Dealing With Childhood Asthma

Dealing With Childhood Asthma
I read an article in which Dr. Jonathan Wright referred to an experiment where 90 percent of children with asthma were helped or cured by supplementing with hydrochloric acid (HCL). We are anxious to try this as soon as possible with a seven year old girl, but could find nothing on the shelves at the local health food store to give guidance in administering HCL to children. Also we are having difficulty finding an alternative medical doctor in our area. Can you give us some direction?

Many studies have shown that food allergies play an important role in asthma. Obvious food allergies produce an immediate reaction such as hives, swelling, sneezing, wheezing, headache or stomach upset. The usual culprits are nuts and shellfish.

However, delayed food allergies, which are harder to detect, are much more important. These allergies can be best detected through an elimination diet. Common delayed food allergies include dairy, sugar, wheat, citrus and food colouring. Diet is the key to controlling asthma. Pediatrician Dr. William Crook 's book, Detecting Your Hidden Allergies (Professional Books, 1988) describes how to plan an elimination diet for your child.

Dr. Jonathan Wright's program for asthma stresses a multifactorial approach starting with diet. As you mentioned, one important facet of Dr. Wright's programme is the use of hydrochloric acid to ensure proper digestion of food and thus prevent any additional burden on the immune system.

According to Dr. Wright, in his Nutrition And Healing Newsletter (1-800-528-0559), a 1931 study showed that 80 percent of asthmatic children had lower than normal production of acid and pepsin in their stomachs. Wright says that this impairs digestion, lowers the absorption of vitamins and minerals from food, and gradually increases allergies to food. Meanwhile, food allergies, especially to cow's milk can cause low stomach acid, and thus a vicious cycle is set up.

To break the cycle, hydrochloric acid is prescribed. Hydrochloric acid is ideally taken under the supervision of a naturopathic doctor. The usual recommendation is to start by taking one-half to one hydrochloric capsule (10 grains) at the two largest meals of the day. The dose may be increased very slowly to two or three capsules per meal or until your child feels a sensation of warmth in her tummy. If your child feels a sensation of warmth, this means she has taken too much hydrochloric acid for that size of meal. The aim is to find the largest dose she can tolerate at the two largest meals of the day without feeling any warmth in her stomach. This becomes her maintenance dose.

Other supplements that may be taken instead of or along with the hydrochloric acid include Swedish stomach bitters to improve digestion, and digestive enzymes.

Dr. Wright also emphasizes the importance of daily vitamin-B-12 injections, since the stomach malfunction also impairs vitamin-B-12 metabolism. Dr. Wright recommends vitamin-B-12 injections 1,000 to 3,000mcg per day for a thirty day trial. Results can be dramatic. He also advises additional magnesium, vitamin-B-6, cod liver oil capsules, Vitamin-E, selenium and high doses of buffered vitamin-C, all taken by mouth.

Vitamin-C acts like a natural anti-histamine and also seems to reduce the tendency of the bronchial passages to go into spasm. Usually the amount of Vitamin-C necessary is determined by starting with 500mg every day. Then you increase each daily dose by 500mg until your daughter gets diarrhea or her stools start to soften. Then you cut back to the highest daily dose that she can take and still have normal bowel movements. Usually asthmatic children need a lot higher dose of vitamin-C than healthy children.

To find the closest holistic medical doctor to you, call The American Academy For The Advancement Of Medicine at 1-800-532-3688 or 949-583-7666 fax 949-455-9679. To find the naturopathic doctor closest to you, call the American Association Of Naturopathic Physicians at 206-323-7610.

In Canada, you can contact The Canadian Complementary Medical Association , at 403-433-0481 (fax 403-433-0481), or The Canadian Naturopathic Association , at 416-233-1043.

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