How to Treat Asthma Naturally

With asthma, the airways of the lungs, called bronchial tubes, are inflamed. The surrounding muscles constrict and mucus is produced, which both cause airways to narrow.

Untreated asthma flare-ups can lead to hospitalization and can even be fatal. You should not treat this condition by yourself. A doctor’s supervision is required.

According to the mayo clinic, asthma symptoms vary from person to person. You may have infrequent asthma attacks, have symptoms only at certain times — such as when exercising — or have symptoms all the time.

Asthma signs and symptoms are:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness or pain
• Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing
• A whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling (wheezing is a common sign of asthma in children)
• Coughing that is worsened by a respiratory virus, such as a cold or the flu
• Wheezing attacks that are worsened by a respiratory virus, such as a cold or the flu

Signs that your asthma is most likely worsening are:

• Asthma signs and symptoms that are more frequent and bothersome
• Increasing difficulty breathing (measurable with a peak flow meter, a device used to check how well your lungs are working)
• The need to use a quick-relief inhaler more often

For some people, asthma signs and symptoms flare up in certain situations:

Exercise-induced asthma

Which may be worse when the air is cold and dry

Occupational asthma

Is triggered by workplace irritants such as chemical fumes, gases, or dust

Allergy-induced asthma

Is triggered by airborne substances, such as pollen, mold spores, cockroach waste, or particles of skin and dried saliva shed by pets (pet dander)

Natural Treatment for Asthma

Buteyko Breathing Technique for Asthma

What is the Buteyko Breathing Technique? The Buteyko (pronounced bew-TAY-ko) Breathing Technique was developed by Russian-born researcher Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko. It consists of shallow-breathing exercises designed to help people with asthma breathe easier. The Buteyko Breathing Technique is based on the premise that raising blood levels of carbon dioxide through shallow breathing can treat asthma. Carbon dioxide is believed to dilate the smooth muscles…

What is the Buteyko Breathing Technique?

The Buteyko (pronounced bew-TAY-ko) Breathing Technique was developed by Russian-born researcher Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko. It consists of shallow-breathing exercises designed to help people with asthma breathe easier. The Buteyko Breathing Technique is based on the premise that raising blood levels of carbon dioxide through shallow breathing can treat asthma. Carbon dioxide is believed to dilate the smooth muscles of the airways.

A study involving 60 people with asthma compared the effects of the Buteyko Breathing Technique, a device that mimics pranayama (a yoga breathing technique), and a placebo. Researchers found people using the Buteyko Breathing Technique had a reduction in asthma symptoms. Symptoms didn’t change in the pranayama and the placebo groups. The use of inhalers was reduced in the Buteyko group by two puffs a day at six months, but there was no change in the other two groups. There have been several other promising clinical trials evaluating this technique.

Benefits of Buteyko Breathing Technique

• Improvement in symptoms like difficulty in breathing, and reduction in the number of asthma attacks.
• Weight Loss

Facts to Consider

• Numerous studies have found that obesity is a risk factor for asthma.
• Biofeedback has long been recommended as a natural therapy for asthma.

Omega Fatty Acids

The primary inflammation-causing fat in our diets is called arachidonic acid. A German study examined data from 524 children and found that asthma was more prevalent in children with high levels of arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid is found in food, particularly egg yolks, shellfish, and meat. Eating less of these foods may decrease inflammation and asthma symptoms.

Arachidonic acid can also be produced in our bodies. Another strategy to reduce levels of arachidonic acid is to increase the intake of beneficial fats such as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) from fish oil, and GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) from borage or evening primrose oil.

Fruits and Vegetables

• A study examining food diaries of 68,535 women found that women who had a greater intake of tomatoes, carrots, and leafy vegetables had a lower prevalence of asthma.
• High consumption of apples may protect against asthma.
• Daily intake of fruits and vegetables in childhood decreased the risk of asthma.
• A University of Cambridge study found that asthma symptoms in adults are associated with a low dietary intake of fruit, vitamin C, and manganese.

Butterbur

This plant is used for asthma.  Butterbur is a perennial shrub that grows in Europe, Asia, and North America. The active constituents are petasin and isopetasin, which are believed to reduce smooth muscle spasms and have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Researchers at the University of Dundee, Scotland, evaluated the effects of the herb butterbur in people with allergic asthma who were also using inhalers. They found that butterbur added to the anti-inflammatory effect of the inhalers.

Another study examined the use of butterbur root extract in 80 people with asthma for four months. The number, duration, and severity of asthma attacks decreased and symptoms improved after using butterbur. More than 40 percent of people using asthma medication at the start of the study reduced their intake of medication by the end of the study.

The butterbur plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can cause liver damage. Only extracts in which the pyrrolizidine alkaloids have been removed should be used.

Bromelain

Bromelain is an extract from pineapples that is believed to be a natural anti-inflammatory. Researchers at the University of Connecticut found that bromelain reduced airway inflammation in animals with allergic airway disease. Side effects may include allergic reactions in some people.

Boswellia

The herb Boswellia, known in Indian Ayurvedic medicine as Salai Guggal, has been found to inhibit the formation of compounds called leukotrienes. Leukotrienes released in the lungs cause narrowing of airways.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of forty patients, 40 people with asthma were treated with a Boswellia extract three times a day for six weeks. At the end of this time, 70 percent of people had improved.

Symptoms

• Difficulty breathing, number of attacks, and laboratory measures had improved.
• Weight Loss
• Numerous studies have found that obesity is a risk factor for asthma.
• Biofeedback
• Biofeedback has long been recommended as a natural therapy for asthma

Garlic

Studies have shown that this food has several health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties. Because asthma is an inflammatory disease, garlic may be able to help relieve these symptoms.

Honey

This food is used by many as a nighttime cough suppressant. A form of nighttime asthma called nocturnal asthma.  This form of asthma can cause coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness. Honey can reduce inflammation in the bronchial tubes (airways within the lungs) and may help to break up the mucus that is making it hard for people with asthma to breathe.

Yoga

Stress can trigger asthma attacks.  Some have found yoga to be very beneficial.  The breathing exercises performed in yoga have been found to help some individuals with their asthma.  Control breathing helps to relieve stress, which is a common asthma trigger.