Home Remedies for Asthma
WARNING: This home remedies site is intended to be archival in nature. The natural remedies here are submitted by numerous people from around the world, and we have no way to test or verify every remedy. As such these home remedies should be used for academic purposes only. Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.
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Asthma Home Remedies:
Submitted by VGF at 2011-12-08 16:05:34
I went from almost disabled by asthma (couldn't take stairs on bad days) to almost asthma-free with natural remedies.
However, it wasn't simple. If your asthma is really bad, you have to change your life like I did. The whole process took about a year. I changed my diet, my amount of exercise, I started using medicinal teas, doing yoga, etc. I even changed my attitude. I would be happy to tell anyone about it, but the thing is, you really have to change your lifestyle. One or two things won't make much difference. Anyway here is a quick list of the things I do:
Environment: Take all perfumes and artificial chemicals out of your home. Use only natural soaps and detergents and deodorants.
Diet: I became a vegetarian, I cut out all greasy food (no deep fried), I cook all my own food, I eat light. I eat Indian style, lots of lentils. Breakfast is something like fresh oatmeal with raisins and dates. Lunch is lentils with veggies, dinner is something light like rice and tofu and veggies, or a bunch of fruit in the summer. Stop eating all processed foods, no chips, no packaged anything. Stop using the microwave, give it away, only cook on the stove or oven.
Yoga: stretching and relaxation and strengthening exercises. If you body is loose and relaxed, your asthma will be less. I discovered that asthma attacks are related to panic attacks, if you can keep calm, you won't have an asthma attack.
Over the years I learned to anticipate my cough reflex and suppress it, because coughing can trigger an attack. I take calm deep breaths when I am avoiding coughing.
Teas: licorice: boil for ten minutes, let sit for five. Drink. You can get it commercially (try all the commercial brands of anti-asthma tea and see which one works best for you, but don't just steep the tea, boil it). Health food stores also sell pure licorice both powdered or the raw sticks. You can grind the sticks in your coffee grinder and then boil the powder for very fresh and strong licorice tea.
Peppermint tea sometimes works too.
There are many India medicinal teas you can try, look up 'Ayurveda'.
Every morning after you go to the restroom, face the sun, take a deep breath while raising your arms above your head and stretching, then exhale while leaning all the way back. Inhale again deeply while streching up, then exhale at you bend over to touch your toes.
Laugh a lot everyday as much as you can.
Figure out what triggers your asthma and avoid it. Emotional stress can trigger asthma, so pinpoint what's wrong and try to solve it.
Avoid alcohol.
Avoid bananas.
When you feel an attack coming, raise your arms above your head.
Walk instead of using a car. Or use a bike.
Swim.
Drink plenty of water.
Sometimes oranges seem to stave off asthma.
Get a daily / weekly regime going with exercise, food, etc.
I would be happy to help someone who is really looking, for free, really I am not selling anything. Contact me through ayurvedachef (dot) info
rating: 7 (11 votes)
Submitted by Iris at 2005-10-25 22:29:53
Avoid night time asthma attacks, by taking Vit C right before you go to sleep. Best wishes ...may you breathe well.
rating: 6 (22 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Lobelia extract may make attacks less severe.
rating: 6 (15 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Mix 2 parts carrot juice and 1 part spinach juice. Drink thrice daily.
rating: 6 (5 votes)
Submitted by carla at 2008-03-19 12:18:53
I had adult onset asthma for 14 years. I was maxing out on my 3 medicines and still couldn't get it under control. Two years ago, I was desperate and thought I would research to see if new medical research showed anything I could do. After research, I started taking the following daily: 1-2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed in yogurt; Magnesium; Calcium;Co Q-10; Zinc; Vit D; Vit E; Vit C; Omega 3 Fish oil 2 capsules a day; Flaxseed oil 2 capsules (not good for men); selenium; B-50; 1 folic acid; gingko. This was in addition to my regular vitamin. I was hoping for a 10-25% improvement in breathing, and did not expect a reversal in the disease. I was very surprised to be able to no longer need my meds within a month. I think the Omega 3's in the flaxseed stopped the inflammation and I've read it takes about 2 weeks for them to affect every cell in the body. I don't take zinc or selenium everyday now as that is not recommended. But considering I used to have allergies 9 months out of the year and severe asthma with that, I am amazed. I am like I was before the asthma. I only need my inhaler if I am severely exposed to dust or an allergen now. In fact, I had to throw one out that expired and hadn't been used up. Another help I discovered was the Oxycise breathing method to open lung airways if exposed to allegens. I hope this helps you. I recommended it to another asthma sufferer and he was able to go off his meds as well.
rating: 6 (31 votes)
Submitted by Bridget at 2004-12-19 12:41:35
When asthma attacks occur lift arms over head to open up the lungs. Try to breath the cleanest air possible. Smoking and allergies will make asthma worse. Also try a hot shower to break up the stuff in yourlungs and open up bronchial tubes.
rating: 6 (23 votes)
Submitted at 2009-09-29 14:52:34
FOR A TIGHT CHEST W/PHELGM, DRINK HOT, LIGHT TEA WITH LOTS OF LEMON AND STEVIA INSTEAD OF WHITE SUGAR OR HONEY.
IT WILL BREAK UP THE CHEST CONGESTION AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO COUGH UP THE PHLEGM.
USE DUSTMITE DETERGENT SOLD ON INTERNET AND WASH ALL BEDDING ONCE A WEEK TO REDUCE ALLERGIC REACTION TO DUST/DUSTMITES.
USE VINYL DUSTMITE PILLOW AND MATTRESS COVERS COVERS ON YOUR BED.
GET RID OF YOUR CARPET AND REPLACE WITH TILE, WOOD, FLOORING.
CARPET IS THE BIGGEST ASTHMA TRIGGER KNOWN TO MAN.
rating: 6 (24 votes)
Submitted at 2005-04-23 21:32:36
drink a cup of black coffee,the warmth will break up the flem and the caffine will help the tightness in your chest/throat
rating: 6 (68 votes)
Submitted at 2005-02-24 10:46:29
DO NOT TAKE ASPRIN! if you have asthma it will agrivate your asthma believe me. i used to take it for headaches and everytime it nearly sent me into attach. So i went to the doctor and asked why i was getting the attaches so often and the first thing heasked was if i was taking asprin and i was. I have not taken asprin in a year and i have had one attach instead of the usual 3 a month i was having before.
rating: 6 (21 votes)
Submitted at 2006-06-06 00:51:56
Vitamin B6 is medically proven to help with asthma. Also I find if I hang my body off the side of my be so that my head touches the ground and bang on my chest that helps clean out the lung butter. too much or too little humidity is a bad thing. standing in a room full of steam is NOT a good idea! neither is milk or dairy products!!! ASPRIN IS EVIL!!! if you have asthma.. That includes IBprophin and A.S.A. (Acidysilic Acid or something like that.).. hope this helps.
rating: 6 (24 votes)
Submitted by cheyenne at 2006-02-15 18:19:40
make sure you are getting 8 hours or more sleep, eat lots of vitamin c and less white sugar. wash your curtains and rugs, give away some of your dust-collecting knick-knacks and put peppermint oil around the nose and mouth every night before you go to bed. And quit smoking. This will work, maybe not elliminate your asthma but it will help a lot.
rating: 6 (16 votes)
Submitted by 0 at 2009-12-22 09:47:52
Asthma treatment- using Tumeric, Boswellia and Sea salt.
Take 400 mg. of Tumeric, 250 mg. of Boswellia, and breathe very deeply through a home-made sea salt inhaler (see below) for 10 deep inhalations-all twice daily- every day to maintain excellent lung health.
Home-made sea salt inhaler.
You will need= an old plastic pill bottle with a plastic lid, electrical tape-or other pliable tape, a paperclip, pliers, and coarse sea salt.
Open up the paperclip to form a straight piece of metal. Grab the paperclip near the end with the pliers, hold the other end over the flame or heat of a stove until the end gets red hot. Now, with the bottle sitting on a table, quickly melt holes through the sides of the very bottom of the bottle every 1/8' until you go all the way around the bottle. You may have to heat the paperclip up again to do this depending on the thickness of the bottle. Now, put holes in the very center on the top of the lid every 1/16' (at least 12 holes) leaving the perimeter still solid. Now, fill the bottle 1/3 up with sea salt. Next, wrap tape around the top sides of the lid on well to seal off any air leakage and PRESTO!!!...you've just made a sea salt inhaler that companies charge good money for!
To use= simply put your mouth over center of the lid and breath deeply in, remove mouth from bottle and hold for 5 seconds, exhale as deeply as you can. Repeat this process for 10 inhalations.
** It would be helpful to obtain the highest quality supplements possible, as they will be more potent. The mg. dosages is what has worked great for me. I've discovered this remedy on my own by doing lots of research of natural supplements and experimenting. It would also be wise to avoid smokey, dusty or moldy conditions or environments. My asthma was severe and is now very under control. Good luck to you!!
rating: 5 (29 votes)
Submitted by Falsefaith at 2006-12-26 03:20:18
Avoid things you are allergic with. You should do this besides the asthma anyway. If you have allergic reactions to foods, drinks, meds, etc... either take what the doctor gave you or stay away from the thing.
I have really bad allergic reactions to dogs and when I was younger I would get thrown right back into the hospital bed whenever I visited my cousin's house (which had a dog). Once I stopped staying over at their place the attacks lessen. Then about a year ago I found out I was extremely allergic to this popular cough medicine, it took ten minutes or so after I took it and I had a horrible asthma attack (which are rare now). The throat closed up and I was coughing even more than before (ironic since it was a cough med).
So yes... that's my tip. Stay away from the things that cause extreme allergic reactions cause they will trigger the asthma.
Other things that help me:
-Sitting up or standing
-Cold air (your body doesn't have to be freezing but you should breathe in the cold air. Take a few minutes or a little more)
-Taking long deep breaths as best I can and concentrate on that (it relaxes you and a calm self is better than one that's panicking)
rating: 5 (22 votes)
Submitted by Vrinda Unhale,India at 2007-10-21 13:25:24
For asthma patients hot steam of nilgiri oil is very beneficial.Besides juice of cabbage should be taken regularly.
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take ginseng to increase heartiness and endurance. Ginseng also is helpful in promoting assimilation of vitamins and minerals.
rating: 5 (20 votes)
Submitted by Aria at 2006-04-13 00:57:08
I have found the herbal supplement called 'Ultimate Respiratory Cleanse' to be quite helpful in releasing phlegm. You can find it at most health foods stores. Also, DO NOT breathe in humid or moist air. Some people say taking a shower or bath helps, but it really doesn't. The air may help release mucus in the lungs, but it makes breathing worse, sometimes drastically. A dehumidifier always helps. I smoked for five years and quit due to a sudden asthma attack that I had never experienced before. The asthma attacks were horrible, but I am so thankful for it helping me to quit smoking. Smoking is the worst thing you can do if you have asthma. DON'T SMOKE!
rating: 5 (15 votes)
Submitted at 2007-12-30 09:39:27
Fish oil ( the odor is removed) taken daily reduces inflammation all over the body . It works great for preventing asthma.
rating: 5 (16 votes)
Submitted at 2011-07-08 04:34:59
Drink pasturized goats milk. Swim everyday. Sleep at least 8 hours a day. Dont exert yourself by doing extreme exercise. Do breathing exercises. For children drinking goats milk and swimming daily will completely cure asthma.
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted at 2009-05-23 10:27:26
My grandma drinks Coca-Cola to help here when she is having trouble breathing, I use it too, caffeine is good for your asthma I guess.
rating: 5 (29 votes)
Submitted at 2009-03-01 00:43:27
In high school I ran out of albuteral (we didn't have insurance) and someone's perfume and stress triggered an attack. A good friend sat down with me for about an hour and coached me to 'smell the coffee.. then blow on it 'cause it's hot' rhythamatically for about an hour until I was breathing well again. To this day that's the first thing I do when I have an asthma attack. It both calms me and forces me to breathe.
rating: 5 (20 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Keep away from dairy products.
rating: 5 (47 votes)
Submitted at 2005-02-24 10:14:08
I have had asthma my whole life and when i was a child whenever i would start to cough or have shortness of breath, the beginning signs of an attack my parents would take me outside if it was cold, and/or give me a popsicle. If you dont have any popsicles, use an ice cube, it just isnt as apealing to children.
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted by Tina from Tipton Co. TN at 2004-12-27 16:22:57
Do not lay flat. Antime you lay down make sure you are propped up so that you can breath better. smoking is bad for asthma. Cool air helps you breath better. Warm air can make your nose stuffy. Do not get your room too hot.
rating: 5 (35 votes)
Submitted by Alyssa at 2011-06-04 05:27:20
What always helped me with asthma attacks is sitting in a bathroom while the shower is on and extremely hot. The steam helps really well. See, My father insists on having three dogs, though I am very allergic. Because of that, I have a hard time breathing at his house. Therefore, I have tried everything to calm my attacks. I've also found that coffee, tea, or anything warm and caffinated is wonderful as well. I hope this helps!
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted by John Wakamoto at 2005-10-27 16:29:42
Ingredients: wild cherry tree bark
Instructions: this is found at your local herbal store. you make tea with the bark. you can drink it hot or cold. add more or less bark to your taste. drink as you would tea, or any other beverage. but be sure to drink some every day. i learned this from an indian lady and i have had no breathimg troubles since. you can also try ephedra extracts for tea.
rating: 5 (22 votes)
Submitted by rosetree at 2007-06-27 09:53:38
lavender oil rub on chest and n hale it
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take garlic and cayenne supplements.
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted at 2005-08-15 23:55:01
put sliced onions in the microwave with sugar sprinkled on them and bake and then remove the juice and take it. this works great for children and babies. Also slice and onion and fry it until hot and wrap in a towel and lay on chest, it opens up the lungs for adults just eat pieces of a raw onion. It really works.
rating: 4 (22 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take vitamins A, B-complex, D, PABA, and pantothenic acid.
rating: 4 (16 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Drink 1/4 cup onion juice, a tablespoon honey, and 1/8 tablespoon black pepper.
rating: 4 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Drink a glass of warm water with 10 or 15 drops of garlic juice.
rating: 4 (11 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Drink a cup of water with 1/2 teaspoon liquorice and ginger mixture.
rating: 4 (5 votes)
Submitted by Patrick Linden at 2007-01-25 15:13:12
About fifteen years ago I discovered by accident what really causes asthma. When my son suddenly developed asthma aged six an neighbour woman told me about goats milk and how it works in some cases but not in all cases. I tried it and it worked great for about a month and then the asthma returned again. Both my wife and myself devastated until we discovered our son was getting pasteurised milk at school. We continued giving our son goats milk, but this time we did it differently. We used goats milk exclusively instead of pasteurised milk, on his tea and his cereal and a small glass last thing at night going to bed and first thing in the morning. We continued doing this for twelve weeks and then we let him take normal milk again to see how it would affect him. He is now twenty six years old, a fully qualified carpenter building timber framed houses and never a sign of asthma Goats milk is not an alternative medicine, it is simply a safe and simple alternative source milk containing all the nutritional values that pasteurised milk should contain, but without the asthma causing agent Goats milk can be purchased from most major Supermarkets and can be taken along with any other medicine or inhalers. It does not have any side effects. This treatment has proven to be one hundred percent with every child or adult that has taken it. The patient or parent that is taking this treatment will know inside forty – eight hours that it is working. If a child has been born with asthma or has developed it in the first six months of its life this treatment still works but the treatment must be continued into teenage years. It is very IMPORTANT that this treatment is continued nine to twelve weeks to allow the immune system build up a resistance to the asthma causing agent in normal pasteurised milk As asthma affects a large percentage of lower income families and single parent families this service is FREE. I didn’t have to pay for it so why should you. Members of the scientific or medical world may or may not agree with my thesis ,but when you watch helplessly as your child starts turning blue with an asthma attack , the only thing that matters then is what works and saves the child’s life
rating: 4 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Soak 30 to 40 basil leaves in a half gallon of water. Strain out the leaves and drink throughout the day.
rating: 4 (11 votes)
Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take bee pollen daily as a long-term solution to eliminating allergens.
rating: 4 (7 votes)
Submitted at 2009-12-12 15:59:36
When i go to parties, i usually get an asthma attack because of me laughing so much and my friends having dogs in their house. if i dont have my inhaler with me, i just usually drink any soda they have. it helps..
rating: 4 (20 votes)
Submitted by at 2011-10-27 15:20:09
take ur ventailin puffers more often to open up ur air ways more this worked for me:)the try sniffing honey for 2min the hotsteemy shower u should be set after that
rating: 3 (9 votes)
Submitted by Asim at 2005-05-26 06:24:08
Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes. (onion packs place on chest helped the respiratory ailments and actually made breathing better).
rating: 3 (7 votes)
Submitted by Virginia Carroll at 2006-07-07 08:16:59
Whiskey with a ball of sweetgum (from the sap of a sweetgum tree ). Put a ball of the sweetgum sap, about one inch diameter, in the bottom of a pint jar, finish filling the jar with whiskey. Shake often until whiskey dissolves the sweetgum then take a teaspoon twice a day, morning and bedtime, before it is all gone the asthma will be gone. Adjust the dosage down for kids. An old Indian remedy.
rating: 3 (12 votes)
Submitted at 2010-03-30 22:39:28
put on teaspoon of baking soda and sea salt into glass of water and stir and drink.
rating: 3 (23 votes)
Submitted by mike at 2007-03-28 22:19:15
drink a tall glass of ICE-WATER.
rating: 2 (19 votes)
Submitted by Dr.max at 2011-05-30 16:43:19
In children avoid all milk products and the asthma will cease. In adults, there are four foods which usually trigger asthma. You must remove from the diet one at a time to determine which food is triggering your attacks: cheese, chocolate, citrus and wheat. A diet high in fruits and vegetables(juicing is best) and low in protein(none is best). Take 2 tbsp. flaxseed oil daily and avoid all other fats and oils. Prolonged exposure tho the drug prednisone is found to be detrimental to recovery. Avoid all pharmacutical drugs and other toxins while recovering.
rating: 1 (14 votes)
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