Exploring Alternative Asthma Treatments
The difficulty anyone with Asthma faces while breathing is caused by inflamed airways and possible extra mucus. This makes him or her cough while the breathing becomes laboured. This is often accompanied by a wheezing sound caused by air being forcefully pushed through the narrow spaces. There are different severities of Asthma with different severities of symptoms. The trouble Asthmatics face in daily life with sleeping and breathing, with attacks worsening with any extra activities or respiratory illnesses, is unimaginable except to those suffering from it. Asthma cannot be cured yet, but it can be managed by keeping the discomforts at bay and treating the symptoms to make daily life and activities easier to deal with. Apart from taking their prescribed medications regularly, Asthmatics often find a lot of relief in alternative medicine. Some examples of alternative medicine treatments for Asthma are herbal remedies, breathing exercises, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Hypnotherapy, Yoga, Meditation, and Naturopathy.
Herbal Remedies Can Be Found Right in the Kitchen
Due to their anti-inflammatory properties, certain herbs found in every kitchen, along with some chinese medicinal herbs, have been found to help bring relief to Asthma symptoms. Some examples of these herbs are Turmeric, Ginseng, Garlic, and a Chinese herb combination of Lingzhi (a mushroom), Sophora roots, and Licorice roots.
Breathing Exercises to Get to the Root of the Matter
Certain breathing exercises help Asthma patients, in particular, gain more control over their symptoms. In the diaphragmatic breathing technique, for example, one learns how to breathe from the deeper part of the diaphragm instead of from the chest. The nasal breathing technique helps one add warmth and moisture to the inhaled air. In the Papworth breathing technique, one learns how to combine the previous two techniques while at the same time learning how to relax more while breathing. The pursed-lip breathing technique teaches one how to use the mouth and nose effectively to combat shortness of breath.
The Ancient Chinese Practice of Acupuncture
The idea behind treatments involving Acupuncture is to insert thin needles into the skin to manually or electrically stimulate certain pressure points in the body. Acupuncture has been known to help inhibit allergic reactions while inhibiting the release of Histamine.
Combating “Like with Like” Through Homeopathy
Homeopathy believes that introducing small amounts of the diluted substance that is actually causing problems in the body will help combat the bigger condition. Some of the Homeopathic medicines that have been seen to relieve Asthma symptoms are Arsenic Album (to combat anxiety which exacerbates breathing problems), Ipecac (that helps ease the nausea Asthmatics often face in the face of asthma attacks), Antim Tart (to help ease the typical rattling cough that Asthma patients suffer from), and so on.
Hypnotherapy and Meditation to Attain Calm
Hypnosis has long been resorted to as a means of teaching people to be calm in times of great stress. Stress can amplify Asthma symptoms, and breathlessness can in turn cause even more stress. Hypnotherapy aims to help Asthma patients recognise stress patterns, pre-empt incidents, and not let the anxiety get out of control. Meditation, though with a different approach, works on the same principle of stress reduction.
Opening the Chest up with Yoga
Many Yoga poses help open up the chest and encourage deep, controlled breathing. These work hugely in favour of bringing relief to the symptoms Asthma patients suffer from. The Bridge, the Supine Spinal Twist, the Cat-cow and the Low Lunge are some Yoga poses that do exactly that.
Naturopathy Treatments Are Holistic Ones
The primary goal of Naturopathy treatments is to address the underlying causes of Asthma symptoms. They aim to prevent allergies by identifying the allergens and their trigger points in the body while improving the body’s immune system. Naturopathy treatments include hot fomentations and hot oil massages (of the chest, back and abdomen), hot foot baths, steam and sauna baths, and even encouraging diaphragm-strengthening activities like singing and swimming.
Yet, while incorporating alternative asthma treatments into one’s lifestyle, one must remember to check with the doctor about whether they are suitable for his or her own particular case or not. One must always remember that Asthma must never be taken lightly, as attacks can soon turn severe and life-threatening. One must also remember that the traditional Asthma medication prescribed by the doctor must continue alongside any of the above until the consulting physician suggests otherwise.