Home Remedies For Asthma

April 15th, 2010

There are a few home remedies for asthma that you can turn to for keeping your condition under control. Asthma occurs when your respiratory tract narrows and you have difficulty breathing. The main factors that can cause asthma are allergies, some foods, drugs, hair, perfumes, choked lungs, blocked nostrils, weather conditions, inflammation in the respiratory organs, dust and clothes, or it could be a genetic condition that has been passed down to your body.

People suffering from asthma are usually able to lead normal lives with the aid of medication and other alternate methods, but asthma can be a killer too, especially if your bouts are severe and the condition is not being properly treated.

If you are suffering from asthma then your breathing will be uneven, your chest will be congested or inflamed and feel very heavy, you will be suffering from chronic cough with thick mucus formation, and when you breathe, you will be able to hear the sound of a whistle. Everyone who is asthmatic needs to carry an inhaler or respirator with him or her at all times, since you can never know when you will get an asthma attack, and only the inhaler can open up your respiratory canal and let air enter.

We will come to the home remedies for asthma in a while, but before that let us take a look at what you can to keep your condition under check. Eat foods that are easily digestible, avoid all fruits that have a high sugar content, like apples and bananas, stay away from spicy food,   drink plenty of fluids, keep your bedroom spic and span at all times, stay away from air fresheners, perfumes, aftershaves, deodorants and aftershaves, and do not smoke at all.

Now let us go through those home remedies for asthma. Take a few holy basil leaves, mix them with honey and eat them every day after waking up. If your asthma is in the early stages, chew a little bit of black pepper every night before hitting the sack. Or you could mix ginger with lemon juice and have it every day. It is also advised to chew some holy basil leaves with rock salt whenever you feel an attack is about to take place.

One home remedy that most people swear by is a paste made of turmeric and honey, and taken everyday. It is said that of the home remedies for asthma, this one has worked even when the others did not!

Asthma Remedy

April 14th, 2010

Asthma remedy can come in the form of medication or natural methods, and are designed to reduce all the symptoms associated with this condition, and thus allow the person suffering from this condition to breathe easier.

The extract of the Boswellia tree is known to provide a natural remedy for asthma. These trees are found in the dry hilly regions of India, and the extract is sold in a capsule form to cure this breathing disorder. It is believed that the Boswellia extract has natural anti-inflammatory properties; the tree produces something called a resin, which is removed, cleansed and used for healing.

The Whole Family Guide to Natural Asthma Relief had published a study that supported the claim that boswellia extract is effective when it comes to asthma treatment the natural way. The study was conduced over a period of six weeks, and the 40 asthma patients were treated with either a placebo or 300 mg of boswellia extract supplement, three times  every day. Seventy percent of those participants who were on boswellia, reported lesser number of asthma attacks, less obstruction in their airways, considerable relief from wheezing, and more lung capacity.

Another effective herbal remedy for asthma is the ginkgo biloba herb. Though a native of Oriental countries like China, Japan and Korea, today millions of gingko trees are grown in the United States and other countries all over the world, because of the medicinal properties found n their leaves.

While on the Orient, another remedy for asthma is acupuncture, and even the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health support the claim that it is an effective natural treatment for asthma. Acupuncture is an ancient form of treatment, which uses needles and places them in strategic locations all over the human body. This placement of needles is done with the intention to allow the flow of energy all through the body, and thus facilitate healing.

The journal Zhongguo Zhen Jiu had published a study in March 2005, after the result of using acupuncture on 90 patients suffering from severe asthma were examined. The results showed that the natural treatment of asthma using acupuncture did improve the conditions of those 90 participants. Their lungs were functioning better and there was noticeable reduction in the regularity of their asthma attacks. It is generally advised that if using acupuncture as an asthma remedy, the patient must undergo treatment a few times every week.

Natural Cures for Asthma

March 23rd, 2010

Asthma often causes a person’s lungs to become chronically inflamed and their airways to become narrow. With steady-state asthma a person will most likely cough a little at night, and have to often clear their throat. They may feel tightness in their chest, and labored breathing upon exercise.

These mild asthma symptoms can sometimes get much worse, to the point that they turn into a more serious form of asthma where the person has an actual acute asthma attack. Treatment for asthma can range from over the counter treatments, to prescribed medicine. There are also some natural remedies for asthma.

Not all people suffering from asthma wheeze, in fact more often than not an asthmatic will not have problems with wheezing. Usually wheezing only occurs when a person is actually experiencing an acute asthma attack. When someone is having an acute attack of asthma they will typically feel very tight in their chest, they will start wheezing and they will feel very short of breath. If this is allowed to go on to the point that their airways actually become very restricted wheezing will stop, and the person will then be in danger of not being able to get enough air into their lungs.

Asthma is genetic, and environmental factors can also come into play and either worsen the asthma, or at times bring on an asthma attack in someone who is not genetically predisposed to it. Environmental factors that can either exacerbate or initiate an asthma attack include things such as tobacco smoke, bad air quality, and different stressors.  Thankfully, natural home remedies for asthma can really make a difference for someone suffering with an asthma attack, and greatly lessen the severity and the length of the attack, as well as help prevent future attacks.

Asthma is sometimes brought on when someone is allergic to something in their immediate environment or something in the outside air. However, if these allergies are treated as soon as they appear, you will often find that asthma does not develop. Another thing that can make asthma much worse, is cigarette smoking. If someone smokes, their lungs become even more inflamed, and unfortunately medication taken to help alleviate asthma decline in their effectiveness, thus asthma attacks gradually become more frequent and more severe.

If someone has asthma, it is very important that they take good care of themselves, and especially that they eat a diet that is rich in magnesium and selenium. These two trace minerals are particularly helpful to asthma sufferers. Magnesium can help to open up the airways, and selenium is an antioxidant. Vitamin C is another antioxidant, which helps improve the quality of the lung’s lining.

Another natural asthma remedy to control asthma, without needing medical intervention, is by taking careful note of what triggers an asthma attack and then avoiding it. For example, some people cannot be around pets without it triggering an attack, those people usually have to stay away from pets. Some over the counter pain relievers have also been known to trigger asthma.  In cases where the person cannot avoid those triggers, they then have the option of going through a desensitization program and taking medication.

Treatment is based upon the severity of the asthma attacks, and how often they occur. Medically, asthmatics are often prescribed bronchodilators. These help overcome shortness of breath and wheezing by opening up the airways. Commonly, these bronchodilators are delivered via an inhaler.

Some natural cures for asthma include chiropractic treatments, acupuncture, and physiotherapy.  While not everyone is convinced that these non-traditional methods of controlling or alleviating asthma work, they have been a help to many who suffer with this condition. They are also especially useful for people who do not want to take the medical treatment route, and who do not want to become overly dependent on bronchodilators.

Another natural cure for asthma is one that helps to increase the natural movement of the rib cage, and thus help improve blood circulation to the lungs and consequently help improve oxygen absorption. Tapping a person’s chest or upper back is also helpful in loosening phlegm so that it can be coughed up.