People suffering from asthma know that the biggest expense related to this respiratory disease is an expensive medication. The CDC reports that about 1 in 13 Americans have this respiratory disease or about 25 million Americans. [1] And the personal costs of asthma are estimated to be over $3,000 per person per year, according to the American Thoracic Society [2].
In addition to the costs involved, having asthma also requires that you keep track of different inhalers and medicines and store them. With that said, by taking advantage of alternative treatments or natural asthma remedies, you might be interested in using a more natural approach to keep your symptoms in check. But before visiting your whole food store, you should make sure that not only are the products you add to your shopping basket safe, but also efficient.
Can Natural Treatments Work?
In order to better manage their symptoms, there are many people suffering from asthma who choose to explore alternative treatments.
Alternative drugs, particularly for allergic disorders such as asthma, are not rare for patients to use, says Anju Peters, an associate professor and asthma specialist from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. According to her, about 40 percent of allergic condition patients evaluate natural therapies and use them for more mainstream prescriptions.
But what does science say about the treatment of natural asthma and why do people try it out? Doctor Peters says that in animal experiments, many of the treatments have promising results as an anti-inflammatory, but critical human trials are yet to be carried out. Thus, it is wise to still air on the side of caution
1. Steam Baths
Irritation has been treated with hot steam baths in the airways and nasal congestions for years, but Peters claims there is currently no research confirming the effectiveness of steam when it comes to symptoms of asthma. She explains that the most important thing to understand is that this is “is not a cure for asthma and that people should not trade their medications for it,” But even though we don’t have trials showing that a profit actually exists, it doesn’t mean that certain people don’t get relief from this type of alternate asthma care.
As Peters says, steam baths “can relieve a range of symptoms by bringing steam into a patient’s airways,” and calls for caution that heat can be so hot that it is harmful, “which for some asthma cases can actually worsen symptoms.”
Herbs and Other Alternative Treatments
To assist with symptoms, a large number of herbs have been documented, but Dr. Peters urges individuals to be careful. The most popular treatments for herbal asthma and its future pros and cons include:
– Garlic. This odorous vegetable has been used for centuries due to its anti-tumor, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory qualities that may also be helpful in the fight against this disease. [3] Sadly, according to Dr. Peters, there is not any controlled or definitive research about how garlic deals with asthma.
– Ginger. Ginger, a fragrant and fiery root vegetable, has many nutritional advantages. According to Health Line, it can assist with fatigue, muscle discomfort, indigestion, and lower levels of blood sugar. [4] When asked about ginger, however, Peters says that an often-quoted study in which people took oral ginger supplements has not demonstrated that they enhance the function of the lungs. Because of that, she suggests that this natural treatment should be used cautiously by asthmatics.
– Echinacea and Licorice Root. Research studying the impact of multiple herbs on this problem showed that Echinacea was actually responsible for increasing the symptoms of asthma and causing severe side effects, even though it is typically used to treat upper respiratory infections. The same study showed that, despite many individuals using it for this very reason, licorice root was still an unsuccessful natural treatment for this disease. Worse still, some side effects such as high blood pressure have already been created.
– Turmeric. This is another herb that, according to Peters, has been researched several times and has been found to have anti-inflammatory benefits. However, turmeric also interacts with histamines, contributing to inflammation, so further study on the topic is needed.
– Honey. There’s no lack of honey-containing cold and cough treatments that soothe and calm a sore throat and cough. Eating hot drinks with honey is also a go-to cure for it, but Dr. Peters points out that honey is not validated by studies as a suitable substitute therapy for asthma.
-Omega-3 Fatty Acids. The explanation that people more frequently strive and ingest sufficient omega-3 fatty acids in their diet is to avoid and cure heart disease. Some studies suggest that omega-3s in the airways of a person can help with inflammation, but very little is known about how useful they are for this chronic disease.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_national_asthma_data.htm
[2] https://www.thoracic.org/about/newsroom/press-releases/journal/2018/asthma-costs-the-us- economy-more-than-80-billion-per-year.php
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4103721/
[4] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger
