visualizations

(*In this group are included pain in the back, neck,... Read More

Top 3 Reasons Why You Suffer From Pain In The Back Of The Knee

Pain behind the knee is something many of us have... Read More

Acupressure

Developed in Asia over 5,000 years ago, acupressure is an... Read More

Sports Massage

What is Sports Massage? Rapidly gaining in popularity, Sports Massage... Read More

The History of Reflexology

It is important to be aware of the great archetypal... Read More

Pyrethre: Pest Terminator

HistoryThe pyrethre herb is supposedly named after a famous temple... Read More

Gratitude

Here's a quick question: You've got a bad cold. Do... Read More

Using Hypnotherapy to Beat IBS

Hypnotherapy is one of the best known and most widely... Read More

ADD May Carry the Gifts of Intuition

ADD/ADHD is a neurological disorder. According to the National Institute... Read More

Frankincense in Aromatherapy - Trees, Pearls, and Essential Oil

The Mysterious FrankincenseUsed for many thousands of years, the Frankincense... Read More

Stammering Or Stuttering

Stammering or as it is sometimes known as stuttering is... Read More

Magnetic Therapy, How And Why Magnets Effect The Body

Have you ever read or have been told that "it... Read More

Snoring - A Small Change Can Make A Big Difference

We all know how annoying snoring can be, both for... Read More

Sinus Infection Symptoms, Antibiotics, and Alternative Medicine

Modern Living, Complex Health ProblemsIn our post-modern industrial polluted stress-filled... Read More

Anxiety Warning Signs

How do you know when you are suffering from background... Read More

Pranic Therapy - Part I

Pranic Therapy Part I - An IntroductionPranic Therapy is an... Read More

Human Health Modification Using Sun Light and Frequency

Human behavior could be modified using light preferably real sunlight.... Read More

Portrait of a Medical Intuitive

I am a Medical Intuitive in the San Francisco Bay... Read More

Relieving Hemorrhoids with Natural Remedies

Here are a variety of natural remedies that you can... Read More

Quick Tip for Runners Who Have Knee Pain

Running with knees that hurt and are not getting better... Read More

Hypnosis Way of General Indications of Deceit

When the subject is changed, he's in a better, more... Read More

Reflexology

Reflexology, an ancient art practiced by early Egyptians. Reflexology is... Read More

Honey! Natural Treatment for Gum Disease

There is quite a bit of talk going on about... Read More

Pediatric CI Therapy - An Interview with Dr. Stephanie C. DeLuca

As each day passes, medical research communities strive to find... Read More

Bois De Santal: The Source of Tranquility

The near extinct bois de santal has a sensual and... Read More

Why Use An Aromatherapy Diffuser?

We breathe 22,000 times a day, inhaling 400 cubic feet... Read More

Organic Living - Whats That?

Hmmm ? what does organic living mean ? I like... Read More