Natural Remedies for Asthma

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Are Natural Remedies for Asthma?
• 10 Natural Remedies for Asthma
• Are There Natural Remedies for Asthma Attacks?
• Natural Asthma Remedy Risks
• Make an Asthma Action Plan
• Use a Peak Flow Meter
• Keep an Asthma Diary
• Goals of Managing Asthma
• More

With all the studies on alternative medicine and natural remedies, you may wonder if there’s a natural cure for asthma. Unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma at this point. In fact, you should avoid any treatment or product — natural or otherwise — that claims to be a “cure” for asthma.

Some natural therapies may help you manage symptoms of asthma. For instance, a negative response to emotional stress can cause an asthma attack. Some natural relaxation remedies like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and biofeedback can help relieve stress.

Other findings suggest that diet plays a role in easing asthma symptoms. For example, omega-3 fatty acids found naturally in high-fat fish like salmon, mackerel, and cod may help your body fight inflammation. Whether this may help people who have asthma is still unproven.

Many things get credit for being natural asthma remedies. But because studies on complementary and alternative treatments for asthma have been limited, it’s not clear how safe and effective all of them are.

These natural remedies have been studied:

Acupuncture. This traditional Chinese treatment involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body. While some people with asthma say acupuncture eases their symptoms, there’s little proof that it works as an asthma treatment.

Biofeedback. Learning to control your heart rate may help you manage your asthma, but more studies are needed to confirm a benefit.

Herbs and natural dietary supplements. Many people use herbs, plants, and supplements, especially Chinese herbs, to treat asthma. It’s not clear how well many of them work. More research is needed on supplements like magnesium and fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids). But vitamins C, D, and E may help lower your risk of symptoms.

Asthma diet. If you have a food allergy, avoiding trigger foods may also help with some asthma symptoms.

Plant-based diet. Several studies have found benefits for people with asthma who follow the Mediterranean diet.It involves lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like olive oil. You eat more fatty fish and poultry than red meat. Experts think this diet helps with asthma symptoms because it helps fight inflammation in your body. A similar eating plan called DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) may also improve asthma control.

Weight loss. Most people who have extra pounds carry them in the middle of their body. This can make it harder for your lungs to work. Losing weight can improve lung volume and lower your chances of conditions that make asthma worse, like diabetes or high blood pressure. It may also make exercise easier, which could improve your asthma symptoms.

Caffeine. Caffeine is a mild bronchodilator, which means it helps open your airways. Studies have found that it may improve airway function in people who have asthma.

Yoga. Stress may trigger asthma symptoms. Breathing exercises used in yoga have been found to help some people with asthma control breathing and relieve stress, a common asthma trigger.

Buteyko breathing. This technique focuses on slow breathing and short periods when you hold your breath. It doesn’t treat asthma, but it may help improve the pattern of your breathing.

Papworth method. This relaxation and breathing system teaches you to breathe from your diaphragm so your lungs fill with as much air as possible.

The typical treatment for an asthma attack is a quick-acting (rescue) inhaler with medication. Sit upright and take slow, steady breaths. Try to stay calm. Follow the asthma action plan that you’ve set up with your doctor. If your breathing doesn’t get better or if you’re so short of breath that you can’t talk, get medical help right away.

Some breathing exercises can help with symptoms of an asthma attack.

• Pursed-lip breathing. This slows your breathing and helps hold your airways open longer so your lungs work better. With your mouth closed, breathe in slowly through your nose. Then breathe out through your mouth, with your lips pursed like you’re whistling, for twice as long.
• Belly breathing. This technique uses the same steps as pursed-lip breathing. But as you breathe in, focus on the movement of your belly. Picture it filling with air like a balloon. It may help to keep your hands on your belly so you can concentrate on the air going in and out.

As you consider the different types of natural asthma remedies, it’s very important to carefully balance your desire to breathe easier with the possible dangers of the treatments, which may be unknown. Keep these things in mind:

• Never use any dietary supplement before checking with your doctor.
• Some natural herbal products, such as bee pollen, may trigger an asthma attack if you’re allergic to the specific plant.
• Never stop using your asthma drugs without your doctor’s knowledge. If you don’t follow your treatment plan, the results can be very serious and even deadly.

If you’re not sure about the claims on a natural dietary supplement product label, call your doctor before taking it. They can check the product to let you know if it has any health benefits.

If you don’t have one already, work with your doctor to create an asthma action plan. This is something you talk about and write down. It helps you tell how well-controlled your asthma is and what to do about it. Your action plan might include:

• How much medicine to take and when
• A list of your triggers and ways to avoid them
• What to do when you have specific symptoms of trouble

A peak flow meter is an inexpensive handheld gadget. You use it to measure how fast air comes out when you exhale hard after a full breath in. This number is called a peak expiratory flow (PEF).

Your doctor may want you to use a peak flow meter to help you recognize signs of trouble. Many asthma symptoms result from not being able to move air out of your lungs. If your PEF goes down, that’s a sign that your asthma is getting worse and that you need to do something.

A diary can help you keep track of how well-controlled your asthma is. Every day, write down:

• Any asthma symptoms you had and how you’re feeling
• Where you were and what you were doing right before a flare
• When you’re using medication and how much
• Your PEF numbers

All of this information, collected in one place, helps you and your doctor see patterns and recognize warnings of asthma attacks. You can learn to prevent them or stop them before you get very ill.

Your doctor can also check your diary to see how well your asthma action plan is working.

Even though there’s no natural cure for asthma, your symptoms can be treated and controlled with several asthma medications. Your goal in managing asthma is to:

• Get an accurate asthma diagnosis.
• Work with your doctor to come up with an asthma action plan.
• Monitor your peak flow rate daily and do the right things when it drops.
• Keep an asthma diary so you can track all your symptoms and medication use.
• Avoid asthma triggers or causes of asthma, including outdoor irritants like smog.
• Seek medical advice and treatment for problems that can worsen asthma symptoms, like GERD, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis.
• Exercise daily to boost your aerobic fitness.
• Prevent exercise-induced asthma by medicating before exercise.
• Eat nutritious foods to boost your immune defenses against viral and bacterial infections.
• Stay at a normal weight.
• Get plenty of restful sleep.
• Call your health care provider at the first sign of asthma symptoms.
• Check in with your health care provider regularly for breathing tests to make sure your asthma is managed and your medications are working at their best.

You hold the key to living well with asthma. Trust your health care provider to give you guidance, and then take daily responsibility for your breathing with proven ways to take care of yourself.

Top Picks

Natural Remedies for Asthma

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Are Natural Remedies for Asthma?
• 10 Natural Remedies for Asthma
• Are There Natural Remedies for Asthma Attacks?
• Natural Asthma Remedy Risks
• Make an Asthma Action Plan
• Use a Peak Flow Meter
• Keep an Asthma Diary
• Goals of Managing Asthma
• More

With all the studies on alternative medicine and natural remedies, you may wonder if there’s a natural cure for asthma. Unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma at this point. In fact, you should avoid any treatment or product — natural or otherwise — that claims to be a “cure” for asthma.

Some natural therapies may help you manage symptoms of asthma. For instance, a negative response to emotional stress can cause an asthma attack. Some natural relaxation remedies like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and biofeedback can help relieve stress.

Other findings suggest that diet plays a role in easing asthma symptoms. For example, omega-3 fatty acids found naturally in high-fat fish like salmon, mackerel, and cod may help your body fight inflammation. Whether this may help people who have asthma is still unproven.

Many things get credit for being natural asthma remedies. But because studies on complementary and alternative treatments for asthma have been limited, it’s not clear how safe and effective all of them are.

These natural remedies have been studied:

Acupuncture. This traditional Chinese treatment involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body. While some people with asthma say acupuncture eases their symptoms, there’s little proof that it works as an asthma treatment.

Biofeedback. Learning to control your heart rate may help you manage your asthma, but more studies are needed to confirm a benefit.

Herbs and natural dietary supplements. Many people use herbs, plants, and supplements, especially Chinese herbs, to treat asthma. It’s not clear how well many of them work. More research is needed on supplements like magnesium and fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids). But vitamins C, D, and E may help lower your risk of symptoms.

Asthma diet. If you have a food allergy, avoiding trigger foods may also help with some asthma symptoms.

Plant-based diet. Several studies have found benefits for people with asthma who follow the Mediterranean diet. It involves lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like olive oil. You eat more fatty fish and poultry than red meat. Experts think this diet helps with asthma symptoms because it helps fight inflammation in your body. A similar eating plan called DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) may also improve asthma control.

Weight loss. Most people who have extra pounds carry them in the middle of their body. This can make it harder for your lungs to work. Losing weight can improve lung volume and lower your chances of conditions that make asthma worse, like diabetes or high blood pressure. It may also make exercise easier, which could improve your asthma symptoms.

Caffeine. Caffeine is a mild bronchodilator, which means it helps open your airways. Studies have found that it may improve airway function in people who have asthma.

Yoga. Stress may trigger asthma symptoms. Breathing exercises used in yoga have been found to help some people with asthma control breathing and relieve stress, a common asthma trigger.

Buteyko breathing. This technique focuses on slow breathing and short periods when you hold your breath. It doesn’t treat asthma, but it may help improve the pattern of your breathing.

Papworth method. This relaxation and breathing system teaches you to breathe from your diaphragm so your lungs fill with as much air as possible.

The typical treatment for an asthma attack is a quick-acting (rescue) inhaler with medication. Sit upright and take slow, steady breaths. Try to stay calm. Follow the asthma action plan that you’ve set up with your doctor. If your breathing doesn’t get better or if you’re so short of breath that you can’t talk, get medical help right away.

Some breathing exercises can help with symptoms of an asthma attack.

• Pursed-lip breathing. This slows your breathing and helps hold your airways open longer so your lungs work better. With your mouth closed, breathe in slowly through your nose. Then breathe out through your mouth, with your lips pursed like you’re whistling, for twice as long.
• Belly breathing. This technique uses the same steps as pursed-lip breathing. But as you breathe in, focus on the movement of your belly. Picture it filling with air like a balloon. It may help to keep your hands on your belly so you can concentrate on the air going in and out.

As you consider the different types of natural asthma remedies, it’s very important to carefully balance your desire to breathe easier with the possible dangers of the treatments, which may be unknown. Keep these things in mind:

• Never use any dietary supplement before checking with your doctor.
• Some natural herbal products, such as bee pollen, may trigger an asthma attack if you’re allergic to the specific plant.
• Never stop using your asthma drugs without your doctor’s knowledge. If you don’t follow your treatment plan, the results can be very serious and even deadly.

If you’re not sure about the claims on a natural dietary supplement product label, call your doctor before taking it. They can check the product to let you know if it has any health benefits.

If you don’t have one already, work with your doctor to create an asthma action plan. This is something you talk about and write down. It helps you tell how well-controlled your asthma is and what to do about it. Your action plan might include:

• How much medicine to take and when
• A list of your triggers and ways to avoid them
• What to do when you have specific symptoms of trouble

A peak flow meter is an inexpensive handheld gadget. You use it to measure how fast air comes out when you exhale hard after a full breath in. This number is called a peak expiratory flow (PEF).

Your doctor may want you to use a peak flow meter to help you recognize signs of trouble. Many asthma symptoms result from not being able to move air out of your lungs. If your PEF goes down, that’s a sign that your asthma is getting worse and that you need to do something.

A diary can help you keep track of how well-controlled your asthma is. Every day, write down:

• Any asthma symptoms you had and how you’re feeling
• Where you were and what you were doing right before a flare
• When you’re using medication and how much
• Your PEF numbers

All of this information, collected in one place, helps you and your doctor see patterns and recognize warnings of asthma attacks. You can learn to prevent them or stop them before you get very ill.

Your doctor can also check your diary to see how well your asthma action plan is working.

Even though there’s no natural cure for asthma, your symptoms can be treated and controlled with several asthma medications. Your goal in managing asthma is to:

• Get an accurate asthma diagnosis.
• Work with your doctor to come up with an asthma action plan.
• Monitor your peak flow rate daily and do the right things when it drops.
• Keep an asthma diary so you can track all your symptoms and medication use.
• Avoid asthma triggers or causes of asthma, including outdoor irritants like smog.
• Seek medical advice and treatment for problems that can worsen asthma symptoms, like GERD, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis.
• Exercise daily to boost your aerobic fitness.
• Prevent exercise-induced asthma by medicating before exercise.
• Eat nutritious foods to boost your immune defenses against viral and bacterial infections.
• Stay at a normal weight.
• Get plenty of restful sleep.
• Call your health care provider at the first sign of asthma symptoms.
• Check in with your health care provider regularly for breathing tests to make sure your asthma is managed and your medications are working at their best.

You hold the key to living well with asthma. Trust your health care provider to give you guidance, and then take daily responsibility for your breathing with proven ways to take care of yourself.

Top Picks

Bronchial asthma. Natural remedies

Asthma is difficulty in breathing due to swelling of the airways or phlegm. Most often bronchial asthma is caused by allergens such as household and industrial dust, plant pollen, fungal spores, particles of pet hair, as well as microorganisms that inhabit the upper respiratory tract and bronchi of a person.

If the disease is left untreated, complications such as emphysematous lung disorders, pneumothorax or acute respiratory failure may occur.

Bronchial asthma is a chronic respiratory disease and occurs as a reaction of the body to one or more allergens – dust, pollen, animal hair, mold. Asthma treatment focuses on releasing the airways and controlling their inflammation.

Asthma and the psyche

Each person reacts differently to the diagnosis of such a disease as asthma. Initially, fear and uncertainty always dominate. For every patient, an asthmatic crisis is always a dramatic experience – it triggers a fear response, which in turn can affect breathing. The realization of the fact that there are effective treatments for the disease of bronchial asthma often has a positive effect, reassuring and reassuring patients.

Some natural and most effective remedies for the treatment of bronchial asthma

• Treatment with honey. Honey is the most commonly used remedy for asthma attacks. To feel the healing power of honey, the patient must breathe easily and deeply over the honey pot.
• Treatment with figs. Of all the fruits, figs are the best for asthma patients, they improve the well-being and comfort of the patient by draining phlegm (mucus) that accumulates in the airways. For treatment, 3-4 figs are dipped in warm water all night and by morning they can be eaten.
• Lemon treatment. You should dilute the juice of 1 lemon in a glass of water, which is consumed with meals.
• Treatment with ginger. A teaspoon of fresh ginger juice is mixed with a glass of fenugreek tea and honey is added to taste. The mixture acts as an excellent expectorant. The mixture should be taken in the morning and evening.
• Treatment with saffron. Half a teaspoon of dried ground saffron seeds, mixed with a tablespoon of honey and taken twice a day to relieve the condition of the disease. An infusion of 5 g of saffron flowers, with a teaspoon of honey taken daily 1 time, is also useful in this disease.

Recommended diet for asthma

Patients with asthma should avoid an unbalanced diet. Ideally, asthma patients should consume limited amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats because these foods stimulate excess secretion of stomach acid. Along with this, it is recommended to beware of foods that lead to excessive sputum production: rice, sugar, lentils, yogurt.

Indigestible food: coffee, alcohol, spices, sauces.

In case of bronchial asthma, it is preferable to eat alkaline foods: fresh fruits, sprouted grains and seeds, green vegetables.

Based on articles from the website bronhialnaya-astma.com

Ways to treat bronchial asthma

The best strategy for managing a disease such as AD is to intervene early in the exacerbation of the disease. Before attacks become severe and potentially life-threatening. Numerous studies of the circumstances leading to death in asthmatics have revealed errors in the assessment of the condition, both on the part of patients and doctors.

Our pulmonologists are ordinary people, but more than 20 years of experience in a pulmonology hospital significantly reduces the risk of errors and untimely actions for our patients with bronchial asthma.

Unfortunately, bronchial asthma is not a curable disease. So far, science has not been able to create drugs that would once and for all save the patient from this disease, but work in this direction is underway, as the number of patients is steadily growing every year. The main goal of the treatment of bronchial asthma at the present time is that the quality of life of the patient does not suffer from the disease. And it’s absolutely real!

It is very important to achieve complete control of asthma during treatment:

• it is necessary to reduce the manifestations of asthma in the daytime to almost zero. Doctors allow attacks during the day, but not more than twice a week;
• the patient should not have any restrictions on physical activity;
• seizures should not occur at night;
• almost complete rejection of short-acting bronchodilator drugs. Doctors allow the use of this group of drugs only twice a week;
• no exacerbations and full lung function.

To achieve these goals for controlling asthma, a person will have to work hard.

The first thing to do immediately after diagnosis is to avoid contact with substances or factors that can cause an attack. Unfortunately, recognizing such stimuli (triggers) is very difficult, and each patient has his own list. But most often it is domestic dust, industrial and industrial dust, dander, wool or small scales of the skin of pets. It is worth noting that stress, strong physical exertion, or even a simple change in climate can also cause an attack.

Currently, there are about three hundred units of substances that can cause asthma attacks. Most often, these are various substances that have a low molecular weight, but at the same time have a high activity. These are platinum salts, complex substances of animal and vegetable origin, which can stimulate the production of IgE. Most often, asthma attacks occur in bakers, farmers, employees of companies that produce detergents. It is not uncommon for cosmetologists, as well as veterinarians and employees of various food companies, to have seizures.

Second . Bronchial asthma, as many people know, is not transmitted from person to person. Most often, all this is a hereditary disease that is transmitted precisely from parents to a child at birth. And if there are asthmatics in your family, then be sure to monitor the health of your children. It is also important to note that in recent years, the growth of the disease is associated with weight gain, it is obesity that becomes a serious factor in the development of bronchial asthma. Moreover, obesity does not allow to fully cope with the disease, often causing complications.

Third . If a patient with asthma has problems with the gastrointestinal tract, he also does not notice nasal polyposis, suffers from rhinitis, or has a dysfunction of the thyroid gland, then the treatment of these diseases should significantly improve the patient’s condition.

To reduce the number of irritants at home, special tools have been created that will help in cleaning the premises. These products are applied to furniture, carpets and any other coverings, which often become a breeding ground for dust mites. The film that forms on the surface after applying the product does not allow dust to penetrate the tissues, which means that mites have no chance. Additionally, special covers have been developed for upholstered furniture and bedding, which will prevent the development of microorganisms. It is especially important for asthmatics to prevent increased dryness in the premises, this applies to the winter period, when the humidity can quickly evaporate due to the heating season. If necessary, a humidifier can be installed in the house with the function of cleaning the air from dust and odors.

A huge problem for asthmatics is smoking, today many people smoke and it is very difficult for the patient if there is tobacco smoke in his environment. The body of even a healthy person can react badly to the smell of cigarette smoke, what can we say about asthmatics. If a pregnant woman smokes, and continues to smoke after birth, then in most cases children develop bronchial asthma. Moreover, development can begin not after birth, but already in adulthood.

It is possible to treat, or rather eliminate an asthma attack, only with inhalation drugs. But doctors have developed various methods of delivering drugs to the lungs, in the form of aerosols with liquid or powder, and also through nebulizers. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, but in any case, all drugs can be divided into two large groups.

The first group is drugs that allow you to remove inflammation and prevent severe attacks, that is, these are drugs to maintain therapy. If you constantly use these drugs, then you can prevent seizures at all. These include inhaled glucocorticosteroids, inhaled beta2-agonists, and tablets containing antileukotriene substances. In any case, all these drugs affect the lungs for a long time.

The second group are medicines that help relieve the attacks that have occurred, most often they act for a short period of time. These include drugs in the form of ventolin, berotek, salbutomol, etc. Doctors use this group of drugs exclusively to relieve an attack and do not recommend using them for long-term treatment.

Thanks to the constant use of drugs of the first group, inflammation of the bronchi is significantly reduced, which reduces the risk of seizures. Thanks to modern drugs containing beta-agonists and glucocorticoids, bronchial asthma is treated in both adults and children in very difficult cases, giving good results. Long-acting beta-agonists are most commonly used along with inhaled hormones. There is an opinion that such drugs are not safe, especially for children. But as practice and research by specialists shows, with a competent approach to treatment, there is no harm to the body, but bronchial asthma practically does not make itself felt.

Currently, inhalation drugs for treatment are divided into three groups: powder, aerosol and in the form of a solution for a nebulizer. All of them differ in the quality of drug delivery to the bronchi. In many ways, the difference depends on the drugs themselves, and not the method of delivery, some have smaller particles, and some vice versa. At the same time, different devices have different pressure jets. The doctor must decide for himself which type of inhalation is most suitable for his patient. The decision is made based on the severity of the disease and the age of the patient.

It must be understood that a nebulizer is not a drug or a method of treatment. It is an efficient way to deliver the drug to the body. The therapeutic effect is provided by the drug, and the nebulizer ensures its highly effective delivery to the target.

These are devices that do not require effort from patients when taking the drug. Often, doctors prescribe various drugs to expand the bronchi with nebulizers, which allows for greater effectiveness.

Exacerbation therapy

During an exacerbation of bronchial asthma, injections are possible – hotly revered by many patients, the famous “droppers”. It is carried out only in the clinic under inpatient supervision, it is important to note that this type of treatment has practically not been used in recent years, due to low efficiency. This method is justified for severe patients. Modern drugs delivered to the bronchi by inhalation often cope even with difficult cases. In extreme cases, the doctor may prescribe pills with hormones (prednisolone, metipred), for a short period of time. This option is much safer than injections. And finally, stop being afraid of the appointment of hormones. It’s not modern anymore!

With an exacerbation, bronchodilator drugs and hormonal drugs are always prescribed. In some cases, if a bacterial infection joins the disease, a course with antibiotic therapy is possible.

Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy

This type of therapy is carried out by introducing a small amount of allergens. Thanks to this technique, the patient’s body begins to gradually get used to allergens, and bronchial asthma may, to some extent, not notice irritants in the future. But this is a very dangerous and rather complicated method of immunotherapy, which must be carried out only under the strict supervision of a doctor.

Expectorant therapy

With expectoration of sputum from the lungs, a person greatly facilitates the continuation of treatment. For these purposes, various expectorants are usually used, which are known to us from advertising, for example, lazolvan, ambcroxol or ambrombene. They can be in the form of tablets, syrups or even nebulizer solutions. But it is especially worth noting bromhexine in tablets, this is a very potent expectorant that does its job perfectly.

Recently, doctors often use new developments in the form of mucoregulators, they can simultaneously reduce the viscosity and improve the properties of mucus, which normalizes the functioning of the bronchi. For example, in this case, fluifort is used, it can be either in the form of a syrup or in the form of a powder.

A simple herbal remedy that will get rid of phlegm is mucoltin. But the problem is that this preparation is completely natural and consists of several herbs that can become irritants for an asthma sufferer. Therefore, you need to be very careful when taking this remedy.

Often, when asthma is expressed by a simple cough, it is necessary to use simple cough medicines. For example, Codelac or Sinecode, or Libexin. But at the same time, it is also necessary to strengthen the therapy for the treatment of asthma itself.

To improve the control of bronchial asthma, it is necessary to keep a special diary for self-control. Today it is taught in schools that are founded for patients with bronchial asthma. A peak flow diary will allow you to monitor the health of an asthmatic every day. Thanks to this diary technique, the patient can recognize the deterioration of health even before the onset of a severe attack. Over time, the patient can develop their own asthma treatment plan that is most effective.

Patients with asthma and their rehabilitation

It is not necessary to conduct a rehabilitation program for a patient who has bronchial asthma. But it is important to know that sport will greatly improve the patient’s condition. Physical activity can be different, everything that the patient himself likes. Most often, doctors recommend activities that will improve the respiratory muscles, such as swimming or running. If there is a need for this, then before physical activity, the patient should take medications to expand the bronchi.

To improve the respiratory muscles, special simulators have also been created today. They allow you to train the lungs of a person gradually, each time increasing the load in steps of adjustment. They are called trash olds, and their main advantage is that they train the inspiratory muscles that are responsible for inhalation. Training takes place three times a day, for 5 minutes each procedure.