BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

The word Asthma is of Greek derivation which means panting or gasping. Remarkable
hyper re-activity of the air passages and excessive response by narrowing to various kinds
of stimuli is characteristic of asthma.
This is a disease characterized by airway inflammation and bronchial hyper responsiveness.

The word Asthma is of Greek derivation and it means panting or gasping. The prefix
bronchial specifies the fact that the basic problem is in the bronchi, the lower air conduits
within the lungs. With the growing knowledge about asthma this condition is clearly defined
and differentiated from other illnesses with breathlessness. The common features are;-

1.

Episodic breathlessness which changes in severity spontaneously or with treatment.

2.

Wheeze (whistling noise) while breathing out.

3.

Demonstrable variations in obstruction tear flow through the airways of the lungs.

Bronchial Asthma is defined as a condition characterized by recurrent attacks of difficulty in

exhalation due to wide-spread reversible narrowing of airways in the lungs which varies in
severity. Over a remarkable hyper-re activity of the air passages and excessive response by
narrowing to various kinds of stimuli, for example, immunological, psychic, physical and
chemical agents. The condition is not duke to any known specific infection.

CLASSIFICATION:
Bronchial asthma can be divided into two types depending on the precipitation factors:

Extrinsic type: In this type, the etiological factors are present in the environment of the
patients like the pollen, dust. Food particles etc. history of allergy is resent

Intrinsic type: The etiological factors are inside. Infections, psychic disturbances and
hormonal factors.

Mixed type: This mixed type asthma. Here it is combination of both types.
Another type of classification is based on the season and frequency of attack.

Seasonal: The patient gets recurring symptoms of attack in a particular time and remains
fine from asthma during other times. Maximum happens in cold times because at that time
body builds up excessive amount of mucus and if the body does not generate enough
internal metabolic heat to handle the cold climate and ads as result mucus builds up and is
not expelled from the body. This is combined with spasms of the bronchi-oles and bronchi
preventing sufficient air getting out. Breathlessness, wheezing, gasping and cough results.

Irregular: The symptoms of asthma occur at regular intervals through out the year and
complete remission in between of varying duration for weeks to a few months.

Perennial: The symptoms start when the patient is at rest without any organic cause and
later occurs at almost daily throughout the year.

Status asthmatics: In this type of asthma, the patient offers from short periods, May twenty
four hours or more, even on repeated admission of oral and indictable bronchodilators. It
shows signs of dehydration and prolonged hypoxia, seen more frequently in complicated
steroid dependant perennial asthma.

CAUSES:

1.

Bronchi-constriction or contraction of the bronchial muscles lessening the caliber of the

bronchus is irritated to cause this tightening and thus the airway obstruction.

2.

Swelling of the mucous membrane the inner lining of the bronchus gets engorged
edematous and swollen constricting partly to the reduction in the airway caliber.

3.

Secretions are poured out from the swollen mucosa into the bronchi, further decreasing the
effective lumen. The secretion in asthma is sticky and is expectorated with great difficulty
towards the end of the attack. The chief factor amongst these 3, is the bronchospasm that is
responsible for the wheezing and the tightness of the chest.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

1. Breathlessness
2. Wheezing
3. Cough
4. Tightness in the chest
5. Phlegm formation
7. Obstruction of airflow due to branch spasm.

Yoga for Bronchial Asthma and Nasal Allergy

BREATHING EXERCISES ;

Hands in and out breathing

11 rounds

Ankle stretch breathing

11 rounds

Tiger breathing

11 rounds

Rabbit breathing
seconds

15

Dog breathing
seconds

15

Back stretch (alternate leg)

9 rounds

Tiger stretch
rounds

Shasankasana breathing

9 rounds

Straight leg raising (Alternate leg)

Straight leg raising (Both legs)

rounds

Instant Relaxation Technique

mins

10 rounds
5
2

LOOSENING EXERCISES :

Pavanamutasana Kriya

Alternate legs
rounds

Both legs
rounds

Forward Backward Rocking

Side rolling
rounds

Forward and Backward Bending

Side bending
rounds

10

Suryanamaskara - 12 counts
rounds

Quick Relaxation Technique

5 mins

5 rounds
5
10 rounds

YOGASANAS :

Ardha kati chakrasana (each side)

1 min

Pada hastasana

Ardha chakrasana

30 secs

Vakrasana or Ardha Matsyendrasana (each side)

1 min

Bhujangasana

2 mins

1 min

Salabhasana

30 secs

Sarvangasana

2 mins

Matsyasana

1 min

Deep Relaxation Technique

10 mins

PRANAYAMA :

Surya Anuloma Viloma Pranayama

20 rounds

Chandra Anuloma Viloma Pranayama

20 rounds

Nadi Suddhi Pranayama

rounds

Sitali or Sitkari and Sadanta pranayam

Bhramari Pranayama
rounds

10
5 rounds
5

MEDITATION :

Nadanusandhana :

AAA - 9 rounds, UUU - 9 rounds, MMM - 9 rounds, OM - 9 rounds

Om meditation
mins

NOTE :

Practice the therapy under the guidance of a yoga expert or yoga

therapist.

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