Asthma

What is asthma?

Asthma is a disease in which the lungs’ airways produce extra mucus, making it hard to breathe. Asthma can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing. Asthma symptoms can escalate during certain situations, such as during exercise, during work with certain irritants such as chemical fumes, gases, and dust, and during allergies. Asthma is more commonly found in children than in adults. Asthma attacks occur when the muscles surrounding the lungs’ airways tighten, causing them to become too narrow to allow for breathing. Asthma rescue inhalers can be used for short-term relief of asthma symptoms such as difficulty breathing.

How is asthma related to canned food?

Canned foods usually contain the harmful chemical BPA, and BPA exposure can cause asthma. According to nih.gov (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27542534), three studies found that increased exposure to BPA was correlated to an increased risk of development of asthma in children. Another study (http://time.com/3475859/bpa-lung-function-children/) published in JAMA Pediatrics investigated the relationship between lung capacity and BPA. Higher BPA levels in pregnant mothers were associated with decreased lung capacity in the child by the time he/she was four years old. Researchers infer that the reason why BPA is linked to asthma and other lung problems is that BPA’s ability to imitate hormones such as estrogen allows it to harmfully interfere with normal body functions.

How serious is asthma?

Asthma on a certain level can become extremely serious. Asthma can cause trouble breathing, extreme coughing, and even chest pain. Severe asthma attacks can even result in death. Several studies also suggest that having asthma can increase your risk for developing lung cancer, the most lethal type of cancer. According to asthmamd.org (http://www.asthmamd.org/asthma-statistics/), everyday in the U.S., approximately 1,000 people are admitted to the hospital and 11 people die due to asthma.

How can asthma be avoided?

First of all, minimize your exposure to BPA by not eating canned food or eating in plastic. Exercise on a daily basis as being overweight can increase your risk for developing asthma. Don’t smoke and avoid air pollution whenever possible. Stay away from chemicals used in farming, hairdressing, and manufacturing. Having a blood relative with asthma will also increase your chances for developing asthma, but this is a risk factor that you can’t do anything about.