Home Remedies for Asthma

Asthma

Asthma is a disease of the respiratory tract in which people find difficulties in breathing due to narrowing of the respiratory tract, especially the trachea. It can be triggered by dust, allergies, some foods, clothes, hair, or it could be passed down genetically.

Person suffering with asthma has bouts of bronchial asthma when the causative factors are in proximity. In between these bouts of bronchial asthma, the patient can lead a normal life. However, sometimes, the bouts are so severe that they may cause death of the person.

The asthmatic patient must carry a device called inhaler or respirator with them. This device opens up the respiratory canal and allows air to enter.



Causes of Asthma

Following are the major asthma causes:

- Allergy
- Choked lungs
- Inflammation in the respiratory organs
- Blockage in nostrils
- Weather conditions
- Food, drugs, perfumes, and other irritants

Symptoms of Asthma

Following are the major asthma symptoms:

- Choked lungs
- Improper breathing
- Congested chest
- Cough
- Inflammation in chest
- Breathing with sound of a whistle
- Thick mucus formation

Do’s and Don’t for Asthma

Following are some of the simple tips to prevent asthma:

- Do not eat foods that are difficult to digest. These include animal products, milk products and pulses.
- Avoid fruits with high sugar content such as bananas, guavas, apples, etc.
- Fish and other sea foods are also a major cause of asthma. Check whether your asthma is due to any marine product. If yes, then avoid that food entirely.
- Do not eat fried and spicy foods.
- Several people are allergic to yeast. If so, then avoid fermented foods such as breads, cakes, pastries, etc.
- Include lot of fluids in your diet to facilitate easy digestion.
- Try to avoid curds and buttermilk as they take long to digest.
- Find out the causative factor of the asthma. Eliminate those from the house.
- Clean your bedroom thoroughly and make it free from bronchial asthma causing allergen.
- Patients with severe bronchial asthmas must wash their mattresses at least once a week.
- Brooms must not be used for cleaning the house. The residue of the broomsticks can aggravate the asthma. Use a vacuum cleaner for safe results.
- Avoid perfumes, deodorants, aftershaves and air fresheners as these can exacerbate the bronchial asthma problem.
- Air conditioner filters and smoke absorber cartridges must be regularly cleaned.
- Do not smoke as for an asthmatic patient, smoking is almost like sounding the death-knell.

Home Remedies for Asthma

Following are some of the effective home remedies for asthma:



- Mix few leaves of holy basil with honey and consume them every morning. It is an effective remedy to keep asthmatic attacks away.
- For asthma in the early stages, it is beneficial to chew some black pepper before going to bed.
- For temporary relief from asthmatic attacks, mix some leaves of holy basil with black pepper and eat them.
- Mix some lemon juice with ginger and consume it once a day. It is an effective home remedy for asthma.
- Grind some turmeric (use old turmeric for better results). Mix one teaspoonful of this powder with one tablespoonful of honey (again, the honey must be as old as possible). This is to be taken orally. This recipe is believed to work even when all other methods fail.
- When an attack is about to come, chewing some leaves of holy basil mixed with rock salt.
- In order to clean the respiratory tract, roast gram and have them with milk just before going to bed.

Herbal Remedies for Asthma

Following are some of the effective herbal remedies for asthma:

- Mix a teaspoon of fresh ginger juice with a cup of fenugreek decoction and honey to taste and take this remedy once in the morning and once in the evening. It acts as an excellent expectorant in cases of asthma. The decoction of fenugreek can be made by mixing one tablespoon of fenugreek seeds in a cupful of water.
- The asthmatic patient can also inhale steam twice a day from boiling water mixed with ajwain. It will dilate the bronchial passages.
- Boil 10 garlic cloves in 30 ml of milk and take it once daily. It is an excellent medicine for the early stages of asthma.
- Mix ½ teaspoon of bishop's weed in a glass of buttermilk and take it twice a day. It is an effective remedy for relieving difficult expectoration caused by dried-up phlegm.
- Take a teaspoon of the bitter melon root paste and mix it with an equal amount of honey or juice of the holy basil, it acts as an excellent expectorant, and is a natural remedy for asthma. It should be taken once every night for a month.