Asthma Home Remedies

In the United States asthma causes 4,000 deaths a year. More than 22 million people are afflicted with this chronic disease, more than 5 million of whom are children. There are more than 300 million sufferers worldwide, and it affects about one quarter of all urban children. The good news is that it is a reversible condition. Prognosis is generally good with treatment.

Asthma attacks are triggered by rapid temperature changes or when certain substances
(allergens) are breathed in. When that happens, the smooth muscle cells in the airways (bronchi) constrict and get inflamed. This prevents proper breathing, which results in shortness of breath, coughing in some cases, and a general tightness of the chest.

Apart from modern prescription drugs there are natural home remedies for asthma. Most of them focus on strengthening the immune system by cleansing the airways and lungs. Breathing fresh sea breeze near an ocean, for example, helps to alleviate asthma. It contains salt crystals and it helps the lungs to absorb more oxygen. In eastern and central Europe it is a common treatment to bring asthma patients down into salt mines for the same reason.

There are companies that offer a way to benefit from the salt crystal treatment without having to travel. They collect the special salt crystals and fit them between ceramic filters. When breathing through the pipe-like contraption the air passes across the minerals and into the airways, therefore alleviating asthma symptoms.

Other home remedies for asthma relief include for example the indirect method of cleaning the air inside the house of the asthma sufferer. This can be done by placing a bowl of liquid ammonia in the bedroom before going to sleep, which helps to avoid breathlessness at night. This is particularly effective for asthma sufferers who live in hot or tropical climates.

Another effective method to allay an asthmatic attack consists in taking a ripe banana and warm it on the gas stove. After it is warm some black pepper has to be sprinkled on it, and then the patient has to eat it. Asthmatic pains and tightness of chest will almost immediately subside.