Although some things in life are given, they are very essential too– eating, sleeping, keeping the body hydrated, fitness, yoga, and entertainment. But quite often many of us find trouble (or are already facing problem) in breathing outside air.
Do you have a feeling of suffocation or congestion in breathing?
Chances are it could be Asthma.
In this article, we are going to tell you what is asthma, causes, symptoms, types and home remedies.
What is Asthma?
It is an inflammatory disease which affects the air passages that carry air from the nasal area and mouth to lungs (and vice versa). Since asthma patients face difficulty breathing in outside air, they experience suffocation.
Causes
There can be many causes for it (both external and internal):
- Smoking tobacco
- Allergies (due to dust mites, air pollens, household chemicals, fungal or mould infection, pet hair etc.)
- External factors like air pollution
- Obesity, meaning weight gain
- Infection of lungs since childhood
- Premature birth
- Some types of foods like eggs, fish, soy, peanuts
- Genetics
- Stress, depression and tension
Symptoms
Most of us, knowingly or unknowingly, might have experienced asthmatic symptoms. Yay or Nay?
- Shortness of breath
- Breathlessness (particularly at the time of the attack)
- Wheezing or a hissing sound (while breathing out)
- Chest congestion
- Feeling tired upon doing any kind of physical activity
- Cold and cough which are frequent
- Running nose
- Constant Sneezing
- Migraine or Sinus
Types Of Asthma
Here are some types of asthma, check it out below:
Home Remedies for Asthma
Worry not. Asthma can be effectively tackled through home remedies. Please read on to find how.
1. Clove
What you need: 5 to 6 cloves, Half glass water, a spoon of honey
How to do:
- Boil cloves in water.
- Add honey
How it works: Cloves are not just good for toothache. They make an excellent remedy in curing asthma in the comfort of home.
How frequent to use: Follow this remedy twice a day.
2. Ginger
What you need: Ginger, pomegranate and honey (in equal quantities)
How to do:
- Make a juice by mixing equal measure of ginger, pomegranate and honey
- Then drink it
How it works: Ginger is that natural remedy which not only comes to help for various types of ailments. It also cures asthma.
How frequent to use: Consume ginger 2 to 3 times a day for effective results
Tip: There is another way of taking ginger – mix 1 tbsp ginger juice with 1 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp dried fenugreek seeds. Leave it overnight. And then take it every morning for your lung detoxification.
3. Mustard Oil
What you need: Mustard oil and Camphor
How to do:
- Take some amount of mustard oil.
- Mix camphor in it
- Now massage it all over your chest for relief from asthma
How it works: Mustard oil is very effective as massage oil. It gets deep down the skin and brings relief – whether it is joint pain or asthma.
How frequent to use: Do it once a day or at night before going to sleep.
Tip: Warm the mustard oil before application so that your chest benefits from it.
4. Figs
What you need: Dried figs, water
How to do:
- Soak some dried figs in water
- Leave them overnight
- Next morning, eat them but on an empty stomach
How it works: Figs have expectorant properties which help in draining out the phlegm trapped in the respiratory tract that causes wheezing and asthma cough.
How frequent to use: Try this remedy for a week to 10 days for results to show up
Tip: You can also take fig water to get relief from asthma
5. Black Tea/ Coffee
What you need: Black tea or coffee
How to do:
- All you need to do is drink black tea or coffee (depending on your preference)
How it works: Caffeine in Coffee clears the affected air passage, enabling the air to enter and exit easily.
How frequent to use: Drink 3 cups of either of them (whichever you chose)
6. Eucalyptus Oil
What you need: Eucalyptus essential oil, and boiling water
How to do:
- Put a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil in a cup of boiling water.
- Inhale the steam
How it works: Eucalyptus oil is of great benefit in treating asthma. It opens up the nasal and air passages, helping the air to pass through easily.
7. Honey
What you need: 1 tsp honey and hot water
How to do:
- Mix 1 tsp of honey in hot water
- Drink it
How it works: Honey reduces the inflammation in the lungs airways and helps break up the mucus which otherwise makes it hard for you to breathe.
How frequent to use: Drink the honey-and-hot-water remedy 2 to 3 times a day
Tip: You can also inhale the aroma of honey
8. Onions
What you need: Just onions
How to do: You an asthma patient? Then include more onions in your diet – in salad (raw form) or cooked in vegetables.
How it works: Onions have anti-inflammatory properties, which makes them helpful in clearing the air passage.
9. Fruits and Lemons
What you need: Eat Fruits and lemons
How it works: Fruits in the form of strawberries, blueberries, papaya, and oranges have been beneficial to people down with asthma. Lemons are rich in vitamin C. So they should be consumed with water and sugar once a day (minimum) to get relief from asthma.
10. Fishes
What you need: Salmon fish, Tuna Fish or Sardines
How to do: Include these fish varieties in your meals. If you can’t have them in cooked form, then take fish oils instead.
How it works: Fishes (mentioned above) are effective in treating asthma. They enhance asthma-fighting properties and treat it quickly.
11. Gooseberries (Amla)
What you need: Amla fruit
How to do:
- Crush 3 gooseberries (or amla)
- Add honey to them and eat.
How it works: Indian gooseberry (or Amla) is a good Ayurvedic remedy for asthma, cough and chronic respiratory diseases.
12. Soup
What you need: Handful of drumstick leaves, 3/4 cup water, salt and pepper (both optional), lime juice – 1/2 to 1 tsp (optional)
How to do:
- To water, add drumstick leaves
- Boil it for 5 minutes, then cool it down
- Add salt, pepper, and/or lime juice to the soup for added taste
How it works: For asthma cure, the leaves of the drumstick tree are quite beneficial for soup preparation.
How frequent to use: Once a day
13. Bitter Gourd
What you need: 1 tsp paste of the root of bitter gourd, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp juice of tulsi leaves
How to do:
- Grind the bitter gourd root to get the paste
- Take 1 tsp of the paste and add honey to it
- Crush the basil leaves also to get its juice
- Mix the bitter gourd paste with honey or basil leaves juice
How it works: Bitter flavours can effectively treat obstructive diseases of the airway like asthma
How frequent to use: Every night before going to bed
14. Herbal Tea
What you need: Herbal Tea, crushed ginger and a dash of lime juice
How it works: Sip the herbal tea 2-3 times a day for airway decongestion.
Tip: Herbal tea made from licorice root is also an effective option for treating asthma.
15. Fennel Seeds
What you need: 1 to 2 tsp of raw or roasted fennel seeds
How to do: Finish each meal by taking fennel seeds
How it works: Fennel seeds when taken regularly detoxify and decongest the lungs
How frequent to use: 2 to 3 times a day
Tip: As an option, you can also add 1 tsp fennel seeds to your regular tea.
16. Warm Milk
What you need: A glass of warm milk, olive oil and honey (in equal qty.)
How to do:
- To a glass of warm milk, add olive oil and honey
- Drink this milk (along with few garlic cloves) before having breakfast
How it works: Milk when taken warm helps decongest the airways in lungs.
17. Lemons
What you need: (Freshly squeezed) 3 tbsp Lemon juice, and 1 ½ tbsp water
How to do: Before your bed tea, take lemon juice and water (in the mentioned qty.)
How it works: Lemon helps get phlegm out of your airways. This makes it a natural expectorant for asthma-related cough.
How frequent to use: To be taken before bedtime every day.
18. Carom Seeds
What you need: Carom seeds and warm water
How to do: Carom seeds taken with warm water give you instant relief from cold. This way, it also helps in expelling cough and mucus from the body.
How it works: Also known as “Ajwain”, Carom seeds are useful for treating bronchitis and asthma.
How frequent to use: Take carom seeds with jaggery twice a day.
19. Chilli peppers
What you need: Chili peppers (or hot sauces/horseradish/hot mustard/wasabi)
How to do: Include chili peppers in your meals
How it works: Those who consume chili peppers are less likely to have asthma attacks in severe form.
20. Orange juice
What you need: Oranges (for juice extraction)
How it works: Orange juice is rich in Vit. C which relieves you of wheezing symptom in asthma
How frequent to use: 2 to 3 glasses of orange juice a day
Tip: Optionally, you can also have other fruits rich in Vit. C (example- papaya, blueberries, strawberries)
21. Salmon
What you need: Salmon fish
How it works: Do include Salmon in your diet. It is rich in Omega -3 fatty acids which reduce the presence of inflammatory compounds in the body. In fact, fish oil can reduce inflammation of airways.
Tip: Other varieties of fish you can include (in addition to salmon) are mackerel, tuna and other cold-water fish.
22. Peppermint extract
What you need: 6-8 mint leaves, 4 to 5 holy basil leaves, Ginger – 1 inch piece, 4 to 5 peppercorns, 1 tsp honey, Water – 2 cups
How to do:
- Crush peppermint and basil leaves and also boil water
- Transfer the crushed leaves in boiling water
- Let it boil till the leaves turn into a dark brown
- Now add ginger to the tea and crushed peppercorns
- Turn off the flame
- Strain the tea and add honey to it
- Put the cup of steaming mint tea beneath your nose
- Inhale it for some time
How it works: Peppermint has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, plus soothing functions which bring relief from breathlessness. It is also an expectorant which helps it to expel phlegm out.
Tip: When the tea turns less hot, don’t inhale it but sip it slowly. The hot solution going down your throat will bring you relief from asthmatic pain and discomfort.
23. Khella
What you need: Khella (in tincture form, as a tea, or in herbal capsules)
How it works: Khella treats asthma by soothing muscle spasms of the airways.
Tip: Take Khella as asthma “preventive”, not during asthma attacks.
24. Turmeric
What you need: 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
How to do:
- Take turmeric powder in hand
- Consume it ASAP
How it works: Tumeric has anti-inflammatory agents which clear out the mucus in your lungs. Thereby, soothe the irritation and inflammation that happens due to the blockage of airways.
How frequent to use: 3 to 4 times daily
Tip: Include turmeric (or haldi) in your daily diet e.g. turmeric tea, in gravies etc.
25. Garlic
What you need: 10 Garlic cloves, 30 ml milk (which makes 6 tsp)
How to do:
- First of all, add the garlic cloves to milk
- Now boil the milk and drink it
How it works: Well, garlic not only prevents and heals asthma; it does the same with a wide range of other diseases such as arthritis, cold, flu, circulatory problems, digestive disorders, insomnia, liver diseases, sinusitis, ulcers etc
How frequent to use: Once daily, take the milk-boiled garlic cloves
Tip: The other option is to sip ginger tea with 2 minced garlic cloves twice a day.
26. Echinacea and Licorice Root
What you need: 2 tbsp Dried licorice Root, 1 Cinnamon Stick, 2 cups water
How to do:
- Boil licorice in water for about 10 minutes
- Strain the solution
- Pour the tea in a cup
- Hold the cup beneath your nose and inhale the steam
- When the tea gets tolerably hot, then drink it
How it works: Licorice root is a Chinese medicine for asthma. It has flavonoids and glycyrrhizins in it to give relief from asthma attack.
How frequent to use: Have the tea of licorice root 2-3 times a day
Tip: In case you are down with BP problem or diabetes, talk to your doctor before taking licorice root tea, as this can interfere with certain medicines.
27. Omega-3s
What you need: Take Omega-3 fish oil or Omega-3 foods (like Vegetables, seeds, nuts and oils)
How it works: The best part about Omega-3 fatty acids is that they lower the levels of the chemicals which increase airway swelling. It is proven to be a natural remedy for asthma.
Hey, when are you going nutty?
28. Steam
What you need: Caraway seeds, juniper oil, peppermint oil
How to do:
- Mix some caraway seeds in boiling water.
- Now inhale the steam for relief from chest congestion.
How it works: Steam inhalation helps in loosening the phlegm which creates difficulty in breathing. You can also put few drops of juniper oil (or peppermint oil) in hot water and inhale steam.
Exercises Control Asthma
Running
How it works: Have controlled asthma? Then you should be able to run.
Best time to do: Ideal time to run is when the weather is warm, or when you are on a treadmill.
Swimming
How it works: One of the best exercises swimming is for asthmatics. Know why? It helps build up the muscles used for breathing.
Tip: Hey, be careful of swimming pools that have excessive chlorine. It is a chemical which can trigger off an asthma attack.
Biking
How it works: If the weather is by your side, by all means, go for Biking.
Tip: You can also get a stationary bike for your home. This way you can do it any time.
Sports
How it works: Volleyball, baseball, football are activities that can be teamed up as ‘sports’.
Best time to do: Any time during the day (barring the night)
Tip: By the way, doing these sport activities also get you a good workout.
Martial Arts
How it works: This type of exercise is mostly done indoors. The beauty of doing Martial Arts is that it has more of short movements which are good-to-go to get you in good shape. Also, they help in building muscle tone, and help you develop a sound mind and body.
Yoga for Asthma
No medicines, just Yoga…
Anulom-Vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing):
How to do:
- Be seated on a yoga mat and keep your spine erect
- Squeeze your left nostril by using the correct hand pointer
- Hold your breath for 5-10 sec
- Making use of your thumb, squeeze your correct nostril and breathe out through your left nostril
- Repeat this 10 times with every nostril
How it works: This is the ideal start to any yoga session. It is a pranayama schedule which enhances the stamina and soothes the asthma by bringing the relaxing factor.
Best time to do: In the morning
Tip: Anulom-Vilom when done increases your concentration at work and studies
Standing Forward Bend Pose (Uttanasana)
How to do:
- Stand straight. And keep your legs and hips wide apart.
- Bend down at the waist
- Now bring your hands down to the floor.
- You will feel the stretching of your spine
- Press your head into the gap between your legs and grab your ankles
- Maintain this pose for a minute
- Then, rise up to your normal standing position
How it works: This is yet another great yoga posture for treating asthma side effects. In this pose, your head is below your heart. This gets your blood to rush to your head (instead of your feet), thereby giving your cells much-needed oxygen boost. It also improves the strength of your abs and eases the asthma symptoms.
Tip: If you have back or leg injury, then don’t do this exercise.
Corpse Pose (Shavasana)
How to do:
- As goes the name, you need to stay immobile (like a dead body on the floor)
- Stay in the pose for few minutes till you feel relaxed.
How it works: This is the “ending pose” in every yoga session.
Best time to do: Anytime during the day (not necessary to do it on an empty stomach)
Tip: This yoga technique puts you in a state of meditation and refreshes you.
Sukasana
How to do:
- It is a simple seated pose.
- All you need to do is sit down and think you are having meals.
- Hold on to this pose as long as you are comfortable sitting and doing it
How it works: It is an easy pose. So easy, it is like sitting down and meditating. Brings a sense of calm and peace, and helps avoid situations that trigger asthma attacks.
Best time to do: Practice Sukhasana in the morning time
Tip: Not necessary to do this pose on an empty stomach
Butterfly Pose (Badhakonasana)
How to do:
- Sit straight on ground
- Then fold your legs inwards so that you sit in a cross-legged style (without crossing your legs)
- See to it that the two feet should be facing towards each other
- Maintain this posture for 30-40 sec
How it works: This ‘bound angle’ pose is a good yoga posture for those suffering from asthma and breathing troubles.
Tip: The trick of this asana? Just sit and pull the legs inward, making sure the two feet are facing each other.
Straddled Splits
How to do:
- Sit on the ground with your legs straddled wide apart.
- Inhale, as you reach your arms up.
- While exhaling, fold your body forward
- Hold this pose for 5 deep breaths.
How it works: This pose involves stretching out the upper part of the body and opening up your lungs.
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)
How to do:
- Bridge Pose looks like one when done (as you will see in the pic).
- It is a beginner level yoga asana
- Hold on to it for 30 to 60 sec
How it works: It is pretty effective for asthma patients. Keeps your body balanced by opening up your lungs and chest, and improving digestion.
Best time to do: Works best when done in the morning on an empty stomach
Supportive Fish
How to do:
- Lie flat on your back
- Place your arms beneath your hips so that the weight of your body gets supported by your arms
- Now inhale and raise your head upwards
- Do the fish pose for 1-2 minutes
How it works: Fish Pose or Matsyasana is considered as one of the best poses for bronchial asthma. It tones up your respiratory system by stretching your backward neck.
Pranayama
How to do:
- Sit in sukhasana posture
- Palms to be on respective knees
- Close your eyes and breathe in and out
- Do breathing in and out 10 times
How it works: This type of yoga relieves the symptoms of asthma through control of breathing.
Poorvottanasana (Upward plank pose)
How to do:
- Place your hands behind your hips while placing your feet on the floor
- Keep your feet hip-width apart
- Now breathe out
- Put your feet and hands firmly on the floor and lift your hips
How it works: This pose indicates the onset of new and bright beginnings. Improves the functioning and working of your respiratory system.
Best time to do: Early in the morning on an empty stomach.
Tip: It also helps clear bowel movements.
Prevention & Precautions
It is Important to remember and follow this:
- Stick to your Asthma Action Plan. It’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions.
- Identify the trigger points that can activate Asthma. And avoid them.
- Stress on avoiding exposure to indoor and outdoor pollution, cigarette smoke, and other things that can cause allergy.
- Avoid eating refined carbohydrates, fried and processed foods, artificial sweeteners, food additives.
- Go in for foods high in anti-oxidants. They reduce harmful free radicals, which stimulates inflammation.
- In your daily routine, do carry out aerobic exercise, stretching, yoga or resistance training.
- Never exercise in cold and dry air. Always warm up before doing exercise.
- Stepping out in the cold? Cover your nose and mouth for sure.
- It is important to maintain optimum humidity levels. So if you feel the need, then use dehumidifier.
- Cleanliness is important. So clean your home at least once a week. And wear a mask while doing the cleaning.
- Stop eating junk foods. Instead, eat foods which are high in vitamin B12.
- After consulting a doctor, take Omega-3 supplements, if the need of the hour is to decrease inflammation.
When to consult a doctor?
Seek medical care if you experience the following –
- Trouble in breathing (new or worsened)
- Worsened Coughing or Sneezing
- When your cough is dark brown or bloody mucous
- When you get Fever (new or higher)
We believed that this article has given you an insight into some of these queries; What are the 3 types of asthma?, Can asthma go away?, What is the treatment of asthma?, Is asthma a disease?, types of asthma, treatment of asthma, symptoms of asthma, causes of asthma, asthma – wikipedia, asthma definition, asthma causes and treatment, asthma attack.
Hope this article on Asthma was helpful in proffering tips and guidance. Do write in your comments below.
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