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Individuals who fall under one or more of the following categories should consult with their practitioner before taking ginko biloba. Those with:

• blood circulation disorders
• taking antidepressants
• anticoagulants (ibuprofen or aspirin)
• women who are pregnant

Possible side effects include:^1,2

• increased risk of bleeding
• gastrointestinal discomfort
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• headaches
• dizziness
• heart palpitations
• restlessness

While lung function tests were not always used for diagnosis in the past, the NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma state that "Pulmonary function studies are essential for diagnosing asthma and for assessing the severity of asthma in order to make appropriate therapeutic recommendations. The use of objective measures of lung function is particularly important, because subjective measures, such as patient symptom reports and physicians' physical examination findings, often do not correlate with the variability and severity of airflow obstruction."

Lung function tests include measuring peak flow with a peak flow meter, the use of a simple spirometer, or may involve a battery of spirometry tests in a pulmonary function lab.

More on Peak and Flow Meter

More on Spirometer

Symptoms may occur during the day or at night. If they happen at night, they may disturb your sleep.

When the bronchi become irritated and/or infected, an asthma attack may be triggered. The attack may be acute onset and happen suddenly, or develop gradually over several days or hours. The main symptoms that can signal an impending asthma attack are as follows:

• Wheezing

• Breathlessness

• Chest tightness

• Coughing

• Difficulty speaking

Wheezing is the most common symptom of an asthma attack. Wheezing is defined as a whistling noise in the chest during breathing when the airways are narrowed or compressed. Not all asthmatics wheeze, and not all people who wheeze are asthmatics.

The characteristics of wheezing include:

• Hearing a musical, whistling, or hissing sound with breathing

• Most often heard during inhalation, but they can occur while breathing out (exhalation)

Current guidelines from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) and its Expert Panel Report 2 (EPR 2) have set forth the grading of asthma severity into the following four categories based on frequency of daytime and nocturnal symptoms, peak flows, and as-needed use of inhaled for the care of people with asthma including:

Mild intermittent asthma:

This includes asthma attacks no more often than twice weekly and nighttime attacks no more than twice a monthly, with attacks lasting no more than a few hours to a few days. The severity of attacks may vary, but there are no symptoms between attacks.

Mild persistent asthma:

This includes asthma attacks more than twice weekly, but not daily and nighttime symptoms that may occur more frequently than twice monthly. Sometimes the asthma attacks are severe enough to interrupt regular activities.

Moderate persistent asthma:

This includes daily attacks and nighttime symptoms more than once weekly. In addition, more severe attacks occur at least twice weekly and may last for days. Asthma attacks require daily use of quick-relief (rescue) medication and interrupt some daily activities.

Severe persistent asthma:

This includes frequent, severe attacks, continual datime symptoms, and frequent nighttime symptoms daily. Asthma symptoms limit daily activities.

People with mild and moderate asthma are susceptible to the occurrence of asthma attacks. The severity of asthma may change over time, either for better or for worse.

When to seek medical care for asthma symptoms

If you think you or your child may have asthma, make an appointment with your health-care provider to determine the cause of your symptoms. Some clues pointing to asthma may include the following:

• Wheezing

• Difficulty breathing

• Pain or tightness in your chest

• Recurrent, spasmodic cough that is worse at night

A single case of liver disease in an infant has led to concern around the levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids present in coltsfoot. Germany went so far as the bann the sale of coltsfood in response to the aforementioned case in 1992.¹ Therefore, coltsfoot should not be taken during pregnancy or breast-feeding.²

Safety Issues

Baicalin, wobogin, and baicalein appear to have a low order of toxicity, though comprehensive safety studies have not been performed. There have been case reports of liver injury associated with use of skullcap products, but these may have been due to adulteration by the herb germander.

One animal study found worrisome evidence that baicalin might markedly reduce the absorption of drug cyclosporine , used to prevent organ transplant rejection. ¹ Another study found that baicalin might reduce blood levels of drugs in the statin family , used to improve cholesterol profile. ² Safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or people with severe liver or kidney disease has not been established.

Interactions You Should Know About

If you are taking:

• Cyclosporine : Do not use Chinese skullcap or its constituents.

• Cholesterol-lowering drugs in the statin family : Use of Chinese skullcap might reduce its effectiveness.

Acupuncture consists of the usage of sterile, disposable, single-use, and hair thin needles inserted into points on the body that have scientifically and empirically validated therapeutic effects on the brain, nervous system, blood circulation, internal organs, and hormones. ][1]

The stimulation of these points impacts specific energy imbalances in the body and can create a harmonious environment in a woman’s body that can successfully achieve fertility. It is fairly well agreed on that Acupuncture helps with relaxation and increases beta-endorphins, known as the “feel good” hormones. Other benefits noted in use of Acupuncture during the fertility process are:

• Improvement in sperm quality and counts in infertile men

• Improvement in the lining of the endometrium and increased blood flow to the uterus

• Regulation of hormone levels

• Improvement of thyroid problems

1. Lian, F. "TCM Treatment of Luteal Phase Defect-An Analysis of 60 Cases", Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jun;11 (2):115-20, 1991
2. Cai, Xuefen "Sunbstitution of Acupuncture for HCG in Ovulation Induction", Journal of Tradtional Chinese Medicine, 17 (2): 117-20, 1997
3. Pei, L J, Strehler, E., Noss, U., Piomboni, P., Baccetti, B., Sterzik, K. "Quantitative Evaluation of Spermatozoa Ultrastructure After Acupuncture Treatment for Idiopathic Male Infertility" Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
4. www.westlakecomplementarymedicine.com/research/research.10.infertility.pdfZhang, H.Y., Yu X. Z., Wang G.L., "Preliminary Report of the Treatment of Luteal Phase Defect by Replenishing Kidney. An Analysis of 53 Cases", Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Aug; 12 (8): 473-74, 352-53, 199
5. Paulus W., et al. "Influence of Acupuncture on the Pregnancy Rate in Patients Who Undergo Assisted Reproduction Therapy. Fertility and Sterility April 2002; 77 (4):721-4.Reproductive Journal Fertility and Sterility, April 2002

Numerous scientific studies have been conducted that demonstrate the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of infertility, including in women with anovulatory cycles, and those receiving IVF. The results of these clinical studies conclude that acupuncture increases the effectiveness of IVF, as well as being effective as a stand alone treatment for male and female infertility.

• Women who received Acupuncture with IVF had 66% more successful fertilizations than the control group who did not receive acupuncture in a sample of 160 women, in a peer-reviewed study conducted at Columbia University in 2002.

• Pregnancy rates in 60 cases of uncomplicated lacteal phase defects was 56% after 3 months in Nan Jing Treatment hospital in a peer-reviewed study conducted in 2008.

• In a study of 28 men receiving acupuncture for infertility, the control group was unchanged, while the treatment group had significant changes in sperm counts, normality, motility and apoptosis.

• In a study of 10 women conducted in China, acupuncture replaced HMG and HCG to induce ovulation in 10 of 11 months without causing any side effects.

• In a study of 53 women conducted in China, 41% women with significant lacteal phase infertility became pregnant with the use of Chinese Herbal Medicine alone. The remaining 68 % required Acupuncture.

• The Acupuncture specialist will spend about 2 hours of one on one time with you in your first visit assessing and diagnosing the causes of your infertility, utilizing TCM medical diagnosis that includes a series of in-depth health questions, emotional questions, tongue, pulse, listening to your breathing, and observing your responses. It is important to bring all of your blood reports, scans, and list of medications for this key, diagnostic session.

• After arriving at a diagnosis, the Acupuncture specialist will select a series of about 12-15 points to insert the painless needles based on their diagnosis for infertility. Every treatment may be a little different, as each the doctor will check your tongue and pulse, as well as ask questions regarding your progress. As you progress, the selected needle sites will change. It is a very dynamic process, and one that is typically customized to your condition. The needles are usually retained in the body for 20-30 minutes, usually while you are relaxing under soft lighting and listening to calming music.

• The Acupuncture specialist will write and perhaps fill a prescription for Chinese Herbs for infertility in 75% of cases. 50% of the efficacy of TCM in resolving infertility lies in the use of "Traditional Chinese Herbs", and is the most scientifically researched and elaborate herbal medicine system in the world. You may receive bags of herbals that are raw, and require boiling into a tea, powders that are mixed with warm water, syrups, or small "tea pills", or preparations of the tea that have been spray-dried and formed into a small pill.

• The Acupuncture Physician will give you a diet based on his or her diagnosis of infertility, since the digestive system always plays a central role in causing infertility in TCM, and hence, the importance of ingesting the herbal teas and diet therapy that promotes fertility. TCM diets are usually non-vegetarian, although can be modified for vegetarians who eat eggs.

• The Acupuncture Physician may apply a therapeutic massage called Tui-Na along with a warming liniment to stimulate micro-circulation around the abdominal region, and especially the uterus, ovaries, and digestive system. This will increase the effectiveness of the infertility treatment.

• The Acupuncture specialist may utilize several warming and natural infrared therapies while your needles are retained to treat your infertility. These are especially effective in dissolving endometrial growths, uterine blood clots, and ovarian cysts without causing any pain.

• Finally, you may expect to see the Acupuncture specialist for 3-6 months on a weekly basis. Your herbal and diet therapy will be followed in between visits. About 50% of infertile couples conceive after 3 months of acupuncture for infertility, and 75% after 6 months of following acupuncture for infertility.

Acupuncture may significantly improve both male and female fertility. The brain and spinal nerves send branches out to all regions of the body, especially to the skin, and these nerves, when stimulated with acupuncture needles by a qualified Acupuncture specialist in treating infertility and gynecology, can enhance fertility by balancing the 'qi' or energy flow within the body.

Acupuncture & Accupressure is increasingly recommended by fertility clinics as a complimentary solution along with medical treatment such as in-vitro fertilization and artificial insemination. In Chinese Medicine, fertility is believed to be caused by “Patterns of Disharmony”, which is a condition that affects the kidney, liver, blood and uterus as well as other bodily systems. The goal of the treatment is to restore the body’s hormonal balance and biochemical functioning.

"It can allow you to cross the line from infertile to fertile by helping your body function more efficiently, which in turn allows other, more modern reproductive treatments, like IVF, to also work more efficiently," says James Dillard, MD, assistant clinical professor, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and clinical adviser to Columbia's Rosenthal Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Chinese herbal medicine has thousands of scientific studies and research to support its use for many diseases including migraines.