There are over 20 million Americans affected with asthma every year and bronchodilators as well as steroid inhalers are the typical treatments for it. In spite of the capacity of these medications to relieve asthma symptoms, their long-term use leads to side effects that can be serious. Alternative and natural treatment options are now considered by chronic asthma sufferers and oftentimes, these therapies even provide more effective treatment sans the unwanted side effects.
Some of the natural alternative asthma treatments include:
Deep breathing
If you are under remission from your asthma, it can be a good idea to perform deep breathing exercises as often as you can. One type of yoga breathing, Ujayi breathing, can help build stronger and healthy lungs and heal injured, damaged or weak lungs. This type of breathing entails an exaggerated and long breath that is done with each yoga posture or asana. Pranayama exercises including alternate nasal breathing and the one minute breath can help minimize asthma attacks more so if done regularly. In doing alternate nasal breathing, you plug one nostril then deeply inhale through the other, switch sides, exhale fully and slowly, inhale deeply, then again switch sides. This activity may be done several times. In the one minute breath, you slowly inhale as slow as possible for as long as you can. Then exhale as long as possible. Try doing each cycle for a full minute every day.
If you are under extreme stress, you can lower it by meditating for 15 to 30 minutes each day.
Diet
The best way to prevent asthma attacks is to stay away from foods that cause inflammation in the body. For a lot of asthma sufferers, the entre class of carbohydrates and refined sugars are suspect foods. Foods that transform into sugar rapidly in the body often bring about inflammation. Several asthma patients exhibit a significant improvement in their symptoms just by heeding this information.
According to Chinese traditional medicine, the lungs are closely associated with the large intestine. Toxins in the intestines can result in a number of internal issues like allergies and asthma. If a patient has past medical history of constipation, a detoxification process needs to be done to clean out the colon, which can indirectly help the lungs. A diet rich in fiber (vegetables and fruit) can be helpful to detoxify the colon. Rhubarb root, ripe banana, pear, prune and flax seed are known colon cleansers.
Acupuncture
Used for over 3,000 years in China and parts of South Asia, acupuncture for treating dozens of conditions has a long successful history and is one of the best natural therapies that can treat asthma. Acupuncture is able to balance the energy of the organ systems of the body and help to alleviate inflammation that is responsible for the symptoms of asthma. From the viewpoint of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), asthma can originate from a slew of factors including constitutional weakness, candida infection, allergies, diet and stress. These symptoms are connected to some internal organ systems that are causing the constriction of the lungs. With acupuncture treatment, the acupuncturist performs examination of the patient’s symptoms using tongue and pulse diagnosis to determine the underlying cause of the asthma. The acupuncture points chosen for treatment are the ones affected with energetic imbalance or functional disharmonies. Supplementary TCM therapies for asthma can include gua sha and cupping.
Chinese herbs
Jade Windscreen or yu ping feng san – this herbal compound can be taken along with Ding chuan tang, ginseng and gecko to fortify the treatment and help boost the function of the lungs and strengthen immunity.
Ding chuan tang – this herbal formula is the most commonly used herbal remedy used by TCM practitioners for treating all types of asthma especially asthma that is worsened by the onset of a cold.
Gecko and ginseng or ren shen ge jie san – this formula helps clear phlegm and heat from the lungs. It also strengthens spleen and lung qi.
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)
Methylsulfonylmethane is a nutrient that contains organic sulfur found in the human body and the environment. Every cell in the human body contains sulfur in their structure. Antioxidants, antibodies, enzymes and hormones depend on it. Sulfur needs to be replenished constantly in the body to maintain health and nutrition because it is always utilized and expended every day. MSM is helpful for allergies and strengthens immunity because it has very good anti-inflammatory attributes.
Supplements
Cod liver oil – this type of oil is rich in essential fatty acids that can help in boosting immunity, improving circulation and alleviating inflammation.
Grape Seed extract – this is an antioxidant that helps relieve inflammation and stops the pattern of allergy-induced asthma.
Quercetin
Quercetin is a flavinoid that has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It also has the ability to stabilize mast cells that can help in the control of allergy symptoms. For asthma caused by an allergic reaction, quercetin is the treatment you need to use.
Asthma that is long-term can be treated by any of the aforementioned therapies. Oftentimes, combining some of these therapies provide the best approach to restore the health of the lungs.
Acupuncture Health Center
1303 Astor St # 101
Bellingham, WA 98225
Phone: (360) 715-1824
www.bellinghamacupuncturecenter.com