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Asthma - Conventional and Natural Treatments
Have you
recently been diagnosed with asthma? Or
perhaps your child has just developed the respiratory disorder?
Despite that
fact that it�s a chronic disease, you�ll soon discover there area
variety of conventional treatments that help keep the health concern under
control.
When you visit your health care practitioner for treatment, he�ll probably offer you a combination of both long-term treatments and short-term relief. Of course, the exact nature of your treatment depends on your individual circumstances and your symptoms; the following is just some general information on what you may expect from these visits. He�ll probably have at his disposable three types of
medications.
These will provide you with long-term control over asthma, quick
relief when needed and perhaps drugs that are specifically created for the
most common of asthma � the allergy induced variety.
Long-term
medications that you might find yourself taking every day � whether or not
any of the symptoms surface that day � may include inhaled corticosteroids.
These are anti-inflammatory drugs.
Many health-care professionals consider these to be the most
effective asthma treatment possible. Corticosteroids
reduce the inflammation and swelling of your airways.
They also help to prevent leakage of fluid in your blood vessels.
Many times your vessels may leak into the tissues of your airways.
Corticosteroids
don�t come without some side effects though.
Some individuals say they develop a hoarseness in their voice, others
complain of laryngitis. Taking
this medication may also make you more susceptible to oral yeast infections,
commonly called thrush. You may
also develop a chronic cough.
In addition to
theses side effects, continued use of corticosteroids has been known to
cause osteoporosis and cataracts in some.
In children, inhaled corticosteroids have been associated with a
slower rate of growth.
If you�re
not comfortable with these potential side effects, tell your personal health
care practitioner. There are
also several other classes of drugs he may be able to substitute.
For the quick
relief of asthma that treats the acute symptoms, your health care
practitioner may recommend a short-acting beta-2 agonist.
This is a bronchodilator. It
begins to work within minutes of your using it.
Its effects last for up to six hours.
If you have
allergy-induced asthma, you health care practitioner may suggest that you
undergo something called immunotherapy.
Though it sounds pretty scary, immunotherapy is nothing more than a
series of allergy-desensitization shots.
You�ll be
given a series of skin tests to determine your exact allergies.
This will then be followed by a series of therapeutic injections
which contain small doses of those allergens.
These shots
continue about once a week for several months.
Then, soon you�ll find that the frequency of these injections will
fall to only once a month. While
this may continue for up to five years, you�ll eventually lose your
sensitivity to the allergens.
The treatment
isn�t without its drawbacks. First,
it can only be administered once your asthma has been diagnosed as being
allergy induced. But when you
undergo this process, you also risk developing an allergic reaction to the
series of shots itself. In some
cases � and this is an extremely rare occurrence � life-threatening
reactions have been observed.
Natural
Treatments
You may want
to take matters into your own hands. Why
not try some herbal remedies for your asthma?
Of course,
before you do that, you need to talk with your natural health practitioner
to ensure that any herbs you choose don�t interfere with any prescription
medications you may be taking.
You may also
benefit from speaking with a professional herbalist before making your final
choices. She�ll be able to
guide to the specific herbs � and the best methods to use them � for
your specific circumstances.
Consider
first, the little-known herb, lobelia.
It�s legendary for its ability of being an effective expectorant.
This means that it helps to clear mucus from your respiratory tract.
Some herbalists just automatically incorporate this herb into a
comprehensive therapy plan for all their clients with asthma.
This, though,
is a great example of the potential side effects that some plants carry.
Lobelia, especially when used alone, can be toxic.
So be sure to consult with an herbalist before you take this.
Another good
herb for asthma is feverfew. Rich
in vitamins A and C as well as niacin and iron, you can find this herb as a
supplement in tablet form. You
may also want to give consideration to using it in its fresh version.
You might want
to consider some of these herbs as well.
These all act as antihistamines.
They�ll open your air passages and relieve that asthma-related
wheezing. They include anise,
ginger, peppermint and chamomile.
Chamomile may
have the additional benefit, according to recent studies performed in
Germany, of slowing the body�s reaction to allergens, especially those
that trigger asthma attacks. Chamomile
does this by increasing the adrenal glands� production of cortisone.
This reduces anxiety and in the process the chance of getting an
attack.
One herbalist
has hit upon a wonderful natural remedy for her clients. It�s a lavender-chamomile chest rub, using the essential
oils of these herbs. Before
going to bed at night just apply this.
It works on two levels. First,
it works wonders as a muscle relaxant and that means it helps to keep your
chest muscles and bronchial passage from constricting.
But the
chamomile also helps to relax your mind, so it reduces the stress that might
contribute to an attack.
Just take 8 drops of the essential oil of lavender, 2 drops of
chamomile essential oil and mix this with a quarter cup of olive oil.
Then you simply rub it in on your chest.
It�s especially useful right before bedtime.
A variation of
this rub increases the amount of chamomile by two drops, decrease the
lavender by two. This increased
amount of chamomile is the perfect amount for it to work as an
antihistamine, which will help open your air passages.
Note: Some statements in this article may not be
approved by the FDA. This article is for informational purposes only and
should not be taken as professional medical advice.
