Archive for April, 2010

Effective Home Remedies for Managing Asthma

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Although some would claim otherwise, there is no magic cure for asthma, natural or otherwise. Asthma is a chronic lung disease and once you have it there is a good chance you will have it forever. You may outgrow it if you contract it as a child and you may even find it clears up if you contract it as an adult, but home remedies and natural treatments merely provide relief from many of the symptoms associated with the condition.

Why Home Remedies Are Appealing

You may not be able to completely eliminate the need to use an inhaler, but you may be able to significantly reduce how often you use your inhaler with some of the more effective home remedies. The benefits of this are obvious to anyone who has ever used an inhaler.

Reducing your dependency on inhalers not only means you have to use that inhaler less often but that it will last longer as well. Not having to refill your prescription for your inhaler as often saves your trips to the pharmacy and money on the inhaler.

What Is a Home Remedy?

A home remedy is usually comprised of natural ingredients like herbs or food products that are commonly found in the home. While you may not necessarily have all of the ingredients for the home remedy already, you will be able to find them easily at your local grocery store.

What Are the Most Effective Home Remedies for Treating Asthma?

Honey is considered by many to be one of the most effective home remedies for asthma as it can be used to help relieve even moderate to severe asthma attacks. Many people believe that placing a jar of honey under the nose of someone suffering from an attack can calm the attack and within minutes have the person breathing comfortably again.

For a great every day asthma remedy, use a blender to blend honey, lemon juice and radish then cook on low to medium heat for twenty minutes. Taking a teaspoon of this mixture each morning reduces the amount and severity of asthma attacks a patient suffers.

Another great daily asthma treatment is to combine one teaspoon of pure honey, one teaspoon of olive oil, half a cup of milk, and a little garlic clove and boil the mixture. Drinking this mixture will also help reduce the amount of asthma attacks.

Seeking a Doctor’s Opinion

Most doctors will tell you there is nothing wrong with seeking natural alternatives to prescribed medication and may even be able to suggest some options not listed here. There is a wealth of information available and finding what works best for you may take a little time. In the end, it will be well worth the effort.

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Using Yoga to Treat Asthma and Prevent Attacks

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

It is not uncommon for someone suffering with the symptoms of asthma to seek alternative treatments when they have seen only limited success with traditional treatment methods. It can be a frustrating journey as not everything will work for everyone. One of the best natural remedies for asthma that has been shown to be effective for nearly everyone who tries it is yoga.

What Is Yoga?

Yoga is an exercise technique that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years all over the world. Many yoga classes focus not only on the poses and physical aspects of yoga but also offer meditation and breathing techniques making yoga an ideal fit for an asthma patient. The benefits of yoga extend far beyond physical fitness. Although some sufferers are reluctant to try yoga, the truth is, there are few better options for someone suffering from this condition.

How Is Yoga Beneficial for the Treatment of Asthma?

Yoga can help you manage the symptoms of asthma and even reduce the frequency and severity of those attacks without requiring you to take any additional medication. You won’t even need to boil herbs or drink special tea although in all honesty, it certainly wouldn’t hurt.

While yoga helps the body’s flexibility by stretching out muscles and soft tissue it also helps release lactic acid that causes fatigue, stiffness and soreness. This is a great benefit to asthmatic patients who find their muscles, particularly the abdominal muscles, sore following an asthma attack. Yoga will help your muscles build up resilience and you will feel less sore following attacks.

Yoga also requires significant focus on breathing which helps you learn how to control your breathing and take command of what your lungs are doing. The benefits here for a asthmatic patient are obvious. Having greater control over your breathing means you are more likely going to be able to have greater control during asthma attacks.

Yoga also offers improved physical fitness and weight loss. Losing weight not only helps you feel about yourself but also aids in the treatment of asthma while physical fitness helps your lungs function better as well. Don’t be discouraged if you find yourself having difficulty at first. Some of the positions may be hard for you to master but in time as your flexibility and fitness in prove so will your ability to perform the more advanced positions.

Of course the biggest benefit yoga offers the asthma sufferer is the combination of all the mentioned benefits with the truly relaxing nature of yoga. Yoga is a total mind and body experience. If you choose to take classes you will likely be guided through meditation as well, something you can use outside of the yoga exercises to help you stay calm and grounded during life’s more stressful events. Stress is a powerful trigger of asthma attacks so learning how to cope with it and control it is vital.

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A Total Body Approach to Natural Asthma Remedies

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Those suffering from moderate to severe asthma may have found that traditional medicine isn’t enough to ease the symptoms of the condition or provide adequate relief. If this is the case for you, consider more natural options at least in addition to a traditional treatment plan. You may be surprised by the benefits you receive.

Learning to Relax: Controlling Your Breathing

Probably the most important natural remedy for asthma is without a doubt learning how to relax and control your breathing. There are several relaxation techniques that will allow you to not only gain more command of your breathing but will also leave you feeling better overall.

Meditation is a powerful tool in your new relaxation routine. In truth, meditation isn’t exactly easy if you are typically a worrier. You may find yourself struggling to clear your mind of thoughts so a better option may be guided meditation. This gives your mind something to focus on and generally provides the same benefits.

Meditate on your breathing as you inhale and exhale. Attaching a visualization or phrase to every breath is a particularly effective technique as it allows you to really gain command of what your lungs do. Imagine your breath coming in as a white light that is healing and positive and your breath leaving as negative.

Meditation has actually been shown to offer some benefit although one could argue the person simply expects the technique to work so it does. Regardless of why it works, the end result is the most important part. If you feel better and your asthma isn’t as severe, than you should see it as a victory.

The Importance of Weight Loss and a Healthy Diet

Weight loss can make a difference in just about every aspect of your life. You will have more energy, have a more positive body image and even have less severe asthma symptoms. A healthy diet is obviously an important part of losing weight, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer through a drastic fad diet. It simply means you have to make smarter choices.

Fruits and vegetables have been shown to offer benefits for asthma sufferers and make an excellent natural remedy. Apples, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and leafy vegetables have been proven to reduce the severity of asthma symptoms and reduce the number of attacks a patient suffers.

Developing a good workout routine is also important when trying to lose weight but that is a little more difficult when you are asthmatic. The best option is likely to choose something like yoga or Pilates that focuses on breathing and relaxation as well as physical fitness.

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Natural Remedies for Asthma

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Asthma can be a terrifying condition if you’ve ever suffered an asthma attack or if you have a child who has suffered an asthma attack. Many people are turning to natural remedies for asthma treatment as an alternative to traditional medications or in addition to traditional medications. Herbs are generally the first option those looking for alternative treatments will consider but it is often difficult to know which herbs will offer the most benefit or will offer benefits at all.

Why People Explore Natural Remedies and Why Herbs May Be Beneficial to Those with Asthma

Parents of asthmatic children are growing more and more concerned with the medications they are giving their children. Although most are proven to be safe, many parents want to limit the amount of medication they give their children and are seeking natural remedies. This is equally as true for adults suffering with this condition.

Many herbs have been shown to offer incredible benefits to those suffering from asthma. Choosing which herb is right for your condition may not always be easy but doing a little bit of research is the best way to find what herb will offer you the most benefit. There are herbs that provide benefits to even those suffering from severe asthma. Although there aren’t really any herbs available as of yet to completely eliminate symptoms, there are certainly ones that can help manage them.

What Herbs May Be Effective and What Are the Potential Side Effects?

Bromelain has been shown to be quite effective for the management of symptoms related to asthma particularly for its anti-inflammatory properties. Studies indicate the herb helps relieve inflammation in the airway which thereby reduces the severity of asthma symptoms. It is, however important to remember that this particular herb is not for use by anyone who has an allergy to pineapple. The most common side effect is digestive upset although it does pose the above mentioned allergy risk.

Boswellia is one of the most effective herbs available as it inhibits the formation of compounds called leukotrienes that cause the airway to narrow when released in the lungs. In studies, boswellia has been show to help patients breathe easier and help reduce the number and severity of asthma attacks. Side effects may include digestive upset, nausea, acid reflux and diarrhea. Because it is unclear what dosage is safe, only take boswellia under the direction of a healthcare professional.

Before you begin taking any herb as an alternative treatment to traditional asthma treatments it is always the best idea. You doctor will be able to give you a more detailed list of the best herbs available for your asthma treatment.

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Treating Asthma with the Buteyko Breathing Technique

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Asthma is one of the most common respiratory illnesses that causes inflammation of the airways which may lead to difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest or coughing and wheezing. These symptoms often come in episodes referred to as asthma attacks. These attacks can be scary, especially if you are a parent and it is your child that is experiencing the asthma attack. There is help available and that doesn’t necessarily mean costly medication.

What Causes Asthma?

There are many things that may cause asthma Tobacco smoke is believed to be one of the leading environment causes. For this reason, many parents with asthmatic children do not smoke around their children but this is not always enough. To help reduce the likelihood your child will have an attack, you should consider quitting smoking entirely.

Cigarette smoke clings to your clothes and stays in the upholstery in your vehicle. Ask visitors to your home to smoke outside your home and away from doors and windows and make your vehicle a non-smoking vehicle as well for all occupants. This not only reduces the cigarette smoke your child is exposed to but also sets a great example for them as well.

The most common causes of both asthma attacks and the initial development of asthma are viral respiratory infections. These infections are generally unpreventable and affect younger children. While not all of those who suffer asthma develop the condition as a child it is the most typical time for the onset of the condition.

Is the Buteyko Breathing Technique an Effective Natural Asthma Remedy?

The Buteyko (bew-tay-ko) Breathing Technique has been shown in studies to provide significant benefits to asthma sufferers who choose to pursue it and to reduce the overall use of puffers to control asthma symptoms. Many of these studies showed patients who used the Buteyko method experienced a reduction in the symptoms of their asthma and many of the patients also were able to reduce their use of inhalers by two uses a day after using the method for six months.

Critics claim the only results seen from the use of the Buteyko Breathing Technique are the result of relaxation as opposed to the actual technique itself and feel the clinical trials have had flaws or been too small to be considered relevant. Even so, many doctors are recommending this method to patients and many patients have experiences benefits.

Speak with your doctor before you begin any alternative treatment program to be sure if is a safe choice for you. If you are unsure about this particular technique consider another technique focused on helping you relax and control your breathing.

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