Natural Home Remedies for Asthma

Home Remedies for Asthma: Bronchial Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract and a quite distressing ailment affecting 6 to 7% of the total population worldwide. However, the good news is, you can control and cure it with natural home remedies for Asthma.

Asthma is a well-acquainted hyper-sensitivity disorder that occurs due to the inability of the respiratory system to pump oxygenated arterial blood and eliminate carbon dioxide from the body.

Facts also suggest that 14% more children are affected by it than adults. Shockingly, it is twice as common among boys than girls, whereas, in adults, the male to female ratio is usually equal.  

Symptoms Of Asthma

1. Dyspnoea (shortness of breath) while taking deep breaths is one of the critical symptoms and can be injurious to life too.
2. Too much sweating appears on the forehead because of the shortening of breath, and the patient can become restless.
3. Throat choke with sputum produced by cough because of which the patient can even face problems in speaking freely.
4. The patient can feel relieved of restlessness for some time after the phlegm (mucus or sputum) gets out.
5. If the mucus does not come out, he becomes more restless.
6. The patient can faint again and again while coughing or because of the regular Asthma attacks.
7. The patient may feel shortness of breath while sleeping or lying down but feels relieved of this discomfort in sitting posture.
8. Ghurghurana (wheezing or murmuring sound) occurs because of the multiple layers of the thick mucous present in the lungs and throat.
9. The patient’s eye-balls become prominent or project outside because of excessive coughing.
10. The patient’s mouth becomes dry frequently.
11. Patients develop a special liking for hot things like warm water, soups, tea coffee, etc.

#DidYouKnow

Triggering Factor – The Asthma attack gets aggravated when the atmospheric conditions are cloudy, cold, moist, or when the wind blows from the east. So, if you too feel difficulty in breathing in such situations, you might be suffering from Bronchial Asthma.

Home Remedies For Asthma And Ayurveda

Ayurveda introduces Bronchial Asthma as Tamaka Shwasa, and it is well interpreted in Charaka Samhita. Tamaka Shwasa is an ailment in which patients undergo severe symptoms of respiratory problems accompanying extreme debility physically and mentally. The name of Tamaka Shwasa is because of the reason that the symptoms or attack of this disease accelerates at night. Also, during the time of the attack, the breathing difficulty is so severe that the patient feels entering into the darkness (Tama Pravesh).

As we all know Ayurveda revolves around Doshas and for Asthma too, the concept applies. It is considered that both Vata and Kapha Doshas have been chiefly involved in the development of Tamaka Shwasa. When Vata is obstructed by vitiated Kapha, it reverses and affects the Prana Vaha Srotas (breathing channels) and produces Dyspnea associated with a wheezing sound, cough, labored breathing, etc. These symptoms increase if you are taking Kapha dominant things. Tamaka Shwasa (Bronchial Asthma) is curable if timely action is taken. Later in the blog, you will not only learn how to cure Asthma naturally but also its types, causes, and Do’s & Don’ts.

Also Read: Home Remedies to prevent heart diseases

Types Of Bronchial Asthma

Santamak Shwasa

Santamaka Shwasa is intensified at night and the patient feels relaxed in the cold atmosphere that is in contradiction to Tamaka Shwasa, which is aggravated in cold weather, and usually, the attacks accelerate early in the morning. The patient feels to be drowning in the sea of darkness, so it is called Santamaka Shwasa. 

Pratamak Shwasa

In this type, the patient is submerged by fever and fainting, in addition to other symptoms of Tamaka Shwasa. It is caused by Udavarta (reverse movement of Vata Dosha), dust, indigestion, old age, and suppression of urges or controlling natural impulses.

Causes Of Asthma

The causes or factors of Asthma are divided into two types:

1) Inducing Factors

Genetic factors, Obesity, Viral infections in early life, and exposure to tobacco or smoke are some key inducing factors. These causes affect both its severity and its responsiveness to treatment. It is believed that the current increased rates of Asthma are either due to changing living environments or heredity.

People with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or more have a much higher risk of having Asthma than those with a lower BMI. Certainly, extra weight around the chest and abdomen might tighten the lungs and make it more difficult to breathe. 

Viral induced Asthma is the origin of an Asthma attack due to respiratory tract infection. This involves viruses associated with the common cold and flu.

Smoking tobacco is also a cause of Asthma as it damages tiny hair-like projections in the airways called ‘Cilia’. Cilia works to sweep dust and mucus out of the airways. Smoking damages cilia which create congestion of mucus in the respiratory tract.

2) Triggering Factors

Inhalation of Allergens: House dust, pollen grains, animal hair/feathers

Environment: Cold and dry climate, cooking gas fumes, passive cigarette smoking, paints, sprays

Infections: Upper Respiratory Tract infections, Viral infections

Drugs: Aspirin, Pain killers (NSAIDs)

Food: Colouring agents in food, food preservatives, ice creams

Exercise: Vigorous exercise particularly on a cold and dry day

Psychological factor: Stress

Occupation: Wood and cotton dust, chemicals

As Per Ayurveda, The Causes Of Tamaka Shwasa Are As Follows:   

1. Intake of dry, cold, heavy, unsuitable food, or irregular intake of food.
2. Excessive consumption of black gram, beans, sesame, or the meat of aquatic animals.
3. Consumption of cold water and exposure to cold climate.
4. Exposure to dust, smoke, or wind.
5. Excessive exercise, or overindulgence in sexual activity.
6. Trauma to the throat, chest, or vital organs.
7. Suppression of natural urges.

Diet Tips For Asthma Patients

1. Eat light and warm wheat, old rice, green gram, Horse gram (Kulthi bean), and barley.
2. Use Garlic, Bitter Gourd, Turmeric, Ginger, Black pepper in your diet.
3. Have Lukewarm water, Goat Milk, Honey.
4. Avoid heavy and cold diet, black gram, fried items, mustard leaves, fish.
5. Avoid sweets, chilled water, stored food items, curd.

Natural Home Remedies For Asthma

You can cure Asthma naturally with the help of herbal medicines by sitting in the comfort of your home. Natural treatment for Asthma consolidates vitamins, minerals, and herbs to relieve symptoms and prevent future attacks. Mostly, herbo-mineral formulations are used in treating Tamaka Shwasa because of their healing properties. 

Drugs should contain the following properties to be effective in curing Asthma naturally and controlling Vata and Kapha Doshas so they could not aggravate in the future from their normal state:

1. Anti-inflammatory
2. Antitussive
3. Bronchodilator
4. Expectorant
5. Antihemorrhagic
6. Antispasmodic
7. Anti-allergic
8. Anti-bacterial
9. Anti-viral
10. Antifungal
11. Appetite stimulant

Drugs possessing the above-mentioned properties that are also herbal medicines for Asthma are:

Kantkaryavleh

It should be taken 1/2 to 1 tbsp twice a day with lukewarm water.

Sitopladi Churna

1/2 tbsp twice a day with honey is highly effective in treating Bronchial Asthma.

Kankasava

Take 2-3 tbsp of it with the same amount of lukewarm water after food. 

Vasaristha

Consuming 2 tbsp with the same amount of lukewarm water proves effective. Swaskuthar Rasa – Have 2 tablets twice a day with lukewarm water after food.

Conclusion

As per Ayurveda, Bronchial Asthma is a Vatakaphaja (combined Vata and Kapha) disease; it begins in the stomach, progresses to the lungs and bronchi. Hence, the treatment aims to move the excess Kapha back to the stomach and then eliminate it.

Ayurvedic medicines and Home Remedies for Asthma can control the problem and can improve immunity too. Other than this, a healthy lifestyle, breathing exercises like yoga and meditation play an important role in reducing symptoms and improving lung functioning.