Asthma is a health condition in which the airways narrow and swells up, thus, causing excessive mucus and difficulty in breathing. Asthma is not curable, however, with correct medication its symptoms can be minimized.
For some people, Asthma is minor and thus doesn’t affect their daily lives much. For many people, it is major and causes difficulty in their day to day lives.
SYMPTOMS
The symptoms of asthma are different for different people. You may get asthma attacks quite often. Your symptoms may show up only when you indulge in physical exercise or you may get symptoms even without it. It varies from person to person.
Some symptoms of asthma are –
- Shortness of breath
- Tightness/ pain in the chest
- Not being able to sleep due to coughing, wheezing, and chest pain in kids.
- Wheezing (whistling sound) when exhaling (common in children).
- Coughing or wheezing that gets worse by other viruses such as cold or flu.
If your symptoms are getting worse recently and are interfering with your daily life more, it may show that your asthma is getting worse.
NATURAL REMEDIES FOR ASTHMA
Regular medication Is very necessary when it comes to asthma. If you suffer from asthma do not ignore your medication prescribed by the doctor. However, some natural remedies can ease the symptoms and thus improve your quality of life.
Natural remedies work best only when they are taken alongside your regular medication.
Here are some Asthma home remedies.
1. DIET
There is definitely no specific diet for asthma ridden. However, people can bring a few changes to their diets and make it a healthy diet, they’ll be able to definitely ease the symptoms.
If you are overweight your asthma can get worse. You need to take a very healthy diet which includes vitamins and Minerals. You need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day. Vitamin C and E help reduce the inflammation around the Airways.
If you ever notice that your asthma gets worse once you eat a certain food you should always avoid that. Food allergies can definitely worsen the symptoms. Talk to r doctor in case this happens.
2. GINGER
Ginger is an excellent Herb that is very helpful when it comes to asthma. It has anti-inflammatory properties. A study in 2013 showed the improvement of asthma which was linked to intake of Garlic supplements orally, it also improved the functioning of the lungs.
3. HONEY
Honey, we use when we suffer from a sore throat and also used to reduce coughing, is very useful when it comes to asthma. When mixed with a hot beverage like tea, can provide relief to the symptoms of asthma.
4. CAFFEINE
If you love caffeine and suffer from asthma, it is great news for you that caffeine is a bronchodilator. It can also reduce muscle fatigue. It can improve the functioning of the airways for a few hours after its intake.
5. YOGA
It is true that exercise can sometimes trigger asthma symptoms. However, yoga which incorporates stretching and breathing exercises can help you improve your flexibility and can also improve your health overall. Yoga can decrease stress and stress is known to trigger asthma. Exercises that are incorporated in Yoga can help in reducing the frequency of the asthma attacks. However, this is not supported by conclusive evidence.
6. MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is a type of meditation that focuses on how your body and your mind feel at the present moment.
It is very easy, all you need is just need a quiet place where you can close your eyes and focus on your mind its thoughts and feelings, and sensations in your body. As mentioned before, stress can trigger asthma and stress-relieving activities that are accompanied by regular intake of prescribed medication can help in reducing asthma symptoms.
7. BUTEYKO BREATHING TECHNIQUE
Buteyko Breathing techniques (BBT) is a form of breathing exercise. This focuses on slow breathing to reduce the symptoms of asthma. It also focuses on breathing out through the nose instead of the mouth because breathing out of your mouth can dry out your Airways and thus make it more sensitive to asthma symptoms.
Also read: Asthma Treatment
8. PAPWORTH METHOD
The Papworth method has been used Age relaxation exercise since 1960 is to help people who suffer from asthma. it involves using your nose and your diaphragm to develop a breathing pattern. These breathing patterns can be applied in activities that cause your asthma to flare up.
9. OMEGA 3 OILS
Omega-3 oils are found in fishes and flax seeds. It is known to have many health benefits. They help in decreasing the Airway inflammation and also improve the lung function of people with severe asthma. Before using Omega-3 oils it is very necessary to consult your doctor.
10. ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medication. In this, small needles are placed into specific parts of the body. Long term benefits of acupuncture related to asthma are still not known. However, people with asthma found out that acupuncture helps with improvement of airflow and also reduce the symptoms such as chest pains.
