People, both young and old, suffer from many asthmatic symptoms. It's a troubling disease that makes breathing, something that we take for granted, difficult to achieve. Many asthma medications and treatments help people, but not everyone can readily access them.
That's where home remedies come in. Natural remedies for asthma can be more accessible and help with the symptoms that medications leave out.
What is Asthma
If you don't know what asthma is, it is a chronic disease that impacts the airways of your lungs. With uncontrolled asthma, you will experience airway inflammation, narrowing the airways. When that happens, the air has a more difficult time getting to and from your lungs.
Asthma makes it incredibly difficult to breathe at times, and different triggers can set off an attack. These triggers can be different for each person. They can be either environmental triggers or situational triggers.
Sadly, asthma doesn't have a cure. Many people are prescribed medication such as inhalers or nebulizers to help with symptom control, but nothing will completely eliminate them. Natural remedies will also help with some of the symptoms one will experience.
Most Common Symptoms of Asthma
An obvious symptom of asthma is difficulty breathing. There are more symptoms that someone with asthma may face, though the severity depends on the person.
The most common symptom of asthma are asthmatic attacks. Someone experiencing an attack will have an intense coughing fit that is persistent and forceful. One might experience wheezing and shortness of breath.
Difficulties Breathing During the Day
People with asthma can experience the symptoms of an asthma attack at any point. If your asthma is severe, you can experience shortness of breath and coughing during the night while sleeping.
Discomfort in Your Chest
Chest tightness and chest pain are also asthma symptoms, making the disease very uncomfortable.
Factors That Cause Asthma to Worsen
Asthma can be annoying and troubling because so many external and internal factors can worsen asthma.
These factors can also be tough to avoid, meaning that many with asthma suffer from worsening symptoms because they can't control the world around them.
Exercise
When you have asthma, you might trigger an asthma attack from exercising. Through exercising, you are making your lungs work harder. This extra work can cause the airways to get inflamed and narrow your way of breathing.
Pollution
Being in a polluted area can cause airway inflammation, which will make it difficult to breathe. But it's not just pollution in the air that can cause asthma to worsen. Many particles in the air can trigger asthma symptoms, such as perfumes, pollen, spores, and anything that can be sprayed
At Home Remedies to Reduce Symptoms & Asthma Attacks
Essential Oils
Now, essential oils won't be able to completely stop an asthma attack or cure asthma on its own. However, aromatherapy can help reduce some symptoms and soothe your airways.
Oils are natural remedies that are readily available and don't have to cost much money. These herbs also have plenty of health benefits that can improve more than just your asthma.
Lavender
Lavender is one of those calming herbs that reduce inflammation in the body. When you breathe in lavender oil, you send lavender particles directly into your airways. Then, as your lungs make contact with the lavender, it will decrease airway inflammation for easier breathing.
Lavender will help reduce chest tightness and pain as this herb works to calm muscles and even organs.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus also has anti-inflammatory properties while working to open up your airways as you breathe it in. If your asthma is triggered by excess mucus in your airways, eucalyptus will help clear that out. Overall, eucalyptus can help improve lung function when breathed in.
Do remember that essential oils are not a cure-all to treat asthma. Using essential oils can trigger worse asthma symptoms in some people. When trying this remedy, start very small to avoid the risk factors.
Dusting Frequently
Dust, which is super common everywhere, is a massive trigger for asthma. People with asthma will experience attacks in their homes because of the dust on objects and in the air.
Dusting at least once a week can rid the dust from your home, make the air cleaner, and help manage symptoms. Use a dusting tool that traps and locks in the dust that it picks up, so you prevent dust from getting flicked into the air while disturbing it.
Eliminating Allergens From the Home
Certain allergies can trigger asthma in some. If those allergens get into the home, they can worsen asthma symptoms.
To remove allergens from the home, you should frequently dust, clean furniture and objects commonly touched, and use an air purifier. Take an antibacterial cleaning solution to tables, hard chairs, faucets, and doorknobs. Anything that gets commonly touched or gets dusty easily should be disinfected.
Using an air purifier will help keep dust and allergens out of the air. They clean the air while you don't have to do much work. An air purifier also helps in treating asthma.
Avoiding Smoke
Smoke and asthma are not a good combination. When you smoke or are around people that do, the smoke will exacerbate asthma symptoms. Smoking, when you have asthma, messes with your lung function as smoking causes severe damage to the lungs.
Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke is just as harmful as smoking a cigarette directly. Those particles are filthy and therefore increase the chances of having a severe asthma attack when inhaled. Avoid people when they are smoking and stay out of areas that get a lot of smoke from buildings and cars.
Smoke Can Be Everywhere
Toxic smoke can be found in cigarettes, car exhausts, truck fumes, fireplaces, and city buildings. Avoid asthma triggers such as smoke whenever you can. If you have to go out into an area that has a lot of smoke in the air, wear a filtering mask to block out the air pollution.
Bathing & Brushing Pets Regularly
An unclean pet can cause worsening asthma symptoms when one is sensitive to pet dander.
Depending on your pet type, they will require different brushing and bathing routines. A fluffier dog will need to be brushed more regularly.
Brushing your pet keeps all the loose fur in one area. Otherwise, fur that has been shed will end up on the furniture and your clothes. Having these possible allergens everywhere will make breathing more difficult.
Unclean pets in your home will also bring in allergens like pollen and mold spores. Avoid triggers from pets by ensuring that your animals are clean to avoid as many allergens as possible.
Changing Air Filters Regularly & Reducing Indoor Air Pollution
Having an air purifying system in your house is one of the best alternative treatments. Easily keep indoor air pollution, allergens, and all sorts of other triggers out of your home's air to ensure easy breathing.
When you have an air purifier, you must remember to change or clean the air filters regularly. Without regular cleaning, an air filter will get coated with dust and pollutants. It then won't be able to pick up more particles from the air, leaving your air full of potential asthma triggers.
Some air filter companies will have a subscription service if you have trouble remembering when you need to change an air filter. Airzey is one of those companies that will remind you to have a clean home by sending filters directly to your house.
Purifiers can both be considered natural remedies and scientifically based remedies. Air purifiers can prevent asthma attacks from happening in your home. It can also give your lungs and airways a break to heal from the damage that severe attacks can cause.
Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises won't be able to treat asthma attacks entirely, but they can make your lungs stronger and prevent future inflammation. Breathing exercises can also help get you through a bad attack when you don't have an inhaler or need something extra.
Pursed lip breathing and breathing patterns are both breathing techniques that can get you back in control of your airflow.
Pursed Lip Method
First, pursed lip breathing is breathing with your mouth in a specific shape to get more air into your lungs and then leave your lungs. You can find detailed tutorials online to help you get the hang of it. First, purse your lips together as if you were going to drink from a straw. Then, breathe in for two counts and exhale for four counts.
Patterned Breathing
You can use other patterns when breathing in to alleviate asthma symptoms. Breathing in for four counts, holding for seven, and exhaling for eight will help reset your breathing and stop a minor attack.
Buteyko Breathing
Finally, let's go over the Buteyko breathing technique. This technique will "shock" your diaphragm and lungs into a stable breathing pattern.
In this technique, plug your nose after you have exhaled. Remain calm and hold your breath until you have the urge to breathe. This will cause your diaphragm to spasm and reset. Breathe normally for 10 seconds and repeat as many times as you need.
Practicing different breathing exercises will improve lung function and can help manage asthma symptoms against any trigger. These exercises are especially great for exercise-induced asthma.
Acupuncture
While it may seem strange, acupuncture is considered one of the natural remedies that can relieve asthma symptoms in some people.
When you get acupuncture, they will map out the areas of the body that connect back to the lungs and your airway. Then, they will poke tiny needles into those areas to increase blood flow and aid the areas of the body that needs help.
There isn't much scientific evidence to prove that acupuncture can help people with asthma, but some people have reported less severe symptoms after an acupuncture appointment.
Create Your Plan
Now that you know about some home remedies for asthma, you can figure out what remedies work best for you. Asthma patients should have an asthma diary to track what helps and doesn't.
Also, work with your preferred healthcare professional to develop an asthma treatment plan that will be specially curated for you. A good asthma treatment plan will have tools to prevent asthma symptoms and stop an attack.
Not only is having proper asthma-prescribed medications essential to managing your asthma but so is being aware of home remedies that can help with asthma. Both medical treatment and natural remedies can come together to make an asthma treatment plan that works for your specific asthma experience.
Remember to get professional medical advice before starting any herbal remedies and always consult with a doctor first. You don't want to try a solution that will worsen your asthma.
Enroll in the Air Filter Subscription Program With Airzey
Airzey makes it easy to improve the air you breathe symptoms. This subscription-based service helps people with asthma have a home with clean air that is perfect for their lungs. Airzey also makes it incredibly easy to replace the filters to keep the air in the home fresh.
No longer are the days when you have to remember when it's time to pick up new air filters. Now, when your system needs a new filter, they will be readily available and ready to be used. You will receive new air filters in the mail when you set up a subscription with Airzey.
Airzey wants to provide you and your household with clean air that will benefit those with strong lungs and those who experience breathing difficulties. If you wish to have indoor air that is clean and pollution free, set up a subscription with Airzey. With them, the air in your home will be perfect for every lung.
