Asthma: Natural Treatment Options

What Is Asthma?
Asthma is a caused by increased activity of the tracheobronchial tree (the airway) to various stimuli. This results in episodic narrowing and inflammation of the airways.
Symptoms include wheezing and shortness of breath. Cough is also a common symptom. Between attacks the individual may have normal respiratory function.
Triggers include: allergens, dust, fumes, medicines, dyes, odors, exercise, occupational exposures, or infection. Emotional disturbance seems to also play a role.

Natural Treatment Options:

Diet
Diet plays an important role in asthma. Many people have food sensitivities or allergies, that though may be unknown to them, may help to trigger an asthma attack. Any of these foods can provoke the release of inflammatory chemicals in the respiratory (and other) tissues, thus leading to respiratory tract inflammation and narrowing.
Dairy is particularly mucous forming, thus creating irritation to the airway lining.
Wheat and its protein, gluten (also found in barley, rye, spelt, kamut), is another common food sensitivity that can lead to respiratory inflammation.
When a person is constantly putting foods into their body that stimulate the production of inflammatory chemicals, their immune system is in a hypersensitive state and will be triggered much more readily than if a person's diet is free from these triggers. A good suggestion is to do a regular dietary cleanse, perhaps one per season, which will help calm the inflammatory process created by offending foods.

NMT (neuromodulation technique) is particularly useful for the treatment of asthma, and I have successfully eliminated or vastly reduced the incidence of asthma in many patients using this treatment. NMT can treat and eliminate allergic triggers as well as reset the nervous system input to the respiratory tract to a more optimal state, so that the airways are less likely to narrow. It can also address any emotional and stres-tension triggers to asthma.

Osteopathy and other forms of advanced structural bodywork will help the respiratory system and the immune system to function more optimally by improving nerve, artery, vein and lymphatic flow and drainage to and from the respiratory tissues. Structural alignment is a critical aspect of almost any health concern that often goes overlooked by many natural healthcare providers.

Naturopathic medicine has many therapies that can help improve or eliminate asthma symptoms including the use of herbs, homeopathics and supplements. Here is a list of the more common treatments:

Omega 3 fatty acids, especially those found in fish oils. They are required for the production of antiinflammatory prostaglandins.

Vitamin C: 1,500mg three times a day. Buffered forms will decrease the likelihood of digestive upset with high doses. Vitamin C decreases the release of histamines in the blood, which cause inflammation.

Quercitin: 500mg three times a day. Like Vitamin C, it decreases the release of inflammatory histamines from mast cells and basophils.

Anti-spasmodic herbs that can help in acute asthma attack include: Grindelia (Gum Plant), Lobelia inflata, Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), Prunus serotina (wild cherry bark).

For more long term asthma support, Galium aparine (cleavers),Trifolium pratense (red clover), and Urtica diocia (nettles) are some of the herbs that can be helpful.