Home Remedies for Asthma

If you have asthma, you know the dreaded chocking sensation, the faintness, the anxiety. And when asthma attacks, it won't go away by itself. There are about five to ten percent of the population suffer from asthma. Asthma patients usually have trouble breathing properly since their lungs are supersensitive and easily provoked into constriction by a wide variety of outside factors, called triggers.

A scent of perfume, smoke-filled room, a friendly dog, a flowery garden, a strong wind or even a good laugh can set an asthma attack in motion. Triggers can be allergic or non-allergic, and reactions can be immediate or delayed. Whether asthma is severe, moderate or mild it is still possible to manage it. Doctors who specialize in treating asthma should see a doctor to be sure another cause of wheezing is not present and, if true atopic asthma is present, to develop a therapeutic program for managing the disorder.

In addition to working with your doctor, you can take measures to help control asthma. Tracking down the triggers and eliminate them from your life is the key. And here is how you can counter an asthma attack before it happens:

• Dust-proofing is a must. Since mites are the most common allergic asthma triggers.
• The spores of the fungi are the real problem, as millions of them float through the air to be inhaled in every breath, touching off an allergic reaction that can contribute to asthma.
• Avoid cutting grass or even being outside while grass is being mowed. Keep your windows closed as much as possible- pollen can get through screens, too- and use an air conditioner to cool your home instead. Room air purifiers are also available that can purify recirculated air, removing particles of all sorts that are suspended in the air and further cleansing the air by passing through a charcoal filter. After being outside in the midst of pollen, take off your clothes and wash them or at least run a vacuum over the articles of clothing. Wash yourself, too, and don’t forget your hair.
• The best thing to do is not to have a pet that can trigger your asthma. The dander, the dead, dry skin that flakes off, is the one that triggers asthma.
• Tobacco smoke can be irritant that trigger asthma as well as an allergen that touches off an allergic response leading to asthma.
• Rain tends to wash away roving allergen, pollutants and irritants. While each person responds to weather conditions and weather variations differently.
• Some foods like nuts, shellfish, milk, eggs, and strawberries, can result in an array of allergic responses, including asthma symptoms.
• A problem in the upper airways- like a respiratory infection- can cause trouble in the lower airways- the bronchial tubes and precipitate an asthma attack. For a person with asthma, having a good health can mean a dramatic lessening of symptoms.
• Research has shown that the more asthmatics exercise, the more exercise they can tolerate. Begin with short workouts and gradually increase them. At least at first, keep a bronchodilator with you. If you feel tightness in your chest and can’t work through it, use the device.
• Aspirin and certain products that contain aspirin can trigger asthma attacks in certain people.
• Breathing exercises provide a form of relaxation and can be of benefit to some patients during an asthma attack.
• If you are overweight, you and your doctor should work together to establish a diet plan that will reduce your calorie intake without depriving you of necessary nutrients.
• Asthma is an illness with both physical and emotional aspects. A positive attitude works wonders to enhance your other coping methods.
• Since stress and emotional upsets can trigger asthma attacks, it may be helpful to set aside time each day- preferably the same time- to practice some form of relaxation.