Asthma is a common pediatric respiratory condition characterized by the narrowing of the bronchioles, which can lead to wheezing and breathlessness. It can be chronic and significantly impact daily life if not managed effectively. According to the 2014 Global Asthma Report, 14% of the world's children experience asthma symptoms, with factors such as genetics, allergic conditions, maternal health, and environment potentially contributing to its development.
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CC: Asthma
Melanie was nine years old when she first experienced asthma symptoms and was exploring options in addition to a steroid inhaler. It was June, the height of summer in Chicagoland, when Melanie was outside playing, and her mom noticed her wheezing and having difficulty catching her breath. They followed up with their primary care doctor, who conducted a chest x-ray, lung auscultation, and a pulmonary function test, which all showed normal results. The breathing episode happened again a few days later, after which they consulted again with their primary care provider and received an asthma diagnosis along with a prescription for a steroid and a rescue inhaler.
Additional History:
Melanie had a healthy childhood with limited illness and antibiotic use. She lived with her family and their two pet dogs in a three-year-old house with no water damage episodes. She ate a whole-food, mostly plant-based diet with occasional chicken and fish, a high intake of fruits, and limited processed foods. She was overall a very happy and active child, enjoyed playing outdoors, was enrolled in soccer yearly since age four, and had never had breathing issues previously that she could recall.
Overall, Melanie had regular, healthy digestion and no other concerning symptoms except her frequent throat clearing, sneezing, and itchy nose during the spring and fall seasons. She was not taking any medications and was only on a children's gummy multivitamin.
Initial Lab Work
GI Effects Stool Panel
- Commensal balance is good with adequate levels of beneficial microflora such as akkermansia muciniphilia, lactobacillus spp., and Bifidobacterium spp.
- Pancreatic elastase, total protein, and fecal fats were all normal
- Eosinophil protein X was moderately elevated at 1.8 (under 0.5 ideal)
- Fecal secretory IgA was also moderately elevated at 1311 (under 680 ideal)
- Negative for any potential pathogenic bacteria
Lab Analysis
The stool panel indicates a moderate level of inflammation, with the eosinophil protein specifically elevated, suggesting inflammation and an allergic response. This, paired with Melanie’s food sensitivity panel and long history of seasonal allergies, suggests a high allergic propensity contributing to her recent asthma onset.
Interventions
Since Melanie’s diet was already devoid of the main allergen triggers: food additives, preservatives, and artificial colors and flavors, we focused on reducing mucus-producing foods and her now-identified food sensitivities: wheat, sugar, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, bananas, oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit. She was encouraged to include more foods that may help manage mucus production, such as dry grains like chickpeas, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa.
Supplemental Support
Full Breath (Organic India): an ayurvedic blend of herbs traditionally used to support bronchial health and manage mucus levels. She was instructed to open 1 capsule and mix it with local, raw honey daily.
For supporting mast cell stabilization and managing histamine production, as well as supporting gut lining health, a powdered Vitamin C and quercetin combination product, 10 mg of zinc, and 1 gram of EPA/DHA fish oil were suggested daily.
She enjoyed smoothies and was encouraged to brew nettle leaf tea and use it as the liquid base for those smoothies to provide additional support for her body's natural defenses against allergens.
Lifestyle Support
A HEPA air filter was brought into her bedroom, and they removed the area rug in her room, leaving wood floors.
She was instructed to do a Neti pot nasal rinse with Xlear saline nasal packets added to the filtered water after coming in from playing outside.
Follow-Up 2 Months Later
Within 2 days of beginning the protocol, Melanie noticed an improvement in her breathing, and by her second week, she observed a reduction in all her allergy symptoms. Her mom noted that she seemed more alert during the day and that she was sleeping deeper at night.
Labs Repeated 5 Months Later:
GI Effects Stool Panel
- Eosinophil protein X: 0.2 (under 0.5 ideal)
- Fecal secretory IgA: 522 (under 680 ideal)
At our 5-month follow-up visit, Melanie had reintroduced citrus back on a rotation basis of 1x weekly but had kept egg yolks and wheat/gluten out of her diet. She experienced a significant reduction in allergy symptoms after 1 month on the protocol and had not had a single episode of asthma since.
She was advised to continue with the fish oil and vitamin C/quercetin 3x weekly, ongoing for long-term support, but to reserve the Full Breath for when the spring season begins.
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Summary
With the high co-occurrence of asthma and seasonal allergies, the reduction of symptoms on both ends helps illustrate the potential connection between these processes. Supporting mast cells and managing histamine release while also supporting gut lining health with supplemental support and dietary adjustments provided both symptom management as well as visible lab improvements.
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