If you have been suffering from asthma attacks or know of someone who does, then you definitely know how hard these phases can be after a simple allergy trigger. They are not only uncomfortable, but they can be painful when you have to deal with it constantly, thus causing disruptions to your life. One of the biggest expenditures made is on the bills you need to pay for loads of prescriptions drugs.
There have been reports from the American Lung Association that indicate how close to $6 billion has been spent annually for just the purpose of asthma medication in the country. There is also the additional trouble of keeping track of your medications and inhalers so that you do not end up with a sudden attacks in case you missed your medication.
There are options to treat allergies asthma naturally. They can be through a healthy lifestyle you choose by actively adding natural food or herb supplements or even specific natural supplemental therapies to your diet. However, the major question that arises is how far are these over the counter natural supplements or natural therapies effective, and more importantly safe for consumption in the treatment of asthma?
1. Natural herbs for asthma
The minute you say natural, one may think that these supplements, remedies, or therapies are actually used to treat allergies asthma naturally. However, not all of these are extremely and exhaustively tested or approved by the FDA, and there are not many regulations in place like it is with regular prescription medication. There have been some herbs that have been found to interact in line with certain forms of drugs, such as:
- Ginkgo Biloba, which is claimed to be effective in reducing lung inflammation during asthma attacks. It can end up causing bleeding when the person uses it alongside blood thinners such as Coumadin.
- Licorice root is another well-acclaimed ingredient that is used to treat allergies asthma naturally, but this is a main ingredient that causes blood pressure to rise easily.
- Ephedra is a well-known bronchodilator that many people are warned against now due to its serious side effects including death.
2. Talk to your doctor
Before you go out and choose any form of supplements or therapies to treat your asthma symptoms, it is imperative that you talk to your medical practitioner and get their opinion. This is a critical step because you need to ensure that the medication you have been given can be consumed alongside other forms of natural supplements or remedies, and more importantly, you need to be clear on what choices you are looking at.
If you have already started some form of acclaimed method or supplement that is used to treat allergies asthma naturally, then you should ensure that you are not experiencing any side effects or eventual ones like hair fall, skin change, etc. Make sure you read the fine print of these labels and always research well before purchasing or using these self-claimed natural remedies.