Unfortunately, there's little to no evidence to support that herbal treatments can help treat asthma. Be sure to tell them about all your symptoms and your concerns. Together, you can find management strategies that work for you. Asthma: In Depth. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

Published April Accessed August 20, Asthma and Nutrition: How Food Affects Your Lungs. American Lung Association. Published July 10, Find out how to better manage your symptoms at the office—or wherever your job takes you.

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Curabitur at lacus eget lectus maximus pretium. Fusce vitae hendrerit velit, ut tempor mi. Most patients with severe asthma need medical treatments such as bronchodilators medications that relax your airways. However, natural remedies can complement medications if you have severe asthma; and if you have mild asthma, natural remedies may replace medications altogether.

Some of the natural approaches taken at the Fishein Center include supplements such as magnesium, Vit C, and Fish oils. Other approaches include specific exercises that are derived from mindful meditations that Buddhist monks use, a s well as breathing exercises.

Some research suggests that practicing mindful breathing can ward off asthma attacks and decrease asthma symptoms. One approach, that the Firshein Center uses is a technique that slow down breathing combined with diaphragmatic exercises.

The Firshein method utilizes slow breathing with visual imagery and diaphragmatic breathing to maximize their approach to enhanced respiration. Some research links higher carbon dioxide content in the blood to more dilated airways.

Many other breathing techniques for asthma exist, and Dr. Firshein can teach you the best exercises for your asthma. In his books the Nutraceutical Revolution and Reversing Asthma , Dr. Firshein documents the benefits of using specific nutrients to benefit his patients.

Studies show that diets rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory foods, and other minerals reduce your risk of asthma. Foods with anti-inflammatory properties — such as berries, fish, avocadoes, and herbal teas — may reduce inflammation in your airways, which can minimize symptoms and lower your risk for an asthma attack.

Eating a healthy diet also strengthens your immune system, which helps your body fend off allergy attacks and illness, two common triggers of asthma. Avoiding triggers is critical to avoiding asthma attacks. Common asthma triggers include:. In most cases, more research is needed to see how well alternative remedies work and to measure the extent of possible side effects.

Alternative asthma treatments include:. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Alternative medicine. By Mayo Clinic Staff Print. Request an appointment. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Weinberger SE, et al.

In: Principles of Pulmonary Medicine. Elsevier; Accessed March 30, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Accessed March 25, Asthma adult. Mayo Clinic; Global strategy for asthma management and prevention update.

Global Initiative for Asthma. Accessed March 27, Khurana S, et al. Systematic approach to asthma of varying severity. Clinics in Chest Medicine. Ferri FF. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Wu TD, et al. Asthma in the primary care setting.

Coffea arabiga Coffee, Café Berries beans Beverage Contains methylxanthine principally caffeine compounds that have bronchial-dilating effects. Datura spp. Datura, Jimsonweed, Stramonium, Moonflower, Thorn Apple, Estramonio, Toloache Whole plant Tea, leaves smoked Various species of Datura are toxic and hallucinogenic.

Avoid use. Echinacea purpurea Echinacea, Purple Echinacea, Equinácea Flowers Tea, capsules, extracts Safety for use during pregnancy not established.

Emblica officinalis Amla, Emblica, Indian Gooseberry, Grosella espinosa de la India The leaves, bark, flowers, fruit, and seeds Tea, capsules, syrups Safety for use during pregnancy not established.

Ephedra sinica Ma Huang, Chinese ephedra, Efedra china Stems Tea, capsules, syrups Contains ephedrine and pseudo-ephedrine, compounds that have bronchial-dilating effects. Ephedra trifurca, E.

nevadensis Mormon tea, Té mormón, Popotillo, Canutillo Stems Tea The American species of Ephedra do not contain ephedrine. Eucalyptus spp. Ecualyptus, Eucalipto Leaves Tea, syrups, essential oil Avoid ingesting essential oil.

Foeniculum vulgare Fennel, Hinojo Stem and leaves Tea, syrups, essential oil Safety for use during pregnancy not established. Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo, Maidenhair tree Leaves Tea, liquid extract, capsules Safety for use during pregnancy not established.

Gnaphalium spp. Cudweed, Gordolobo Stems, leaves and flowers Tea, syrups Safety for use during pregnancy not established. Lippia dulcis Mexican lippia, Honey herb, Orégano, Tzonpelic- xihuitl Leaves and stems Tea, essential oil Safety for use during pregnancy not established.

Lobelia inflata Lobelia, Indian tobacco, Ojo de víbora Leaves Tea, extracts Safety for use during pregnancy not established. Mentha pulegium Pennyroyal, Poleo Leaves, stems, and flowers Tea, essential oil Avoid use during pregnancy.

Origanum spp. Oregano, Orégano Leaves and stems Tea, essential oil Plant possesses antiseptic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory action. Talauma mexicana Yoloxóchitl Leaves and stems Tea Safety for use during pregnancy not established. Use for limited periods of time.

Thea sinensis Green tea, Te´ Verde Leaves Tea, capsules, extracts Contains theophylline, a compound that has bronchial-dilating effects. Theobroma cacao Cacao, Cocoa Beans Unsweetened beverage, extracts Contains theobromine, a compound that has broncho-dilating effects.

Tussilago farfara Colt´s foot, Fárfara Leaves and flowers Tea, syrups Safety for use during pregnancy not established. Verbascum thapsus Mullein, Gordolobo Flowers Tea, syrups, capsules Safety for use during pregnancy not established.

References Awortwe C, Asiedu-Gyekye IJ, Nkansah E, Adjei S. Unsweetened natural cocoa has anti-asthmatic potential. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. Berdonces JL. Gran Diccionario de las Plantas Medicinales.

Barcelona, Spain: Editorial Oceano; Bone K, Mills S. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy 2 nd Ed. London: Churchill Livingstone; Eshwarappa RS, Ramachandra YL, Subaramaihha SR, Subbaiah SG, Austin RS, Dhananjaya BL. Anti-Lipoxygenase Activity of Leaf Gall Extracts of Terminalia chebula Gaertn.

Pharmacognosy Res. doi: Gardner Z, McGuffin M Editors. Botanical Safety Handbook 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL; CRC Press; ; pp.

Görnemann T, Nayal R, Pertz HH, Melzig MF. Antispasmodic activity of essential oil from Lippia dulcis Trev. J Ethnopharmacol. Khare C P. Ayurvedic Pharmacopeial Plant Drugs. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; ; pp. New Delhi, India: Springer-Verlag; Berlin: Springer-Verlag; Loera JA, Black SA, Markides KS, Espino DV, Goodwin JS.

The use of herbal medicine by older Mexican Americans. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. Majeed M, Bhat B, Jadhav AN, Srivastava JS, Nagabhushanam K Ascorbic acid and tannins from Emblica officinalis Gaertn.

Fruits—a revisit. Also, keeping caffeine consumption between and milligrams mg daily also reduces the chance of developing adult asthma.

Another study in a Korean population also showed that drinking 1 to 2 cups of coffee daily may help reduce the chance of getting asthma, particularly for women. But no similar link was found between asthma and caffeinated drinks like green tea or soda. Several different breathing exercises may help relieve symptoms of asthma.

These include:. The Buteyko Breathing Technique BBT is a system of breathing exercises. BBT focuses on breathing out of your nose instead of your mouth.

Breathing out of your mouth can dry your airways and make them more sensitive. Some people may experience less respiratory infections from using this technique. Others who practice BBT believe that it helps to raise your carbon dioxide levels. The Papworth method is a breathing and relaxation technique used since the s to help people with asthma.

It involves using your nose and diaphragm to develop breathing patterns. You can then apply these breathing patterns to various activities that may cause your asthma to flare-up.

According to research , this breathing exercise does seem to help improve lung function and breathing in asthmatic people. That said, more research on the effect the Papworth method and other breathing modalities is needed to determine the full benefits. A training course is usually recommended before adopting the exercises as part of your daily routine.

Yoga incorporates stretching and breathing exercises to help boost flexibility and increase overall fitness. For many people, practicing yoga can decrease stress, which may trigger your asthma. Studies have found that people trained in Yoga may experience fewer asthma attacks and have better results in breathing tests.

A meta-analysis of 15 studies also concluded that there is some evidence to the possitive effect of yogic breathing on mild-to-moderate asthma. Research shows that asthma can have not only physical and environmental triggers but also psychological ones, such as stress, anxiety, or depression.

Trying different ways of mental grounding or psychological treatment may help reduce asthma flare-ups in some cases.

In hypnotherapy, hypnosis makes a person more relaxed and open to new ways to think, feel, and behave. Hypnotherapy may also help facilitate muscle relaxation, which may help people with asthma cope with symptoms like chest tightness. This may explain why a study on hypnotherapy found that people with known psychological asthma triggers can find some symptom relief with this treatment.

Mindfulness is a type of meditation that focuses on how the mind and the body are feeling in the present moment. It can be practiced almost anywhere.

All that you need is a quiet place to sit down, close your eyes, and focus your attention on the thoughts, feelings, and sensations in your body.

Because of its stress-relieving benefits, mindfulness may help to complement your prescription medication and relieve stress-related asthma symptoms.

Research shows that mindfulness practices may not directly reduce the physical symptoms caused by asthma but rather helps better manage how you experience and view those symptoms in your daily life. Other research on the impact of mindfulness on asthma appears to be inconclusive, so more studies are needed to verify the connection.

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese medicine that involves placing small needles into specific points on the body. Some people with asthma may find that acupuncture helps to improve airflow and manage symptoms like chest pain. Another study that compared acupuncture and traditional asthma treatments found that those who did acupuncture during the study showed more improvement in immune system and lung function tests than those who tool traditional asthma medications.

However, the long-term benefits of acupuncture have not yet been proven effective against asthma. Speleotherapy is a type of dry salt therapy.

It involves spending time in a salt room, introducing tiny particles into the respiratory system. One study on asthma in children found that after 4 weeks of speleotherapy, symptoms seemed to improve, as well as levels of nitric oxide , which is a marker for asthma inflammation.

Another study found that combining speleotherapy with winter exercise or sports may help reduce asthma symptoms. Some of these natural approaches may help reduce asthma symptoms, but you check with your doctor before trying anything. Your doctor may also recommend you continue taking your usual asthma medications , and they may adjust your dosage if your asthma is severe.

Read this article in Spanish. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. VIEW ALL HISTORY. Learn what you can do at home during an asthma attack, when you need to seek emergency medical help, and other remedies to try.

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