I noticed that I always get an increase in my asthma/breathing symptoms behind the wheel, especially on the highway. is this because of increased stress, or am I also breathing in toxins on the roads which are triggering it?

Hi Luke

Here is an unusual but very effective method to heal many issues (especially skin).
 
INTRODUCTION TO OIL PULLING ("OP")
REPORTED CURES WITH OIL PULLING:

Mouth & Gum Disease; Stiff Joints; Allergies; Asthma; Acne, High Blood Sugar; Constipation; Migraines; Bronchitis; Eczema; Heart, Kidney, Lung Diseases; Leukemia; Arthritis; Meningitis; Insomnia; Menopause (hormonal issues); Cancer; AIDS; Chronic Infections; Varicose Veins; High Blood Pressure; Diabetes; Polio; Cracked Heels,.

Here's are a few paragraphs from Bharat Savur's article on The Hindu Business Online

…"when Dr Karsch examined the swished milk-white oil under a microscope with 600 magnification, he saw live organisms swimming in it. It's poisonous, so never swallow it, he warns. These poisons are bacteria-embryos, which, if not eliminated, cause diseases. Apparently, Dr Karsch cured his own chronic blood disease and 15-year-old arthritis.

The first sign of improvement is in the teeth-they become firm and white, he says. Other healing indications: fresh, relaxed feeling on waking up, disappearing dark pouches below the eyes, anew appetite and energy, better memory and deep sleep.

Dr Karsch swears by the mouth oil-wash for anything from organ-disorders, skin-diseases, menstrual problems, paralysis to every ache and it is in the human anatomy. You can swish even when you have fever, he says, adding, it takes anything from two days to a year to cure a disease.

And if these claims sound exaggerated, he told a conference of Ukrainian cancer specialists, try out the process yourself.

Interestingly, Ayurveda advises oil swishing "to purify the taste-buds and the entire system", as explained by Dr Deepak Chopra in Perfect Health.

According to this life science, the tongue is mapped by organ-locations — that is, each section of the tongue is connected to the kidneys, lungs, spleen, liver, heart, pancreas, small intestines, stomach, colon, and spine.
Thus, an oil-mouth-massage soothes and stimulates the key meridians where taste meets organ. Simultaneously, as in any skin-massage, the inner skin and lining of the mouth, palate and tongue become warm and supple and the lubrication prevents dryness (the vatic effect).
In modern dietetics too, dryness is discussed.

For example, lack of Vitamin a (retinal) causes the outer lining of the eyeball to dry and wrinkle, and affects vision.
And as any dietician would tell you, all oils contain 960 micrograms of vitamin a per 10 gm (the recommended daily allowance of vitamin a per adult is 600 micrograms). So, it's possible that oil gargling helps in reaching the required retinal to the eyeballs and keeps them elastic and smooth.
Likewise, the Ayurvedic `purification of taste-buds' also has its equivalent in dietetics as `antioxidants'. Oxidation literally means `the putrefaction of body-tissues'.

And oil-soluble vitamins, a, C, D, and E are antioxidants that protect and prevent the decaying process and help maintain the integral functioning of cell membranes. That's why many people are ingesting vitamin E pills to stem `aging' (oxidation). "
 
Here is the link to learn more about OP

earthclinic.com/Remedies/oil_…

Best of health to you