Asthma is a widespread medical condition that is characterized by breathing problems, coughing, and wheezing. It is triggered by constriction of the tiny air passages within the lungs and inflammation, both of which hinder the capacity of the lungs to carry out normal respiration.

The intensity of asthma symptoms can extend from minimal wheezing to potentially fatal breathing complications.

Hair fall is a common problem that worries a lot of people. Falling of hair is a natural process, but when the amount of hair lost is excessive and is resulting in visible thinning of hair or baldness, then it definitely is a source of anxiety for those affected.

World Statistics of Asthma

According to the Global Burden of Diseases Study report in 2012, around 334 million people are suffering from Asthma.

Approximately 3% of the US population suffers from this disorder, with the greatest risk to kids below the age of 10.

According to WHO (World Health Organization), India itself has around 15-20 million asthmatics and 10-15% of this (i.e. 3 lakh) are children between ages of 5 and 11 years.

Natural Remedies for Asthma

In order to be effective, natural remedies for asthma must be capable of certain roles like minimizing susceptibility and constriction of lung airways, stabilizing the allergic/inflammatory mechanisms in the body, and rectifying nutritional imbalances.

But the most important factor that most people tend to overlook is limiting exposure to allergens. If your asthma is triggered by allergens like dust, cold, stress or any particular food item or cosmetic, then you must make it a point to avoid coming into contact with them.

Here are some of the commonly used home remedies for asthma that you could try out for breathing an air of relief (pun intended):

1) Home Remedies for Asthma

1:A Camphorated Mustard Oil

Heat up some mustard oil and add some camphor to it. Use this camphorated mustard oil when it is bearably warm as an external application to your chest and back. This should soon relive the tightness in your chest and wheezing and make breathing less of a struggle for you.

1:B Strong Coffee

Not many asthmatics realize how helpful a cup of hot strong coffee could be during an asthmatic attack. The selective vaso-dilatory property of caffeine can act as a boon in dilating the constricted airways and makes breathing easier and relieves wheezing.

1:C Honey

Honey is a natural medicine gifted to us by The Almighty. It has numerous health benefits and it does not fail to do so during an acute asthma attack. Mix a tablespoon of honey in a cup of hot water and drink it in sips to relieve the congestion and spasmodic tightness of your chest.

Honey will also help in easier removal of phlegm, thereby freeing your choked airways and helping smooth respiration.

I recommend honey as one of the best natural remedies for asthma in kids because nothing beats medicine that tastes sweet when it comes to kids. Moreover, the airways are smaller in kids and even the slightest amount of phlegm can cause great breathing troubles for them. Honey has a multipronged effect on the phlegm, wheezing, congestion and of course on any reluctance to consume bitter tasting medications.

2) Herbal Remedies for Asthma

There are many herbs that can be used for asthma relief. The weirdest part is that most of the popular bronchodilators and asthma medications have active ingredients that can be sourced naturally from these herbs.

For instance, the leaves and berries of wintergreen contain methyl salicylate, which many of you might recognize as the ingredient in popular cough syrups. Similarly birch leaves contain methyl salicylate and birch leaf tea is a popular herbal remedy for asthma.

3) Homeopathic Remedies for Asthma

Homeopathic remedies for asthma are abundant and effective and can be used for both acute attacks and treatment of chronic conditions as well.

Blatta-Orientalis

This is a wonderful homeopathic medicine for asthma, especially when there is lot of wheezing and the asthmatic attacks are associated with chronic bronchitis. The attacks usually are triggered off in moist and damp weather as during rains. There is cough with the dyspnea (breathing difficulty) and the expectoration is yellow and resembles pus.

Arsenic-Album

Arsenicum is an indispensable homeopathic remedy for asthma, because of its helpfulness both as an acute and chronic remedy. During acute attacks, the patient appears to be quite anxious, restless and fearful. Night times are the worst for an Arsenic patient and the attacks usually trigger off around midnight and also during midday (noon). The face looks deathly pale and the patient asks for frequent sips of water, enough to wet his lips and tongue.

Ipecacuanha

Ipecac is a great remedy for all age groups. It helps infants, children and adults. A typical characteristic is that patients who need Ipecac for their asthma usually are fair, flabby and fleshy. The asthma is associated with bronchitis and there is copious amounts of phlegm. The cough classically ends in vomiting and the child often vomits a large amount of whitish thick phlegm.