By Sylvia Wood, Albany Times Union
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Lori Miranda felt helpless when her daughter's
lips turned blue from asthma. But she didn't like the treatment
prescribed by her doctor either, a regimen that included two
inhalers and a steroidal nasal spray.
``The more stuff we put her on, the sicker she was,'' said
Miranda, who lives in Dutchess County, N.Y.
Concerned about her daughter's deteriorating health and the
long-term side effects of steroidal medications, Miranda began
looking for an alternative approach.
Four years later, her daughter is almost symptom-free and rarely
needs medication. She attributes her recovery to a strict diet of
no dairy, chocolate, eggs or corn. She's also careful to keep her
daughter away from other allergy triggers, like mold and dog
dander.
``Her health has been so much better,'' she said.
Figuring out ways to keep asthma attacks from happening has been
the foundation of successful asthma treatment.
But with an arsenal of new medications available to treat and
prevent asthma symptoms, such an approach hasn't always been the
first line of defense in recent years.
With new research illustrating the potential side effects from
long-term use of the medications, including weight gain, mood
changes, eye problems and bone problems, many parents and
physicians are looking at more natural ways to manage asthma in
children.
``It makes sense,'' said Dr. Jocelyn Celestin, head of the
Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Albany Medical Center.
``It's always better medicine if you know what the triggers are and
eliminate them.''
With asthma now the leading cause of chronic illness in
children, affecting some 5 million, or one of every 14 children,
figuring out ways to manage the disease is more important than
ever, according to Dr. Kenneth Bock, a family practitioner in
Albany.
According to the American Medical Association, the asthma rate
nearly tripled from 1980 to 1994 among those ages 5 to 24.
``Asthma is a condition that's growing in leaps and bounds,''
said Bock, who has seen that growth firsthand in the practice he
shares with his brother, Dr. Steven Bock.
In response to questions and concerns about the disease, the
brothers have written a new book, ``Natural Relief for Your Child's
Asthma'' (Harper Perennial, $13.95), to help parents figure out how
to minimize the use of medications by minimizing exposure to those
environmental factors, from dog hair to milk, that might prompt an
attack.
To understand the difficulties posed by asthma, take a deep
breath. Now try to take another breath without letting the first
breath out. Try it again, and another time.
If your chest is tight, and you feel like you're suffocating,
you're starting to experience what it's like to have an asthma
attack.
``When you cannot breath, nothing else matters,'' Celestin said.
While Celestin and other doctors believe part of the increased
incidence of asthma is environmental, triggered by pollution and
other toxins, he is also researching, in conjunction with the New
York Department of Health, the genetic factors that might
predispose someone to the disease.
Bock is focusing his work on helping parents manage their
children's symptoms. His book includes tips on diet, exercise,
nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies and even how to plant
a ``sneezeless'' garden.
He also suggests specific strategies to determine food and other
allergies, and gives some advice on breathing and relaxation
techniques.
For Miranda and her daughter Alyssa, Bock's approach has meant
some radical adjustments, particularly in the family's diet. Yet
she says it's worth it to see her daughter healthy.
``It's never too much work,'' she said.
